The Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance is delighted to welcome a new Patient and Family Liaison Officer to their team, helping to aid patients with all aspects of their recovery process following a serious incident or medical emergency.
Emma Hawkesford-Webb, who has recently joined the charity as their new Patient and Family Liaison Officer, has served as a community mental health nurse for the last two years. Prior to her most recent role, Emma worked with the clinical research team at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust, where she supported several National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) initiatives in mental health.
As well as experience within mental health nursing, Emma has also specialised in recovery and anaesthetics based at Jersey General Hospital, whilst completing training as an anaesthetics nurse at Southampton University.
The role of Patient and Family Liaison Officer, which has been newly created for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, aims to assist patients with their transition back to independent living; bridging the gap between the rapid on scene pre-hospital treatment that the charity provides and the patient’s long-term recovery.
As part of her new role, Emma’s day-to-day work will range from identifying patient needs to referring them towards a holistic suite of solutions, be it follow up medical care or support from another service provider or charity.
Emma, who has a Diploma in Counselling, will offer support to both patients and their families as part of her new role, aiding the physical and psychological recovery as an extension to the clinical care provided by the charity.
She said: “When I saw this new post at the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, I thought it would be a great way to incorporate all of my previous experience whilst helping to support patients and families who have been attended by such an incredible service.
“I am excited and honoured to be part of the team, and I am looking forward to helping many patients and families who may need support by helping them to understand what happened during the incident our crew attended, putting them in touch with the medical team who assisted them and offering someone to talk to.”
This year, the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Having been called out to over 20,000 critically injured and seriously ill patients across the two counties, the charity has now added another level of care for those affected by serious trauma.
Karen Jobling, Chief Executive Officer at Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, said: “Being involved in a serious accident or medical emergency can be a life-changing experience for many patients and their families. Our patients are at the heart of everything we do, and we want them to know that our help and support doesn’t stop after they leave our care.
“This is a very exciting time of development for our charity, and we’re delighted to welcome Emma as our Patient and Family Liaison Officer.
“As well as supporting our patients and their families, following up with our patients will allow us to explain the pre-hospital medical care they received and, for the first time, we will have an opportunity to identify any needs they might have and help them to get appropriate support as well as gain accurate information on the outcomes of their treatment.”
If you or a member of your family have been attended to by the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance and would like some support, you can contact Emma at e.hawkesfordwebb@ambucopter.org.uk or call 01522 548469.