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CONTENTS
Jane’s welcome I’m delighted to announce that as part of our ongoing commitment to you; the people of Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, we have now launched our new rapid response vehicles which will enable us to continue to provide critical care during the hours of darkness. Find out more about this exciting new service on pages 20 and 21. In this issue of Flight for Life, airlifted patient Dawn tells us about her equestrian accident and how the Charity came to her rescue. Plus the mother of airlifted patient Luca describes the moment she underwent every parent’s worst nightmare – finding her ten year old son lying on the road having been hit by a van. These stories illustrate just how vital it is to bring the pre-hospital emergency services of your Air Ambulance to the scene when every second counts. Just before going to print Chancellor George Osborne announced in the 2014 Budget that UK Air Ambulances affected by VAT on aviation fuel will receive relief for those charges. As you can imagine we are delighted at the decision and as a result, the Charity will save around £5,500 a year. With the cost per mission at £2,500, potentially two more lives could be saved every year, which is priceless. This is a positive step forward and a culmination of over 12 months of lobbying with MP’s spearheaded by the Association of Air Ambulances and the Air Ambulance All Party Parliamentary Group to relieve Air Ambulance Charities of this charge. Not only have we been engaging with local MP’s about the VAT issues but we have also met with Nick Hurd (above), Minister for Civil Society to discuss the issue of inadequate landing facilities at hospitals and other key topics that affect the Air Ambulance community. We are always trying to improve our communications and we value your feedback as supporters - on page 22 there is a short survey which I would be most grateful if you could complete and return - it should only take a few minutes. Lastly, but most importantly I’d like to personally thank all our loyal Flight for Life Lottery players and Charity supporters for your continued support – every one of you plays a vital part in keeping us operational and saving lives. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your families a fantastic and safe summer! Jane Gurney Chief Executive Officer Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust
Dawn’s story
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EHAAT statistics
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Flight for Life Lottery
6/7
A look back at our 2013 Nepal trek
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Corporate and community thank you’s
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Volunteer news
10
Upcoming events
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Meet Dr. Tim Webb
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Medical news
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Afternoon Tea
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The Gift of Life
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Training with EHAAT 16/17 Luca’s story 18/19 New rapid response vehicles
20/21
Get involved online
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How can you help?
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Contact us Essex General Enquiries: 0845 2417 690 Herts General Enquiries: 0845 504 0055 Email: ContactUs@EHAAT.uk.com Website: EHAAT.uk.com Lottery Hotline: 0845 2417 688 Lottery Website: FlightforLifeLottery.uk.com To advertise in flight for life magazine call: 01787 226118 Published by: Symbian Print Intelligence Editor: Holly Butler Holly.Butler@EHAAT.uk.com Cover shot: Thanks to Lee Mills www.workrestandplaypictures.com Registered Charity number: 1108989 Branding and selected photography reproduced by kind permission of Perception.Co 3
Dawn’s story Dawn Smith tells us about the accident she suffered while out riding her horse with her daughter...
Dawn’s daughter Candy who made the life-saving call
If like me, you live in a rural area and follow rural pursuits, the Air Ambulance is a vital resource
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One September morning, my daughter Candy and I were out for our usual Sunday morning horse ride in Heybridge. I was on my Arab Dancer and Candy on her cob; Alice. We were heading back to the yard and just enjoying a final canter across a stubble field when Dancer took a tumble and went down on one knee, unable to get his footing. I went over his shoulder landing heavily on the ground, and Dancer rolled right over me, trapping my feet. After having half a tonne of horse roll over me, I was unable to move and in a lot of pain; I honestly thought that was the last daylight I was going to see! My daughter jumped straight off Alice mid-canter and was by my side in seconds using my mobile phone to dial 999. Eventually the land ambulance arrived but due to our position in the stubble field they were unable to reach us, Candy then managed to direct them in via another route. Once I was assessed, the land ambulance crew decided that they needed to call the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance as they couldn’t risk moving me via a regular ambulance across the fields because of the potential serious damage to my spine. The Essex Air Ambulance arrived within minutes of being called and Pilot
David Kerr-Sheppard landed the helicopter in the field near to where I was. HEMS Doctor Peter Temesvari and HEMS Paramedic Chris Martin acted fast assessing me and providing me with gratefully received pain relief. Once stable, I was airlifted to Colchester General hospital and during the flight the lovely Air Crew reassured me the whole time and helped to stop any panic from rising. I would have been in a real muddle that day without the Air Ambulance as it turned out that I had broken both my pelvis and some ribs. I have since visited the Essex Air Ambulance base at Earls Colne and had the pleasure of meeting the Fundraisers and Air Crew. If like me, you live in a rural area and follow rural pursuits, the Air Ambulance is a vital resource. My daughter Michelle, has since done a tandem skydive and raised £460 for the Charity; you don’t need to be this extreme when donating or raising money but any way you can spare a pound or two to donate to them, I would encourage anyone to do so as you never know when you may need them. A massive thank you to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and to all of their Air Crew, Volunteers and Staff!
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STATISTICS JANUARY 2013 DECEMBER 2013 -
HOW MANY UNDER 16’S DID WE ATTEND
HOW MANY RTC’S DID WE ATTEND
WHAT IS OUR BUSIEST DAY OF THE WEEK
TUESDAY
HOW MANY EQUESTRIAN INCIDENTS DID WE ATTEND
39
HOW MANY CARDIAC ARRESTS DID WE ATTEND
210
WHICH HOSPITALS DID WE LAND AT MOST FREQUENTLY TOP 5
62 - ROYAL LONDON 46 - ADDENBROOKES 41 - QUEEN’S 39 - BROOMFIELD 35 - BASILDON
FUEL FOR ONE HOUR’S FLIGHT - £200 5
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF OUR FREE PRIZE DRAW! Are you still paying by Standing Order? Paying by Direct Debit is the most cost effective method for the Charity! To switch, please call us on 0845 2417 688 and we can do this for you over the phone!
Are you still paying by Cheque, Credit or Debit Card?
Why not switch to Direct Debit now – it’s more convenient for you and for us as we don’t have to send you regular reminders – call us on 0845 2417 688 today!
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In the last edition of Flight for Life, we were celebrating the Flight for Life Lottery reaching its 100,000 membership! As part of that celebration we entered all our loyal Lottery members into a free prize draw with three exciting prizes up for grabs! Many congratulations to all our winners...
1ST PRIZE – Mrs Hardy, Halstead – A
visit to the Shard in London and a 3 course meal at The Oblisck restaurant!
2ND PRIZE – Mrs Ewers, Chelmsford – A family ticket for the opening performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Southend’s Cliff’s Pavillion including chauffeur driven travel and an overnight stay. 3RD PRIZE – Mr Smith, Billericay – Afternoon tea at Hanbury Manor in Ware, Hertfordshire.
PATIENT THANK YOU… “I would like to give a huge thank you to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance service for attending my father’s accident; the HEMS team saved my father’s life. The service the Air Ambulance provides is outstanding and I wish it was more common knowledge to the general population, what you provide and how you are funded. My father has suffered a very serious injury and we are all devastated, this has been life changing for us all. Before April I looked at the world with closed eyes, now I look at the world and I see life. Thank you to all the crew that attended that day. Words cannot describe our appreciation.” Krina Patel from St Albans
Helping the Charity
£25,000 Superdraw jackpot won! On the 19th February 2014, a lucky Flight for Life Lottery member from Belvedere won the Superdraw jackpot of £25,000! They have very kindly donated £1,000 back to the Charity!
Help save your Charity vital funds change your lottery membership to Direct Debit and lower our costs now!
•WINNER• Chris Chaplin from Colchester won £14,327 in the Superdraw!
•WINNER• Mike Passingham from Welwyn Garden City won £19,512 in the Superdraw! Speaking about his win, he said: “I am a London Fireman and have been to quite a few incidents that the London Air Ambulance has attended so I have had the privilege of seeing close up the fantastic work the helicopter crews do. As I live in Hertfordshire I didn’t hesitate to sign up to support the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance when a canvasser called at my door. It’s a fantastic Charity and you never know when you or your family may need them. After I signed up I forgot all about it and it was a complete shock when we had the phone call telling us we had won. We intend to use the money to pay off some loans, do some work on the house and have a holiday.”
Speaking about her win, she said: “I was absolutely amazed when I got the phone call with such fantastic news, having only joined the lottery in November 2013! I joined because I think they all do such marvelous work. I will be spending a fair amount of the money on home improvements but I would also like to give something back to the Charity in the donation of £500.00.”
PATIENT THANK YOU… “Two years ago you attended to my son. I’ve never thanked you. You treated him with respect and compassion and understood his needs (he’s autistic), and gave him space. You will never know just how much we appreciated all that you did for him and a special thank you for the very thoughtful card you sent. You’ll be pleased to know he’s made a full recovery and has no scarring. Once again thank you xxxx.” Anthea Krempa from Hitchin
•WINNER• Glyn Cockaday from Thaxted won £3,310 in the Superdraw! Speaking about his win, he said: “I was utterly stunned when I received the call to tell me I had won the jackpot. I very rarely win anything and so it did come as quite a shock but I feel very lucky to have won. I think everybody should support the Air Ambulance for just a few pounds a week as it is so important. It is not until something has happened to you or a loved one that you realise just how important the service is. We have several grand children and so some of the winnings will be spent on Christmas presents for the family, plus we shall be putting some away for a rainy day!”
Lottery Team Could you be our next Flight for Life Lottery winner? To join our Lottery and be in with a chance of winning up to £25,000 call Jen, Jenny or Janice – the Flight for Life Lottery team - weekdays 9-5pm on 0845 2417 688 or email them at Lotteryadmin@EHAAT.uk.com
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Nepal Trekkers raise a huge £57,000 for the Charity!
25 intrepid trekkers have recently returned from a once in a lifetime trip to Nepal and the Himalayas where they completed a gruelling circuit of the Annapurna region, raising £57,000 which makes it the biggest Charity fundraiser of the year! Dawn Easby, Herts Air Ambulance Fundraising Manager reflects on their amazing trip! “It’s hard to express what an unforgettable experience we have all just had; stunning views every single day, punctuated with cups of delicious ginger tea. Some of our trekkers went through some very tough moments but I know all of us also had feelings of absolute elation, for instance seeing each other’s reactions at the finish line and trekker Bob’s “Oh Yeay, Oh Yeay!” town cry (which made all the local children jump out of their skin!) Our incredible hosts: the Nepali people, never failed to make me smile and
are the most caring hosts you will ever meet. The incense, dust and the beautiful lake at Pokhara which may be the most beautiful place I’ve been to. Personally I will never forget (having already climbed Poon Hill at 4am) re-ascending out of the forests to 3200m to be greeted with a stunning 360 degree view and a flag saying ‘Courage: not the absence of fear or despair but the strength to conquer them.’ It’s a memory which will always remain with me as that flag sums up not only the attitude of our trekkers,
but also the collective consciousness of everyone who comes into contact with our incredible life-saving Charity, particularly our airlifted patients. The thought that this money could potentially save 23 people’s lives is extremely humbling.” The 10 day trek saw the team traversing suspension bridges over rivers and climbing thousands of stone steps, surrounded by spectacular backdrops of snowy peaks and picturesque mountain villages. The ages of the participants spanned across 51 years, with the youngest being 21 and the oldest being 72 years old. Trekkers included Natalie from Southend Radio Breakfast Show who took a satellite phone with her to Nepal so she could report back to the station on how she was getting on. Plus, the Charity’s very own HEMS Paramedic Erica Ley. Erica says: “It was great to be with such a fantastic group of people. It was hard going at times but very rewarding. High in the Himalayas, with Golden Eagles can’t be bad and raising money for a very good cause makes you feel very proud.” Thank you to local businesses Epping Electrical who donated an incredible £10,000 to acknowledge the safe return of their employee Chris Allerton-Austin and Global Marine Systems who very kindly match funded the £3,564 raised by their employee Lesley Hull.
Congratulations and thank you to all of our fantastic trekkers: Christopher Allerton-Austin, Chelmsford • Julie Doggett, Marks Tey • Sophie Dunton, Chelmsford • Dawn Easby, Buntingford • Chris Flack, Chelmsford • Peter Grieg-Smith, Stanway • Lindsay Grieg-Smith, Stanway • Beverley Heard, Harwich • Danni Heard, Harwich • Paula Hine, Buntingford • Lesley Hull, Chelmsford • Mark Kemp, Braintree • Erica Ley, Ipswich • Paul Mansell, Sutton • Edward Monk, Chelmsford • Marie Murray, Chelmsford • Robert Needham, Wivenhoe • Julie Peters, Chelmsford • Alice Randell, Colchester • Janice Raven, Great Dunmow • Joseph Sadler, Braintree • Dawn Scutt, Hoddesdon • Keith Simpson, Chelmsford 8
The Fundraising Team will soon be looking for supporters to embark on the Charity’s next overseas challenge to Cambodia in 2015. For details and to receive a fundraising pack call 0845 2417 690.
Corporate and Community
Thank you’s COMMUNITY EVENTS Karl Rushen from StreetLife Driving School organised the Roadzter Essex Custom Car and Bike Show in aid of Essex Air Ambulance and managed to raise a fantastic £1,130! There were over 300 custom and kit cars and 100 motorbikes on display, trade stands and merchandise stalls, as well as a rock‘n’roll band and a disco with dancing. Their Roadzster part 2 event will be taking place on 3rd August 2014 in Weeley near Clacton-on-Sea! Daniel Robinson & Son Funeral Directors in Braintree hosted their 10th annual charity golf day in September and raised a staggering £18,000 for local charities. They kindly donated £2,500 to the Essex Air Ambulance to pay for a Laerdal mannequin for the Air Crew to use during training. The wonderful cadets at 1239 Broxbourne and Hoddesdon Sqn, raised bags of cash for Herts Air
Ambulance’s ‘Go Red’ appeal during National Air Ambulance Week. The teenagers collected donations while packing shopping bags at the Marks & Spencer store in Cheshunt and raised £1,000 for the Charity. One of our lovely fundraisers, Kim Couch, organised an elegant Valentines Ball, all in aid of Herts Air Ambulance and Headway! Over 120 guests enjoyed the evening and successfully raised over £6,000. In June, Shu Pillinger will be taking part in Race Across America, known as the Worlds Toughest Bicycle Race, beginning in Oceanside, California and finishing approximately 3000 miles later in Annapolis, Maryland, crossing 12 states and climbing 170,000 ft in just over 12 days! Shu is just one of 6 women taking part and if successful, will be the first British woman to officially complete the challenge in its 30 year history.
CORPORATES A great partnership has been set up with Essex Cricket Ground in Chelmsford and we have many things planned for the year. Our plans include, the use of the Essex Cricket Ground conference room to host the EHAAT ‘Copter Kidz event, bucket collections at their various cricket matches, selling a small selection of Essex Air Ambulance merchandise in their shop and Essex Cricket Ground players helping to promote and support the work of EHAAT. Hills Toyota of Bishop Stortford, who kindly donated the use of a Toyota Yaris Hybrid to the Herts fundraising team, have now launched the Snap a selfie campaign! Take a selfie with our HAA car and tag yourself on Facebook with Hills of Bishop’s Stortford Toyota, for a chance to win a prize! The wonderful staff at
Sainsbury’s Hoddesdon have chosen to support Herts Air Ambulance as their Local Charity Partner of the year. The store has been busy placing collection tins at the end of tills and taking part in store bucket collections. They even did a spot of carol singing over the festive season to raise additional funds and spread cheer to the good folk of Hoddesdon! So far over £800 has been raised thank you! A huge thank you to Rawson Carpets for providing the Essex Air Ambulance Charity shop in West Mersea with new carpet absolutely free of charge! Epson UK Ltd, who have chosen to support Herts Air Ambulance as their official Charity for two years have already raised over £7,500 in their first year of fundraising! Alstons Upholstery in Colchester have been announced as our headline sponsor of the 2014 EHAAT Base 2 Base challenge and have also generously donated over £1,000 to the Trust.
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Volunteer Sheena tells us about why she enjoys volunteering with the Charity...
10 Year Recognition Awards!
“Becoming a Herts Air Ambulance Volunteer was part of a bigger career change for me: from full time to part time employment in April 2012. This allowed me to experience being an Olympic Games Maker through that summer and to take time to choose two other well organised and worthy causes that I could support long term for a few hours every week. I chose my local Air Ambulance as one of the charities for two main reasons: firstly I am a life-long horse rider and combine hobby riding with being a volunteer steward at various British Eventing and other local equestrian events so have sometimes seen first hand the vital service the Air Ambulances can provide. Secondly, having looked into EHAAT’s organisation, what the Trust achieves across the two counties and having met the Herts Air Ambulance Buntingford office team, I
was really inspired by the professionalism, commitment and enthusiasm of everyone I met. I started in late 2012 and have really enjoyed my first year’s service. This is partly due to the welcome and support from working with more experienced volunteers, partly due to the incredibly interesting and motivating aspect of learning more about what the front-line Air Crew do on a daily basis and partly due to the variety of tasks volunteering with the Herts Air Ambulance can involve. This has ranged from bucket collecting, selling merchandise and restocking boxes in the warehouse to dressing up as Pilot Pete and giving local community presentations (not at the same time!). I look forward to attending another wide variety of events in the coming year and will Go Red with pride!” Sheena Ellwood, St Albans area.
If you’d like to Volunteer for the Charity or just find out more information then please call us on 0845 2417 690!
Mersea Charity Shop Re-Opens! The Essex Air Ambulance Charity Shop has re-opened for business following a much needed refurbishment. The West Mersea Shop on Barfield Road has undergone various essential building works to provide an improved environment for volunteers and customers.
Congratulations to Volunteers Jane Collier, Veronica Randall and Lesley Morrissey who have all recently received their 10 year commitment
Val Pryor, Mersea Island Charity Shop Coordinator, said: “I would like to thank everyone who has helped contribute towards the refurbishments of the shop and those that have kindly made donations. Thank you also to our amazing shop volunteers who we couldn’t do without, to our regular customers for being patient whilst the work has been going on and to everybody who has helped us in the past. We hope you enjoy the new look shop!”
We would like to thank the following for their hard work and generosity of donations towards the shop improvements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – Matthew Hayward and Graeme (Rusty) Marshall – Builders • Paul Jones - Electrician Matt Tyler and Leigh Squires – Plasterers • Carpet donated by Rawsons, Yorkshire Home Choice Carpets (fitting carpet & donation of vinyl) • Sink donated by Pam Withrington £ DONATIONS Mr & Mrs Cock • Mr & Mrs Webber 10
9th Annual Essex Motorcycle Show
2nd Annual Herts Motorcycle Run This year’s Herts Motorcycle Run sponsored by MotorcycleDirect.co.uk takes place on Sunday 4th May, starting at the Herts Police HQ in Welwyn Garden City following a 60 mile route and finishing at the Essex Motorcycle Show at North Weald Airfield – home of the Herts Air Ambulance. To register for the Herts Motorcycle Run call 0845 2417 690 now!
The 2014 Essex Motorcycle Show sponsored by ICE Patch is taking place at North Weald Airfield on Sunday 4th May! Entry is free with some fantastic attractions including Colchester Kawasaki, Jack Lilley Motorcycles, Jim Aim Motorcycles, Cannon BMW, Lakeside Harley Davidson, Newcombe Bros, EAMG, Total Advanced Training, CADAM and the Anglia Bike Company. Plus stunt activities, and the opportunity to try out the latest demo bikes or ride in a supercar, and lots more! The event is linked to our Herts Motorcycle Run (left) on the same day – the Herts Air Ambulance helicopter will be present on the day subject to operations for visitors to look around, meet the Air Crew and photographs.
Colne Valley Cycle Ride Sponsored by Wilkin & Sons Essex Air Ambulance is calling on cyclists of all levels to come down to the Cricket Pitch, Earls Colne Business Park for a ride around the beautiful Colne Valley Countryside on Sunday 25th May 2014.
There are three routes to choose from; approximately 50 miles for the more serious cyclists, 20 miles for the ‘intermediate’ cyclist, plus a shorter 3 mile family fun ride! The circular route starts at 9.30am from the Cricket Pitch on the business park at Earls Colne. Lobbs Cycles will be on hand to
offer mechanical support plus there’ll be healthy snacks and Evergreen Clinics will be open for sports massage at the end of your ride. Pre-registration is £16 and pay on the day is £20 – visit EssexAirAmbulance.uk.com to register and for more information call 0845 2417 690 now!
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Meet HEMS Doctor Tim Webb Where do you live? I live in London. What is your role in the Air Ambulance? I am a HEMS Doctor on the Air Ambulance and work with a team of highly trained Pilots, HEMS Doctors and Paramedics. Together, we form an advanced medical team, who can respond to critically ill or injured patients, either in a helicopter or rapid response vehicle. 12
When did you decide you wanted to work on an Air Ambulance and why? Prior to becoming a Helicopter Emergency Medicine Doctor with the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, I worked as a hospital anaesthetist in North East London. I have always been interested in caring for acutely unwell patients which is why I chose to work on the Air Ambulance. Examples of the type of emergency cases that we respond to include patients that have been involved in road traffic accidents, falls from height or those that have suffered a cardiac arrest. What has been your proudest moment in your career so far? One of the more harrowing jobs I have attended was flying to help a young girl who had been run over and was very seriously injured. We gave her emergency treatment at the scene and flew her to hospital. Happily, she made a good recovery. Previously, I have been fortunate enough to work as a Doctor in both Wellington, New Zealand and Sydney, Australia, where I flew in helicopters with New South Wales Ambulance Service,
transferring patients from one hospital to another.
How do you relax? For relaxation, I enjoy skiing, world food and travel and try to get to one or two music festivals per year! I recently spent five weeks travelling around South East Asia and plan to have a prolonged visit to South America in 2015. Summarise in a quote what it means to you to work on the Air Ambulance. I feel immensely proud to be working on the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance with such a close knit team of Pilots, Paramedics and Doctors. Many of my medical colleagues I already know from working in London and it is great to have such camaraderie together in the Air Ambulance world. A nice part of the job is when patients that we have treated return to visit us at the Air Base and show us how they are getting on. If you are a patient and would like to get in touch then please use the ‘Thank the Crew’ form on our website – EHAAT.uk.com
HEMS Paramedic LouiseI Rosson explains aI new innovative EHAATI Imedical procedureI Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) has introduced the use of a new drug Beriplex which acts as a Warfarin reversal agent. Approximately 1 in 10 of the elderly population in the UK are on Warfarin; an anticoagulant which lowers the risk of blood clots forming, therefore reducing a patient’s risk of stroke, heart attack, or other serious conditions such as blood clots in the legs or lungs. Patients who are on Warfarin are at an increased risk of bleeding within or around the brain following a head injury. They require early recognition
of taking the medication in the pre-hospital phase before any treatment can be administered. These group of patients are now at an advantage when treated by our team of HEMS Doctors and Paramedics as by administering Beriplex the effects of Warfarin can be reversed even before they get to hospital. Before administering Beriplex, a blood test must be performed in order to target the dose. This is the same blood test that patients taking Warfarin undergo regularly. The measure of how long blood takes to clot is called the INR (International Normalised Ratio) and EHAAT use a CoaguChek XS machine for patient testing; this allows rapid measurement of the patient’s INR to initiate immediate Warfarin reversal treatment using Beriplex, potentially saving the patient’s life. It is a philosophy of the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust that if a patient requires an urgent intervention that could save their
Patients who are on Warfarin are at an increased risk of bleeding within or around the brain following a head injury. life then that patient should not have to wait until arrival at hospital to receive it. The HEMS team which would provide the pre-hospital treatment at the scene to reverse the effects of the Warfarin, could limit brain injury and promote a faster recovery. 13
Afternoon Tea
Don’t miss out on the Tea Party of the year! Register now for £5 (includes Afternoon Tea Host Pack and free gift!) by emailing Events@EHAAT.uk.com or calling 0845 2417 690 now! Get your friends and family together from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th June and hold an Afternoon Tea in aid of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust!
Meet PR & Marketing Coordinator
Hannah Ashby
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Why not serve a Traditional Afternoon Tea for your nearest and dearest. Don’t forget the cucumber sandwiches and scones with clotted cream and jam! How about a Garden Party - soak up some sun and enjoy a refreshing cuppa with friends and family. Teas, Tots & Teddies event at a school or nursery - or young families could hold it at
home incorporating miniature tea sets, teddies and games. Could you hold a Tea Dance and show off your ballroom moves? Book your local hall and hire a band to organise a classic tea dance. And for an after-hours Party for the adults who prefer something a little stronger, why not invite your friends over for a G&T, Long Island Iced Tea or tea cocktail!
Describe a typical day at the Air Ambulance Fundraising Office... Working in the communications team is very varied so no two days are ever the same. I work very closely with all the departments across the Charity supporting them by implementing marketing and PR plans to promote the work of the Trust, raising our profile and looking after our brand. Generally my day starts by checking my emails and then I will consult my PR and marketing plans to see what is coming up. The day could be spent writing press releases, writing briefs for designers to create promotional flyers and leaflets, working on radio campaigns and approving scripts for radio, taking press photos, plus being the first point of contact for all media enquiries such as missions we attend. A big
part of my job is also building relationships with our airlifted patients and their families and arranging Air Base visits for them to be reunited with the Air Crew. For me, being able to share a patient’s real life story with our supporters is the most powerful way to demonstrate just how important the service is and the difference our crew make to our patient’s lives and their families. Where do you live? I live in the village of Earls Colne, just down the road from the Charity Office and the Essex Air Ambulance Air Base. How do you relax? I like to play golf and although I am not a member of a golf club I try to play as often as I can during the summer months.
Leave a Legacy -
The Gift of Life More than 10% of our work is made possible because of bequests left to the Charity. Any legacy to a registered If your estate is liable for inheritance tax you can reduce this charge by charitable giving. If 10% or more of your net estate is given to charity the remainder of your estate (left to any other beneficiaries) will be charged at the reduced rate of 36% instead of 40%. Why not review your inheritance tax liability and save your family thousands of pounds! A gift to the Charity allows us to continue our life-saving work - please consider the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust in your Will.
For more information please contact the Fundraising Team on 0845 2417 690. We strongly recommend that you consult a solicitor or financial advisor when making or amending a Will. Although you will have to pay, you will receive sound professional advice, and they will help you with the correct wording for your legacy.
PATIENT THANK YOU… “You saved my life and it is impossible to thank you enough. I was today released from hospital and I asked the Doctors the difference that you made in saving me, they made it very clear that without you I would be dead. Because of you I am not only alive but I have every chance of living many more years. Thank you ever so much.”
PATIENT THANK YOU… “I cannot begin to thank you all for what you did for me and I would like to come over to your Airbase to thank you in person. I really appreciate the extra support you gave my 6 year old grandson who was worried about me, but was cheered by the fact it was a Dr Ben who lead the team that rescued me. He went through a “doctor” phase last year and his name is Ben! Once again I will always be in your debt.”
Not being an all weather golfer, on a rainy day I enjoy spending time cooking recipes by my favourite celebrity chefs Lorraine Pascale and Jamie Oliver with the help of my fiancée who is a chef! What does it mean to you to work for the Air Ambulance? I have been working for the Charity for 5 years now and ever since day one I ‘got the bug’ for the Air Ambulance. I feel very privileged to be part of such an important Charity which serves the community and saves countless lives in our counties. I am lucky to work with such a passionate and dedicated bunch of people all striving towards one goal... to keep both helicopters flying and delivering enhanced clinical care to the critically ill and injured in our region. 15
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust Organise Major Incident Training – ‘Exercise Blackout’ On Tuesday 21st January, the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust organised a major incident training exercise at North Weald Airfield ran in conjunction with the other Emergency Services and partner agencies. ‘Exercise Blackout’ was designed to promote partnership working between the Air Ambulance Crews and other Emergency Services and agencies that would respond in the event of a major incident that demands a high number of resources. Part of the airfield was transformed into a major accident scene involving a scenario where a light aircraft crashed onto a motorway causing numerous vehicles to pile up including multiple cars, a coach, two lorries and a motorbike. This was a multiple casualty accident with people trapped inside vehicles, some of whom were critically injured or even deceased with a number of walking wounded as well. Casualties were played by medical and nursing students from a number of universities and surrounding hospitals. “Exercise Blackout was carried out on the 21st of January 2014 at North Weald Airfield as a multi-agency training exercise to allow for a greater understanding of roles and expertise at the scenes of multi-vehicle, multi-casualty incidents. Following on from the debrief immediately after the incident we have begun to assess the learning points from a HEMS perspective. The exercise really highlighted the need for positive leadership and appropriate deployment of resources to get medical help to the casualties as quickly as possible. By having a senior and experienced medical team at the scene of such incidents helps organise and focus all agencies to assess, access and treat multiple casualties in a timely manner and when appropriate, to offer enhanced care alongside partners such as BASICS.” – Ben Myer, Deputy Clinical Manager/Exercise Blackout Lead 16
Do you fancy taking part in our Base 2 Base Challenge? A 3 day walking challenge from the Herts Air Ambulance Base in North Weald to the Essex Air Ambulance Base in Earls Colne. Find out more on page 23 The Charity would like to thank BJG Solutions for kindly sponsoring the refreshments provided for the crews on the day. Those involved in the exercise were:
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service • BJG Recovery Solutions • Essex Police • North Weald Airfield Fire Operations • East of England Ambulance Service Trust • Ambulance HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) • St John Ambulance • BASICS, and the Highways Agency. We were also pleased to welcome observers from the local council emergency planning department.
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On the afternoon of the 10th of June 2013, every parent’s worst nightmare happened Our son Luca is a very active boy and has done various runs for charity since a young age. In fact on his 10th birthday he ran 5K at Battersea Park for Great Ormond Street Hospital; the next day he had his accident. 18
On that terrible day, I finished work and headed to the child minder to collect Luca to take him to basketball practice. Luca had been at the park with the childminder’s boys just around the corner from her house but
had not returned at the time he should have. You cannot imagine anything more frightening for a parent to find your child as I found Luca; I still cannot put into words what I saw that day. Luca, our 10 year old son had been hit by a van; he had sustained significant injuries from the collision including two severely broken legs. The Air Ambulance HEMS team were dispatched with Pilot David Kerr-Sheppard at
Luca recovering in hospital…
…and learning to walk again
The Herts Air Ambulance on scene at Luca’s accident
the controls, and on board HEMS Doctor Jeff Hooper and HEMS Paramedic Laurie Phillipson. Working alongside the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, he was treated and stabilised before being flown direct to the specialist trauma unit at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. Luca had received the best possible care within the fastest time, which is all any parent could have wished for considering the circumstances.
Thankfully Luca is continuing to make a remarkable recovery and is already able to walk and cycle. To say thank you to the Charity I will be walking the Great Wall of China in October 2014. It is not only to give back something to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance for helping Luca, but also to raise awareness that this free life-saving service needs donations to keep running and saving lives.
If my story of how the Air Ambulance changed our family’s lives has inspired you, then please visit www.justgiving.com/ Rebecca-Vukovich where you can sponsor my Charity trek. Thank you. Rebecca Vukovich 19
Now saving lives beyond the hours of daylight People living and working in Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas now benefit from an extended service by the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust. During the hours of darkness on Friday and Saturday nights a specialist Doctor/Paramedic Team will respond to patients via a dedicated rapid response car. It is very apparent that people become critically ill or
injured at all times of the day and night and it has been a long held aspiration of the Trust to provide the same level of medical care to these people as to those during daylight hours when the helicopters are operational. The process of car selection started over a year ago and has involved an extensive trial period and search for suitable cars that meet the required criteria for safety, storage space for medical equipment, security, comfort, and of course, responsiveness and handling. This resulted in the Charity purchasing two Vauxhall Insignia VXR’s fitted with state of the art blue lights and bespoke livery.
service. Tasking is supported by a HEMS Critical Care Paramedic interrogating 999 calls in the Emergency Call Centre in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford as part of their duty rota. The response cars will carry full life-saving equipment and drugs exactly like the helicopters enabling them to continue to offer the most appropriate and advanced emergency department level of care at the scene. Unlike the helicopters, the cars are not weather dependent thereby improving the resilience of the service, so that advanced care can be provided to patients whatever the weather, day or night.
Here for you at the most critical of times
“We would like to thank all the car manufacturers who took part in the trial, Vauxhall Special Vehicles for their work in securing the vehicles, EssexEmergency2000 for their continued support and hard work in applying the blue lights, Full Circle who have provided the livery, Perception.Co for designing the artwork and finally to the East of England Ambulance Service for their support of the project.”
The dispatch process and criteria for the response cars to be tasked to an incident will be exactly the same as for the helicopter
Ben Myer, Deputy Clinical Manager/ Response Car Project Lead 20
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Get involved online! • G et to know the team behind the scenes at your life-saving charity. • L ike us on Facebook www.facebook.com/essexairambulance www.facebook.com/hertsairambulance • Follow us on Twitter @essexairamb @hertsairamb • W atch our videos on YouTube channel – essexhertsairamb755 • Check out our Pinterest Boards – ukairambulance • C aption competitions - guess the location amazing on board photos - fundraising staff and air crew fun - post your photos of the helicopters - videos - competitions and more!
Flight for Life Magazine Survey At the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust we are always trying to improve communications and we value your feedback as readers. Below is a short survey which will help us to achieve this. If you would like to take part then please send your completed survey back to Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, The Business Centre, Earls Colne Business Park, Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex CO6 2NS – thank you! Approximately how much time do you spend looking through your issue of Flight for Life when you receive it? ..................................................... How many others do you share your copy of Flight for Life with?
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Which types of articles would you prefer to read in Flight for Life? Medical Articles Flight for Life Lottery Articles Charity Events Fundraising Initiatives Patient Stories Staff/Air Crew Q&A’s If you’d like to receive our fortnightly email newsletter please enter your email address here! .....................................................
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Simply return this form to: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, The Business Centre, Earls Colne Business Park, Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex CO6 2NS. Or email the area(s) which interest you with your contact details to: ContactUs@EHAAT.uk.com or telephone 0845 2417 690. For more information about donating online, please visit us at EHAAT.uk.com. Thank you for your support. Name Address Telephone Email I’d like to make a donation and enclose a sum of:
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