2015 Expand During our 15th Anniversary year, we began operating a critical care model for 3.5 days a week. Our unique education programme received national recognition when we were awarded a Health Service Journal Award for ‘Improving Outcomes through Learning and Development’.
2016 Expand We made the transition to providing a full critical care service for seven days a week. Our team expanded to 10 paramedics and 14 doctors. DSAA announced a collaboration with Dorset County Hospital, Devon Freewheelers, SWASFT and the Henry Surtees Foundation, which resulted in patients being able to receive blood components at the scene of an incident. We officially opened a new clinical training facility, a day/night aviation planning facility, suitable technical storage space and improved crew rest facilities at our Henstridge airbase.
2017 Expand On 12th June, DSAA acquired a new AW169 helicopter, in a joint venture with new operator, Specialist Aviation Services, the firstto enter air ambulance operational service in the UK. We began night operations and extended our operational hours to 19 hours a day: 7.00am – 2.00am.
2018 Expand After holding a competition to find a name for our new aircraft, ‘Pegasus’ was unveiled at a ceremony which took place at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil. Our clinical team expanded to 14 practitioners and we recruited two part-time Patient and Family Liaison Nurses. The HEMS Desk extended their hours and staff to cover the longer shift in air ambulance operations. The charity purchased our head office building in Wellington.
2019 Expand DSAA approved a grant to the South Western Ambulance Service Charity, to support the training and equipping of volunteer community first responder groups within Dorset and Somerset. In April 2019, in addition to the critical care service we provide by helicopter and critical care car, our practitioners took to the road, in a bid to take outreach to a new level. This innovative additional DSAA service operates between the hours of 10.00am until 10.00pm.
Wendy Green Expand Wendy graduated in Pathology from the University of Cambridge in 1983; since then she has had an interesting and varied career. Initially, Wendy worked in technical management roles with food manufacturing companies. After an extended childcare break, she took on a range of clinical governance and project management roles within both the NHS and two independent hospices. She also spent several years working as School Food Project Manager for Somerset County Council. Currently, Wendy is a Senior Clinical Claims Manager for WPA Health Insurance, based in Taunton. Wendy lives in Chard, where she is an active member of the local church. She enjoys walking and singing and also trips to London to visit her 2 adult children.
Tracey Killen Expand Tracey worked in retail throughout her career with the John Lewis Partnership. She ran the John Lewis shop at Cribbs Causeway, before moving across to Human Resources where she became the Director of Personnel for the Partnership and a member of the Board before retiring in April this year. Tracey is a Non-Executive Director of Morgan Sindall PLC where she Chairs the Remuneration Committee and is also a member of the Audit and Nominations Committees. She is a Fellow of Be the Business - a not for profit organisation that supports SME's to improve their business performance, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel, and a Governor at Merchants Academy school in Bristol, which is part of the Venturers Trust where Tracey also sits on the HR Committee. Tracey lives in a village in South Somerset and loves to cook, entertain, garden and walk.
Sue Heyes Expand Sue has spent her career within the HR profession, working across a range of retail and financial service sector organisations. Her final position, before becoming an Independent HR Consultant, was supporting the relocation of Lloyds Register (LR) Marine to the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute; a collaboration between LR and Southampton University. The early part of Sue’s life was spent in Wimborne before she moved to the South East of England with work, moving back to the Wimborne area in 1990. She has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development for over 30 years and currently supports her local branch as a volunteer. Sue has been married to Alan for 38 years and has a grown-up son. Her hobbies and interests are varied and include gardening, cooking and a wide range of crafting.
Sarah Day Expand Sarah works for the Healthcare Financial Management Association as a policy and research manager, supporting NHS finance staff across the UK to understand national policy and guidance and address knotty problems across all health sectors. Prior to this she worked as a management accountant in the NHS in Somerset; the South-west region; and, latterly, in a national role with NHS England. Sarah started her career at Westland Helicopters working as a structural design engineer on the EH101, having graduated with a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath. With a CV full of health and helicopters, DSAA is an obvious choice to support as a trustee! Sarah is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds a MBA. Sarah lives on the Somerset Levels and, when time allows, enjoys gardening and walking.
Half Moon Inn and Country Lodge Expand Half Moon Inn and Country Lodge, Main Street, Mudford, Yeovil, BA21 5TF
Yeovil Sports and Social Club Expand Yeovil Sports and Social Club, Johnson Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA21 3DX
Yeovil Ex Service & Social Club Expand Yeovil Ex Service & Social Club, Grove House, Legion Road, Yeovil, BA21 3AZ
Sturminster Marshall Memorial Hall Expand Sturminster Marshall Memorial Hall, Churchill Close, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 4BQ
The Dorset Soldier Expand The Dorset Soldier, 117 Wareham Road, Corfe Mullen, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3JZ
Osmington Village Hall Expand Osmington Village Hall, Shortlake Lane, Osmington, Weymouth, Dorset, DT3 6EX