Homecoming for aircrew paramedics

Lee Salmon, of Penrith, and Gordon Ingram, of Northallerton, have rejoined the Great North Air Ambulance Service as aircrew paramedics.

Mr Salmon left the charity in 2008 to pursue a managerial role and worked as an assistant operations manager for the NHS.

Mr Ingram left in 2010 and became a pre-hospital care instructor and deployable remote area paramedic working for a private medical company in Hereford. In 2013 he took up a new position as a paramedic in Abu Dhabi, working for the ambulance service based in the Emirates.

But despite their adventures, both are happy to have returned to the charity.

Mr Salmon said: “I wanted to come back from the moment I left, I missed the exposure to difficult and extreme jobs.  I am truly delighted. In the time I’ve been gone, the organisation has grown and is making a difference to so many people’s lives and is going out to develop and practice pre hospital emergency care.

“The cutting edge techniques, the phenomenal doctor and paramedic crews and the forward thinking charity mesh to form an amazing team, being a part of that was something I couldn’t resist.

“Working alongside such experienced and skilled professionals while developing my own practice is truly amazing, I’ve missed that buzz.

“I’m so proud to be a member of this team, to have the opportunity to truly make a difference to people’s lives. It is an honour and I don’t take it lightly.”

Mr Ingram said: “The advancements in clinical care and the provision of the service has advanced so much and it has been fantastic to learn all the new skills and procedures which are now every day occurrences in our provision of care.

“The variety of calls which we attend allows a wide range of skills and knowledge base to be acquired and utilised, and guarantees that heading to the airbase each day I am always excited to see what the day has planned for us, where in the region we are going to be sent and who is going to benefit from the services we provide.”

Grahame Pickering MBE, chief executive of GNAAS, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back two exceptional paramedics who bring with them vast experience.”