Feature
Ordinary heroes
They may have to deal with disasters, work under immense pressure and stay completely calm in all kinds of emergency — but the determination and quiet dedication of these rescuers never wavers.
LETTERS AND cards pinned to the wall in a cosy tea room at the side of a hangar at Durham Tees Valley Airport tell stories of lives ruined and lost in the kind of tragic accidents we all hope never happen to us.
But each one of these letters is full of nothing but praise and gratitude for the people who treated the casualties and took them to hospital, whatever the outcome. Most also include donations to ensure future victims receive the same quality of care.
The service that moves people to give gratitude and cash is the Great North Air Ambulance Service
(GNAAS), a scheme which flies doctors and paramedics to the scene of emergencies and transfers patients to hospital in a fraction of the
time it would take by road.
Not only does the air ambulance have the benefits of speed and the ability to reach places inaccessible to road vehicles, it brings with it a team of people who are highly trained in the specialised field of
pre-hospital care, who make it their business to be on top of developments
and carry with them the latest drugs.
Head of the team is medical director Syed Masud, a former doctor in the Parachute Regiment with three tours of Bosnia under his belt. As he talks about his role Syed’s enthusiasm bubbles over. As a child he watched helicopter flights in London and became fascinated. His medical training has always been teamed with a love of the adrenalin rush and an ability to be calm in a crisis.
He explains, “I have wanted this job from the age of 16 or 17. It is my dream job and I just love it.”
When not on the helicopter Syed works in a hospital casualty department keeping his skills as sharp as possible.
The GNAAS operates two helicopters, one based in Blyth which has paramedics on board and the second based at Teesside, near Darlington, with both a paramedic and a doctor. There are plans
to introduce a third in Cumbria, which will bring most of the North of England
into easy range. Staff working on the helicopters point out that it is not just
the mode of transport that makes the service different, but the skill level of the medical team.
“There are several aspects to the trauma team,” Syed says. “People see
the helicopter as the main aspect but it is not. It is a brilliant way of delivering a specialised team to the job as fast as possible. I’d like to think that we provide
a team that can give the best on-scene care available.”
Neil Pearson is an ex-army helicopter pilot who joined the Teesside crew from West Midlands Police last year. He enjoys the variety and unpredictable nature of the job.
“Every third landing is somewhere new and we have to put the helicopter down in some very tight places,” he says. “It is a very interesting and quite demanding job.”
Once at the scene the pilots are becoming increasingly involved in assisting with medical care. Neil adds, “If I can put equipment together for the medical crew, such as a breathing kit or something, it saves them having to take their hands
off the patient. I did first aid in the army so it’s just refreshing that experience.”
Paramedic Kevin Hodgson is the third member of the crew. Before joining the team full time he was a motorcycle paramedic in the Bishop Auckland area.
“We cover a wide area with this job and 90 per cent of our work is trauma related,” he says. “You have to work as a tight team because the safety aspect is a big part of working on the helicopter.”
Walkers with injured legs, road traffic victims, people who have fallen into quarries and any amount of unpredictable mayhem can lead to the call for the air ambulance. The team treats patients as much as possible at the scene then transfers them to the best hospital to treat their injuries — unlike a road ambulance which is obliged to take them to the nearest accident and emergency unit.
Simple things like a shorter journey or better initial injury assessment can mean the difference between life and death.
Yet this incredible service is another that receives no money from local councils or the government. The £750,000 it costs to run each helicopter every year is funded solely by donations. This will increase to around £2 million when the third helicopter becomes operational.
So it’s no surprise when Syed Masud says the real heroes of the operation are the fundraisers who keep the whole operation flying high.
 To make a donation or find out more see
www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk
or call 01325 487263.
By Frances Griss
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