Hampshire's air ambulance aftercare team one year on
The team offers support to patients and families to help them come to terms with the life saving treatment they and their loved ones have received
In the last 12 months, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Aftercare team has provided support to 100 patients and families – with around 400 people contacted with the offer of our care.
The team has been looking back on their first year and ahead to the future of Aftercare.
What are the things you’re most frequently being asked to support with?
Every person we have spent time with has been through a completely unique and always life-changing experience. We’ve seen an extremely varied mix, from cardiac arrest survivors to bereaved families.
But the most frequent area of our work requested is bereavement support. Supporting bereaved families through the timeline of events and explaining the treatment provided during resuscitation helps make sense of distressing events, enabling families to continue processing their grief.
For most of the patients we support, we are receiving feedback that filling in the gaps from the day of the incident itself is extremely valuable, as these gaps in time can be very distressing.
Often, our patients have absolutely no memory of what happened. The conversations that arise from our discussions give them a much greater understanding of the treatment they were given that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
What are the benefits you’re seeing and hearing from patients and their relatives?
Patients and their relatives often tell us that understanding what happened to them and the treatment that was provided has really helped to make them feel supported.
We know that supporting emotional trauma helps towards physical recovery, but sometimes just knowing you’re not alone and others have felt and been through the same allows them to feel seen after they’ve been discharged.
What impact is your service having on the crew?
Reuniting patients with the crew can be incredibly rewarding – for everyone involved. Naturally, some meetings evoke emotion and are often extremely powerful. But not only does this give the patient the opportunity to say thank you, it gives the crew an invaluable opportunity to gain insight into the patient’s experience.
It is often a chance for all to see how far they have come and take a moment to enjoy the positive outcome that hard work in recovery can bring.
As part of Aftercare, we have provided clinical feedback to our crew for 392 patients. This is a vital element of our service – closing the loop for the clinical team who treated the patient.
What would you say to any of the patients, their relatives or bystanders who are unsure about contacting Aftercare for support?
To all of those who have experienced critical illness or injury and are unsure whether you should respond to one of our letters, please do. If you don’t need us, great – we’d love to hear how you’re doing.
If you think a little bit of support could help or if you’re struggling, you don’t need to be ready for us – we are ready for you.
Or, if you want to know what happened in a safe and supported way, we are here for you.
We always work to your pace and understand that everyone’s response to what happened to them is highly personal. We adapt our approach to each case, and we will always be here if you need us.
What do the next 12 months hold for Aftercare?
We hope to explore some of the ideas we have as a team, such as working closely with more hospitals and the ambulance service, as well as responding to suggestions of what our patients and families are telling us would help in their recovery.