WALES Air Ambulance is delighted to have received an incredible £50,000 grant from the Hodge Foundation.

The grant was awarded to the Charity towards the Wales Air Ambulance’s aftercare service, which supports patients and their families. This is a vital service that the Wales Air Ambulance is proud to offer to its patients and families.

In 2019, the charity launched its Aftercare Service through the introduction of a Patient Liaison Nurse, Jo Yeoman. Thanks to this service, the Charity is now one of the first to arrive on scene but also the last to leave, ensuring that patients and their families are supported throughout their recovery, including bereavement support.

The Charity expanded the service in 2022 with an additional Patient Liaison Nurse, Hayley Whitehead-Wright covering Mid and North Wales.

Hayley Whitehead-Wright said: “As part of the aftercare team, I am speechless with the £50,000 grant. This is such a generous gift that will help the aftercare service immensely and help benefit our patients and relatives.

“We are delighted that this grant will enable us to continue to provide a service to patients and relatives.”

The Charity’s Patient Liaison Nurses also provide support to the crew who often encounter both physically and mentally challenging situations. They can inform the crew about patient outcomes, helping to give them closure about the incident that they attended.

Hayley and Jo have developed a close working relationship with hospitals in Wales and across the border in England which allows a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, improving communication for all involved. Links have been made with other third-sector organisations so, for patients that have had life-changing illnesses or injuries, there is a variety of support that is made easily accessible.

The Wales Air Ambulance’s patient liaison nurses attend regular networking meetings at major trauma centres and hospitals and have developed a Patient Forum. The successful forum, which was set up two years ago, provides the opportunity for past patients to help and support one another, whilst being involved in the development of the Patient Aftercare Service and contribute to decisions which shape the future of the service.

Following the success of the patient forum, last year the Aftercare Service also set up a relatives’ forum.

Wales Air Ambulance past patient Donna Constable, from Anglesey, was left fighting for her life after a fall, whilst hanging out the washing in her garden.

The Wales Air Ambulance medics came to her aid and after receiving pre-hospital care, which ultimately saved her leg and her life, Donna was flown to The Royal Stoke University Hospital.

Since then, Donna has made a remarkable recovery and has joined the Patient Forum.

She said: “The support I have received following my accident has been remarkable. We have had several follow up appointments where we have talked through what happened to me and the treatment I received at the scene. My accident was also very traumatic for my husband, so this support has been very helpful for him also. We can’t thank the team enough.”

The Wales Air Ambulance is a consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.

It is delivered via a unique third-sector and public-sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.

This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.

As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency critical care.

The Hodge Foundation's aim is to support projects that have effective solutions to helping those most in need, they also have a particular emphasis on supporting projects in Wales working in the areas of welfare, education, medicine and religion.

Phae Jones, the Charity’s Director of Income Generation, said: “A huge thank you to the Hodge Foundation for awarding the grant of £50,000 to the Charity’s Aftercare Service. We are over the moon that the Hodge Foundation decided to support our Charity. The funding will have a huge impact on the recovery and mental health outcomes of our patients and their families.

“Our patient liaison nurses, Jo and Hayley, are incredible in supporting our past patients and their families. Their role is an important part of our Charity, and since 2019 we are proud to have developed the service. The Wales Air Ambulance might be the first at an emergency but we’re the last ones leaving. Our involvement doesn’t end straightaway and that is thanks to the hard work and dedication of Hayley and Jo. This grant is incredible and we’re extremely grateful to have received it.”