Aftercare team highly commended in national awards

Our Aftercare team have been highly commended in the category of ‘charity team of the year’ at the Air Ambulances UK Awards of Excellence.

In August 2018, we were one of the first air ambulance charities in the UK to introduce an Aftercare service. This year, the fifth anniversary of our Aftercare team, we are celebrating the success and impact Aftercare has had on our patients, our clinicians and our staff.

The essence of Aftercare is acknowledging that something awful can happen in an instant, but it can have a ripple effect that can go on for months and years after. We know that these ripples can have an unsettling effect on the lives of not only patients, but the bereaved, bystanders, and also our clinicians.

I firmly believe that we would not be in the position we are today, delivering outstanding critical care, without the contribution that Aftercare play in service delivery.

Adam Panter, Chief Operating Officer

Though our Aftercare team had been evolving and expanding since launch, 2022 was a ground-breaking year. In March 2022, we introduced the role of a hospital-based Aftercare Manager, which allowed us to truly be there at every step of a patient’s journey. From providing clinical care at the scene of the incident, to very early access to an experienced critical care specialist in hospital, and finally onward referral to our community-based Aftercare Manager.

Adam Panter, our Chief Operating Officer, said: “The Aftercare team allow us to continue to deliver outstanding care to our patients and families beyond the scene of the incident. They provide a vital lifeline and encourage signposting for those who can feel lost and bewildered.

“They have not only helped countless patients and their families, but they provide an additional layer of support and comfort to the clinical team, knowing there is someone who can follow up with distressed patients and their relatives after the crew have left increases the ability for our crews to process these difficult incidents and scenes.

“I firmly believe that Thames Valley Air Ambulance would not be in the position it is today, delivering outstanding critical care, without the contribution that Aftercare play in service delivery”.