The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) has taken on 10 ten new critical care doctors.

The move comes in the hope that the service can expand and operate 24/7.

Last year, the charity developed its service in Cumbria to cover 24 hours a day and also began a long-term trial to transfer seriously injured or unwell patients by helicopter from the Isle of Man directly to the UK for emergency medical treatment.

GNAAS’ medical director Chris Smith said: “There is a definite need for more doctors within the organisation. We’re busier than ever and demands on the service are high.

“An expanded service means more night work and that means we need more doctors.”

The doctors, who all applied for the role through national selection, had to pass the charity’s rigorous assessment day which was comprised of a panel interview, clinical simulations, and written exams.

Dr Smith said: “We had over 80 applications, all of which were of a very high standard, and we had to whittle that down to 15.

“In the end, 10 doctors were selected. These 10 had the required experience, skillset, and approach needed to ensure we continue to deliver the best standard of care to our patients.”

Some of the successful candidates are currently commuting from the North West and Edinburgh to complete their shifts with GNAAS and will each take on about four shifts a month, working alongside the charity’s paramedic and pilot team.

GNAAS needs to keep recruiting specialist doctors who have an interest in pushing the established boundaries of Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM).

Dr Smith added: “The doctors we’ve taken on all come from varied backgrounds.

“Some are already trained in PHEM and are based in hospitals around the country in emergency medicine or anaesthesia roles and a few of them are from military backgrounds.”

The team of 10 will all follow the same gruelling ‘sign-off’ process as all GNAAS critical care staff and will work across the region from both the charity’s North-East and North West bases in Teesside and Penrith.

GNAAS is dependent on donations to survive and has launched a raffle with a top prize of £10,000 to help it meet rising demand for its services. Tickets cost £1 each and are available at https://gna.as/2022raffle