Our Aftercare team exists to provide ongoing support beyond the scene of the emergency. We know that everything can change in a second. When you have been through a life-changing incident, or witnessed something you could not have imagined, it can leave you feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed and lost.
An incident doesn’t happen to just one person, but to everyone around them. Our Aftercare service helps patients, their loved ones, and bystanders. Whether you’re dealing with physical injuries, a bereavement, or coming to come to terms with the world after a life changing event, our team is here for you.
If you’re reading this now, you’re likely here because you’ve been affected by something we’ve mentioned above. You might feel apprehensive about contacting us – we get that. But even if you’re unsure what it is you want to say or explore, get in touch. Let us help you have a conversation you have no idea how to begin.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, and we won’t know exactly how you’re feeling. But our team includes experienced former clinicians who have an insight into what you may be going through.
Our close links with local and national support organisations could help you connect with other people in similar situations with expertise and compassion.
Sometimes the overwhelming need to say ‘thank you’ can be an incredibly important part of your journey. Our Aftercare team may be able to put you in touch with the clinicians who helped you or your loved one, or simply ensure that your thanks are passed on to them on your behalf.
During a traumatic time it’s very common for people to have gaps in their memory or have a confused recollection of events. A gap in your memory may have happened because you were so unwell, or because we gave you powerful medications. We can try to help fill in the blanks for the time that we were with you.
Many patients, or their friends and family, have unresolved questions that they want to ask but they don’t know how to. You may want to know more about a procedure or treatment or understand if your loved one was in pain. We don’t promise to have all the answers, but sometimes just allowing the questions to be asked can be an important part of a journey.
If you’re a former patient, a loved one, someone grieving, or a bystander, we may be able to help and we will most certainly listen. Our Aftercare team is here when you need someone to talk to.
It’s a privilege that we’re able to provide an Aftercare service at Thames Valley Air Ambulance which allows our team time to listen and to support people as they experience a very uncertain and unpredictable journey
Adam Crosby, Head of Aftercare
Please complete the form and one of our team will get back to you.
The role of our Aftercare team is to be there for someone when their life has turned upside down. When they are juggling a hundred and one things, we are there to listen, to explain and to signpost to extra resources.
Lorraine Bint, Patient Liaison Manager
If you have any feedback about our service, we’re always happy to hear from you. Please get in touch.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance is committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of all people we come into contact with by recognising that everybody has the right to be protected from harm, exploitation and neglect.
We have robust and effective procedures in place and work in partnership with other health and social care providers to ensure that the best interests of children and adults at risk are protected and promoted.
Please do not contact Thames Valley Air Ambulance with a Safeguarding concern. If you are worried about a vulnerable adult or child, then please contact your Local Authority who will be able to provide you with guidance on how to share your concerns and inform the correct agency. Alternatively, if you are concerned about a Safeguarding issue and believe the situation is an emergency then dial 999 and report it to the Police.
If you wish to contact Thames Valley Air Ambulance regarding an organisational aspect of our Safeguarding provision, please contact us via email at tvaa.safeguarding@nhs.net, or by post at: Safeguarding, Thames Valley Air Ambulance, Stokenchurch House, Stokenchurch, Oxford Road, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3SX
SAFEGUARDING POLICY – CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
OP010-Safeguarding-Children-Policy-V2.0.pdf
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DownloadINFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS – SAFEGUARDING ADULTS
TVAA-INFO-FOR-VOLUNTEERS-SAFEGUARDING-ADULTS.pdf
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DownloadINFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS – SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS
TVAA-INFO-FOR-VOLUNTEERS-SAFEGUARDING-CHILDREN.pdf
245 KB
DownloadHave a question? Explore our most frequently asked questions below or get in touch using the form above.
Absolutely, there is no time limit for our Aftercare service. We’re here for the long haul. If memories of trauma are still in your life, if you’re trying to cope with the effects of loss or the repercussions of an injury or illness, then we are here for you.
It’s understandable that patients and relatives may want to know what happened to them or their loved one. No two incidents are the same, but gaps in memory can occur for many reasons. Please bear in mind that we will only be able to tell you what happened from when Thames Valley Air Ambulance clinicians arrived with the patient and began our treatment.
It’s important to know that the Aftercare service is not a counselling service. However, we can signpost you to some excellent supportive resources and organisations. We also have a good understanding of the NHS and how you may be able to access services you may be unfamiliar with.
