Meet our newest faces
Thursday, 26 October 2023
Matt joined the team as a trainee critical care paramedic in August 2023.
He had spent the previous eight years working as part of the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) in Bristol.
Matt left the the Royal Air Force to join the Ambulance Service and qualified as a Paramedic from the University of the West of England in 2013.
Whilst at HART he took on the role of Clinical Lead, worked part time in neonatal retrieval and was an Associate Lecturer in Paramedic Science at university.
Matt says: "It has been my dream to become a critical care paramedic for Wiltshire Air Ambulance for over a decade now.
"It is an absolute privilege to be part of such a dedicated, professional and compassionate team who deliver the highest levels of pre-hospital care to the people of my own community."
Critical care doctor David also joined the charity in August 2023 after moving from Scotland to the South Coast.
Originally from Northern Ireland, David moved to Scotland at the age of 18 to go to university.
He has previous air ambulance experience with EMRS (Emergency Medical Retrieval Service) in Scotland, where he also worked in the Aberdeen Emergency Department.
David says: “I’ve always had an interest in pre-hospital medicine and enjoy the variety of working inside hospitals and away from the emergency department.
“I have friends in the South Western Ambulance Service region and when I saw this opportunity come up at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, it was too good to not apply.”
Wiltshire Air Ambulance has recently added another critical care doctor to its rota, Dr Mike Harrison.
Mike is an Emergency Medicine and Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine Consultant working in Wales and the South West of England.
Meanwhile, Ben Abbott has been appointed to the role of Advanced Care Practitioner in Critical Care and Clinical Lead, with Lou Cox taking on the position of Air Operations Officer.
Ben originally joined Wiltshire Air Ambulance in 2014 in a developmental role, before being made full time a year later. He is one of only four Advanced Care Practitioners in Critical Care in the south west of England.
Lou has been at Wiltshire Air Ambulance since 2010 in a relief capacity before becoming a permanent team member in 2014. She takes on the Air Operations Officer role previously held by Ben.
Take on the CycleFest Challenge!
Away from the track, there will be plenty to enjoy, including:
Children’s games and activities
Cycling skills sessions
The chance to meet the Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance mascot
Delicious food and refreshments
The RPM Biketrials display team
However you choose to take part, every pedal helps support our lifesaving missions!