Paramedic Fleur’s still flying high despite difficult times
An air ambulance paramedic has spoken about switching jobs to join a crew here in the South West during the pandemic and how lockdown has been “overwhelming” at times.
Trainee specialist paramedic Fleur Mosley joined the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) crew in the August in the midst of the pandemic.
GWAAC’S crew treated their first Covid-19 patient in February 2020 and while lockdown didn’t begin until the end of March, they were already battling the virus on the frontline alongside NHS colleagues.
The team has continued to provide critical care throughout the Covid-19 crisis, responding to more than 1,700 calls in Bath and North East Somerset in 2020.
For Fleur, it wasn’t just dealing with working on the frontline, but with relocating and starting a new job with the region’s air ambulance as well.
She joined the charity in August, moving to the South West from London, where she previously worked as the lead emergency care paramedic in a busy South London emergency department.
She describes working in the capital during the beginning of the pandemic as “harrowing”, and says she has realised the importance of having a good support network – particularly since moving away.
Fleur said: “By the nature of what we’re exposed to daily, we give bad news quite regularly, and that was the same for me while working in my role in London too. To be doing that so often can be pretty tough, but I am very lucky to have an amazing support network of friends and family, a lot of whom also work in healthcare, so have lots of similar experiences.”
Fleur is currently going through a two-year training programme to be signed off as a specialist paramedic in critical care with the local air
ambulance, having gone through a rigorous selection and assessment process back in March 2020 to get the role.
During her training, Fleur has been paired with a mentor and supervisor to build her confidence and knowledge in her new role.
“The job and training can be pretty intense, and by the nature of the job we all put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do better. Supervision and mentoring are there to make sure we are doing OK, being supported in the right way and to bring you out of your shell a bit more,” says Fleur.
Asked what the biggest challenge has been during the past year, Fleur said: “In London, I used to be able to come home and go for walks with my flatmates, which played a big role in how I got through that first wave of the pandemic. Moving down to the South West and not
having a physical network has made the whole thing harder. I hadn’t fully prepared for that.
“The lockdown has definitely made this experience much more overwhelming than it would have been otherwise. None of us could do any of the things we do without each other, having those conversations in person is part of decompressing. Being in human contact is really important – and, wow, do I miss a good hug!”
Despite a difficult year, Fleur is well on her way to being signed off as a specialist paramedic, having passed her first round of assessments, and is looking forward to her future with GWAAC.
“It’s such an exciting opportunity,” she said. “The team at GWAAC are something else, they really are amazing! I am so lucky to have such a great group of people to be training and developing with.
“To have it all backed by charitable donations is the cherry on the cake. We wouldn’t be doing the jobs we’re doing and getting the training we’re getting without you, we’re completely indebted to you all really.”
If you would like to find out more about your local air ambulance crews, and how they have been responding throughout the pandemic, visit www.gwaac.com