Before they can start flying with EAAA, they have to undertake rigorous training programmes to provide them with the knowledge and practical skills they will need. First, the doctors complete the National PHEM course with representatives from all the air ambulances in the UK. Then we provide a two-week more in-depth regional course in conjunction with Magpas Air Ambulance (MAGPAS) and Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance (EHAAT), which brings all of the new PHEM doctors in the region together for further training.

This involves testing the trainees’ knowledge and clinical skills in increasingly complex and challenging scenarios. Realistic simulations are one of the most effective forms of training for our doctors, and something they continually practice throughout their profession. This involves acting out a real-life case on a Training Resusci-Anne manikin and really puts the doctors through their paces. This is the first year EHAAT have joined Magpas and EAAA on the regional course, and it was really beneficial to have so many experienced HEMS consultants working together and sharing their knowledge and skills.

The new PHEM doctors then have four to six weeks of supervised shifts before being signed off to work independently with remote support from our duty consultants.

“I have met some outstanding people at EAAA. The pre-hospital world has a special camaraderie which I haven’t experienced elsewhere in medicine. “