London's Air Ambulance Blog (HEMS)

1.           Name: Greg Hollis

2.         Position: HEMS Reg

3.           How did you become involved with HEMS? Word of mouth, chatting to Aussies who’d worked here before.

4.           How long have you worked for HEMS? 3 months

5.           What do you do in your spare time? Watch Australia beat northern hemisphere teams in the Rugby.  Play with my kids.

6.           What animal best describes you and why? Haven’t heard any animals describe me yet.

7.           What is your favourite part of working for HEMS? Team

8.           What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS? Navigation around London in the HEMS car.

9.           Love or Hate Marmite? What’s that – go for vegemite!

10.       If your house were burning down, what would you save? Kids, wife, photos.

11.       What was the last movie you watched? Harry Potter

12.       What CD is in your CD player at the moment? None

13.       What was the last thing you ate? Cappuccino

14.       Your daily routine: New one each day

Meet the Crew #9

Name: Stuart Whitford
Position: Fire Officer

How did you become involved with HEMS?
Many years ago I used to be an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy. During which time I spent a number of years working on the 771 Search & Rescue Squadron based in Cornwall. I was involved in numerous rescue operations for which the feeling of teamwork was always present. Upon leaving the Navy I worked for Westland helicopters and Air Harrods, regularly working with HEMS and other Air Ambulances. I learned of an available position with HEMS for which I applied

How long have you worked for HEMS?
5 and a half years

What do you do in your spare time?
Anything that keeps me occupied and outdoors, Diving, Running, Walking

What was your first job?
First pennies earned doing a paper round, then I worked in a bakery whilst in sixth form

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
Being part of a professional aviation team

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Getting to know the many new Doctors and Paramedics from around the world that can be found at HEMS during a typical year

What would you do if you weren't a Fire Officer?
Try to find myself a job in a rural location, preferably on the coast in Scotland

If your house were burning down, what would you save?
My springer spaniel, and then my girlfriend if she has not already saved me

What was your childhood ambition?
To join the Fleet Air Arm branch of the Royal Navy

What was the last movie you bought?
Pirates of the Caribbean for my Girlfriend

Your daily routine:
Set my alarm for 05.20, snooze for 10 minutes then get pushed out of bed
Get myself up and walk the dog before leaving home at 06.00 for the ride to work
I usually try and arrive early for 07.00 with a 07.30 start of duty
If we are lucky during the winter I usually get home by 17.30, but in the summer our finish times can vary by many hours due to other peoples misfortunes, hence arriving home anywhere between 20.00 and 21.30

Stuart also kindly coordinates our team of runners for the British 10K Run in July every year, and runs alongside our volunteers. If you'd like to sign up to run with Stuart and the team on July 1st 2007, drop him an email here

Meet the Crew #8

Name: Will Glazebrook
Position: Registrar

How did you become involved with HEMS?
I trained in the North West Thames region in Emergency Medicine and have always had an interest in Prehospital care. Initially met the team at resus room hand-overs and decided I wanted to do that! I spent about two years getting prehospital experience and exams at the same time as doing my fulltime ED SpR job prior to successful interview

How long have you worked for HEMS?
Four weeks

What do you do in your spare time?
I have a fabulous and understanding wife, and three gorgeous daughters, so I don't have any spare time

What was your first job?
A hospital porter

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
Multiprofessional liaison and team work

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Multiprofessional liaison and team work

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
Apart from my wife and kids, the memory stick of photos

What was your childhood ambition?
To stay out of prison

What was the last movie you saw?
Flushed Away

What is your favourite movie?
Leon

A typical day:
No such thing as a typical day, thank goodness!

Meet the Crew #7

Name: Michael Horton
Position: Fire Officer

How did you become involved with HEMS?
Worked as an aviation fire fighter at old warden for 10 years, liked the idea of working with helicopters

How long have you worked for HEMS?
Since October 2006

What do you do in your spare time?
Voluntary fire fighter at the Shuttleworth Collection and at the Yorkshire Air Museum, also a Scuba diving instructor

What was your first job?
Paint sprayer in a body shop

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
Team Spirit

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
The ride in on the motorbike

What would you do if you weren't a fire officer?
Less mileage!

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
Myself

What was your childhood ambition?
To be an auto electrician

What was the last movie you saw?
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest

What is your favourite movie?
The Big Blue

Your Daily Routine:
Up at 05.00, on the bike at 05.15 for the hour and a half ride in whilst avoiding sleepy car drivers
Work (see Meet the Crew # 5 for details)
Leave work at 19.30 for another hour and half ride home whilst avoiding more sleepy car drivers

Meet the Crew #6

Name: Rod Mackenzie
Position: HEMS Registrar

How did you become involved with HEMS?
As part of my specialist interest and training in pre-hospital and retrieval medicine

How long have you worked for HEMS?
I first worked for the service in 2001 and have since been back three times

What do you do in your spare time?
I love to travel, and to unwind I go to the movies

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
I am an Emergency Physician and the 'best' bit about being an emergency physician is being able to help people who are really in trouble. With the HEMS team, I have the opportunity (and privilege) to help people in the most extreme, hazardous and life threatening circumstances. There is something very very rewarding about being able to help in this way

What would you do if you weren't a doctor?
I think I would probably be a firefighter

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
1) My loved ones 2) My Dog 3) My photograph album

What was your childhood ambition?
To be a vet

What was the last movie you saw?
The Queen

What is your favourite movie?
Boy movie: We were soldiers once
Girl movie: The Bridges of Madison County

Your daily routine:
On a Medic 1 day, I get up at 4.45 to catch a train at 5.20. I'm at the helipad by 7.00 and have completed the daily drugs and equipment checks by 07.30. After the aircraft arrives on the deck it is checked, we have a briefing and cup of tea, then we wait. There can be any number of calls for any type of injury in any age group. When the claxon sounds, we get on the helicopter and wait for the mission brief from the co-pilot. We typically have between 7 and 10 minutes to prepare ourselves for the mission ahead during flight. Once on scene, we assess and treat patients, then decide where to take them and how. By 19.00, we have usually packed up (unless we are on a late mission) and by 19.30 I can usually get away. If i'm lucky, i'll catch the 20.07 train home, getting there at 21.30!

Meet the Crew #5

Introducing the first member of our fire crew...

Name: John Power
Position: Senior Fire Officer

How did you become involved with HEMS?
I used to work at Battersea Heliport as well as working for an aerobatic display team

How long have you worked for HEMS?
13 years

What do you do in your spare time?
I'm a hot air balloon pilot, and also learning to fly fixed wing aircraft when time and money permit

What was your first job?
Helping to fabricate double glazing units

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
Being part of a professional team
Meeting ex-patients and their families and describing how the service made a difference

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Running the operations room during major incidents

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
My wife and then the insurance policies!

What was your childhood ambition?
To be a pilot

What was the last movie you saw?
Casino Royale

Your daily routine:
07.30 Open up the helipad fire equipment, inform pilots of the weather conditions in the local area
08.00 Give deck clearance to aircraft, standby in fire kit for landing, check aircraft oxygen, condusct safety briefings if required
09.00 Attend daily briefing
09.30 Have breakfast, wait for a mission
A mission: Monitor aircraft start up, check doors and panels, give pilots thumbs up for departure, man the operations room, liaise with other services, prepare equipment for inbound casualty, give deck clearance to aircraft, alert A&E staff of incoming patient, standby for aircraft landing, lift patient onto trolley bed, restock aircraft with medical equipment and oxygen, clean interior, wait for another mission...Grab some lunch, attend odd boring meeting, perform general admin, escort visitors
19.15 Secure helipad fire equipment after aircraft goes to bed
19.30 Home time

Meet the Crew #4

Name: Richard Shuttleworth
Position: Pilot

How did you become involved with HEMS?
I heard about it, as it was being set up, through aviation contacts

How long have you worked for HEMS?
18 and a half years!

What do you do in your spare time?
Live in and enjoy all that London has to offer

What was your first job?
A Seaman Officer in the Royal Navy

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
Flying on task as we never really know where we will land and what we will find when we do

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Flying safely and professionally

What would you do it you weren't a pilot?
Sail around the world in a yacht. Preferably in warm climates wih plenty of stops

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
After members of the family, my most personal mementos and the insurance policy

What was your childhood ambition?
To join the Royal Navy

What was the last movie you saw?
The Last King of Scotland

What is your favourite movie?
"Deliverance", "Gladiator" and "Terminator" are possibles

Your daily routine:
06.30 Leave home in Central London for Denham Aerodrome, Bucks
07.50 Fly to the Royal London Hospital
08.05 Arrive at the Royal London Hospital
08.15 Toast and Coffee
09.00 Briefing
Sunset or 18.45 (whichever is sooner) leave the hospital for Denham
The bit between 08.05 and leaving is invariably altered and disrupted by the un-coordinated actions of our many and varied patients who do not follow any regular routine!

Meet the Crew #3

The third in the series shines the spotlight on our Medical Director, Gareth Davies:

Name: Gareth Davies
Position: Medical Director

How did you become involved with HEMS?
Had a passion for prehospital care & felt that very sick patients needed the hospital to come to them. I saw a copy of the first HEMS brochure in the medical library on the Isle of Man, applied for the Reg post and got it

How long have you worked for HEMS?
14 Years

What do you do in your spare time?
Enjoy time with my family and watching motorsport

What was your first job?
Worked in warehouse in Marks and Spencer in Douglas

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
My colleagues and the privilege of working in a job where you can make a big difference to people in such dire need

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Producing clinical excellence in testing and difficult circumstances

What would you do if you weren't a doctor?
Try and be a professional racing driver or motorcyclist

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
Sian and the boys!

What was your childhood ambition?
To do medicine, work in prehospital care, and drive fast cars and bikes

What was the last CD you bought?
Greenday

What is your favourite movie?
Apollo 13, Top Gun, Star Wars Episode 6

Your daily routine/ a typical day:
No such thing!

Meet the Crew #2

The second in the series of 'Meet the Crew' offers a look at life as a HEMS doctor

Name: Tim Harris
Position: Consultant

How long have you worked for HEMS?
3 years

What do you do in your spare time?
Sail, Kite Surf, Travel, Work in the developing world, lie in bed

What was your first job?
Gardener

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
The Team

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
The Team

What would you do if you weren't a doctor?
Race yatchs or be a revolutionary

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
1) People 2) The Orchids as Cilla has looked after them with such love

What was your childhood ambition?
To Travel

Give us an example of your daily routine/ a typical day:
I hate routine

Meet the Crew #1

In this ongoing series of posts, staff from all areas of London's Air Ambulance have answered a series of standard questions about themselves to give you a peek into the lives (and warped sense of humour) of the management, support staff, pilots, doctors, paramedics, firemen, and students on the Helipad. Feel free to email the team with suggested questions for the 'Meet the Crew' category, or any other questions you may have about the service. Don't forget to check out our website for useful facts and figures, and upcoming Events.

First up, our Chief Executive:

Name
Andrew Cameron

Position
Chief Executive, Virgin HEMS (London) Ltd

How did you become involved with HEMS?
As one of the founders in 1988 when MD of Express Newspapers

How long have you worked for HEMS?
2 years, formerly a trustee for many years

What do you do in your spare time?
Many things...not to be publicly shared!

What was your first job?
Organic Chemist, Paint Industry

What is your favourite part of working for HEMS?
All of it

What is the most challenging aspect of working for HEMS?
Keeping the money flowing!

What would you do if you weren't a doctor/paramedic/pilot etc?
I'm none of these, and think doing nothing is beckoning greatly at my age!

If your house was burning down, what would you save?
1) My daughter 2) My dog 3) My books

What was your childhood ambition?
To join the RAF

What was the last movie you saw?
The new James Bond film with my daughter

Give us an example of your daily routine/ a typical day:
In at 7, home by 7, lots in the middle!