Meet our First Consultant Paramedic

We have celebrated another ‘first’ at Thames Valley Air Ambulance with the appointment of Mark Hodkinson as Consultant Paramedic.

Mark, who has 10 years’ experience as a critical care paramedic (CCP) including five years with Thames Valley Air Ambulance, has also become the first paramedic in the UK to gain the Fellowship in Immediate Medical Care (FIMC) qualification, by examination.

The experience and knowledge Mark has gained will support our critical care paramedics to be able to do more for their patients. One example is looking closely at the interventions our CCPs can perform, for example, arterial access.

This procedure is traditionally a doctor-led skill but under Mark’s guidance CCPs are now being trained so they can place a cannula into an artery in the wrist or groin. This enables them to monitor blood pressure in a much more sensitive location, giving real time feedback with every heartbeat, meaning treatments can be better targeted.

Mark will use his position as consultant paramedic to drive excellence in patient care, challenging the professional boundaries which critical care paramedics work to, promoting outstanding patient care, leading innovation and research, and influencing national standards.

Watch the video below to find out more.