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Patient Support

Since we became clinically independent in 2019, our Patient and Family Support Team, Adrian, Kate and Paul, have been enlisted to offer follow up support to patients and their families following their incident.

Our Patient and Family Support Team are operational HEMS Critical Care Paramedics, each with 20 years’ experience dealing with sudden injury and illness.

They work quickly and sensitively to:

  • Help you fill in any ‘gaps’ you might have whilst we were caring for you
  • Answer any questions about your incident and the care we delivered
  • Provide you with contact details of other agencies that can offer further support

If you would like us to assist you with any of the above, please contact us using the email address below. Alternatively, click here to share your experience with us of the care we provided you or a member of your family.

Kate Adlam

Patient and Family Support Manager

Kate joined the ambulance service in 1997, beginning at Newbury Ambulance station where she later gained her paramedic qualification in 2000. Kate went on to become a Paramedic Work-based Assessor and in 2002 transferred to Taunton Ambulance station. From early in her career, Kate aspired to work as an air ambulance paramedic and felt fortunate to join Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance before being temporarily seconded to Devon Air Ambulance in 2007 where she reamined. Kate is now a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care, having completed her MSc in 2018. Kate became one of three Patient Liaison Clinicians. Kate's clinical interests are patient experience and paediatric analgesia.

Adrian Parker

Patient and Family Support Clinicians

Adrian has been in the emergency services since the age of 18 when he trained to become a retained firefighter at his local fire station where he worked for five years. In 1988 he joined the Ambulance Service and worked on the emergency ambulances based in Newton Abbot. In 1991 Adrian passed his exams to become a paramedic, at the time becoming the youngest paramedic in Devon. Adrian was one of the first motorcycle paramedics in the Country. After several years working on motorcycles, rapid response cars and ambulances, Adrian joined the Devon Air Ambulance - a job he had longed to do from early on in his career and is now a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care (SPCC). Adrian is also one of Devon Air Ambulance Patient Liaison Clinicians (PLC). This role focusses on supporting patients and their families through their ordeal.

Paul Robinson

Patient and Family Support Clinicians

An experienced professional with over 30 years' experience, Paul holds a joint role with Devon Air Ambulance as both a Specialist Critical Care Paramedic and a Patient Liaison Clinician. Although he was born and raised in Devon, he spent the early part of his career with Oxfordshire Ambulance Service until an opportunity in 1996 enabled him to transfer back to the Westcountry to pursue and complete his paramedical training. Initially based in Bodmin, in 1998 Paul transferred to Exeter Ambulance Station. He qualified as a HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services) Paramedic in 2004 and undertook a Masters PGCert in Pre-Hospital Critical Care Retrieval in 2016.
Paul’s current dual role enables him to continue to practise as well as allowing him to follow up and assist Air Ambulance patients in answering any questions they may have about their pre-hospital care and supporting them in their recovery.

Our Aim

Our aim is to help our patients and their families in the days, weeks and months following our clinical team being called to them.

We do this by answering any questions patients may have, helping to provide clarity regarding the care Devon Air Ambulance provided.

Because we know how often our patients are unable to fully recollect events at the time of the accident or illness, if they so wish, we can help fill in any gaps in their recollection during the period we cared for them.

In offering support to our patients and their families, we will always fully respect their wishes and only provide support if they so desire. For those patients and families who would like our support:

  • One of our Patient and Family Support Team will aim to establish a supportive relationship with them and will endeavour to maintain this relationship for as long as they choose.
  • We will seek to answer any questions they may have as openly and honestly as possible and help them to understand the care we provided. We may not be able to answer every question, but we will do our best to find out the answer for them.
  • As Critical Care Paramedics, our team can draw upon their experience to help those who contact us to prepare for the days or weeks ahead.
  • If they have any concern or complaint regarding the care or treatment we provided, we will pass these on to ensure they are managed appropriately and that they are kept informed whilst they are investigated.
  • If their circumstances are such that they could benefit from additional support, we can share with them the contact details of specialist charities and agencies. If they wish, and only with their express permission, we can request appropriate charities/agencies to contact them directly, if easier for the patient/family.
With their permission, we can provide feedback to the clinical crew who treated them. This enables the crew to learn from the experience of their patients, ascertain how they are, and what the exact nature of their injury(s) or illness was – something our team often don’t get to hear about.
Patient Confidentiality is of paramount importance to us and we will only discuss aspects with family members with the patient’s permission.
Sadly, despite our best endeavours, sometimes our patients do not survive, often leaving their family with support needs and questions about the care we provided their loved one. In these circumstances, we will seek to contact the family and offer them our support.
Download our Patient Services leaflet
Download our Plain English Patient Services leaflet