PHEM doctors signed off

Every six to twelve months, we welcome a new cohort of doctors and/or HEMS paramedics to begin their specialist PHEM (pre-hospital emergency medicine) training with EAAA. Dr Lesley, Dr Tim and Dr Ben, already experienced medical clinicians in other fields, joined EAAA in February 2025 to develop their Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) careers and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome them to the charity.

Our aim, as with all PHEM cohorts, was to bring them to a high and safe level of supervised PHEM practice. This commenced with a week-long intensive course and continued with supervised clinical shifts. This programme supports new doctors and HEMS paramedics to develop the advanced skills and knowledge to attend patients during what may be the worst moment of their and their family’s lives.

Since joining EAAA, Dr Lesley, Dr Tim and Dr Ben have successfully completed four to six weeks of supervised shifts. In March, all three doctors were formally signed off and we are thrilled to have them as part of the Anglia One (Norwich) and Anglia Two (Cambridge) EAAA crew. They will work independently, with remote support from our duty consultants, as part of the doctor, paramedics and pilot crews from each EAAA base.

Dr Rob Major, EAAA Deputy Medical Director, says, “To work in PHEM is both an honour and a privilege. Our PHEM doctors and paramedics are subjected to a rigorous period of training and assessment which culminates in a sign off process. This goes someway to prepare them for the start of their pre-hospital career which is supported by 24/7 consultant advice and an established system of clinical governance. We are delighted that Dr’s Lesley, Tim and Ben have successfully completed their training and will now take up their roles as PHEM doctors providing the highest standards of care to the people of the East of England.”

Our passion is to improve patient outcomes to save lives and keep more families together. We strive to constantly improve, develop, and share knowledge and experience to progress each cohort of trainee PHEM doctors and paramedics to become the PHEM specialists of the future. The impact of this specialist PHEM training is improved patient outcomes for the most seriously ill and injured people in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, and sometimes beyond. From road traffic collisions to cardiac arrests to medical emergencies, our specialist doctors, paramedics and pilots bring the advanced skills, equipment and medicine directly to you or your family, in the fastest time possible.

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