Air Ambulance Service thanks long-standing Doctor for dedicated service

The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) has presented dedicated doctor, Adam Manson, with an award for recognition of his long-standing service to the lifesaving charity.

Dr Adam Manson (45) has worked with the RAF for almost 25 years and began his pre-hospital emergency medicine (PHEM) career 20 years ago.

Adam began his journey with TAAS in October 2009 when he had a nine-month secondment before being deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2010 – where he took all the skills learnt and put them into helping casualties in warzones.

Adam has served operationally around the world including Iraq, South Sudan, and five tours in Afghanistan where he operated on the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) helicopter. Throughout his career, Adam has worked with Magpas Air Ambulance, Great North Air Ambulance Service, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Thames Valley Air Ambulance and of course The Air Ambulance Service.

“Over the 20 years working shifts with air ambulances, I must’ve seen over 1,500 patients, attended over 500 RTCs, 250 pre-hospital intubations and over 100 sedations,” said Adam.

Over the last 12 years, between tours, Adam dedicated his weekends and often a day a week to work onboard the iconic yellow and grey AgustaWestland 109, helping to save lives across TAAS’s five counties and beyond.

“Every time I’ve been deployed abroad and come back to TAAS, the charity and the operations system they have in place has really supported me and brought my skills back up to solo flying,” Adam said.

Adam is now off to do an airforce officer exchange tour in Washington DC over the next few years, including working in the Pentagon, where he will support the American airforce aviation medical policy.

“I’ve loved my time with TAAS, not only for helping people through a variety of missions but also for the great characters within the charity whom I have really enjoyed working with – I still remember my first shift with CCP Keith Rutherford and he’s still working for the charity too which is great to see,” said Adam.

As a departing gift, Adam gave the team at the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance airbase a framed painting ‘IN SAFE HANDS’ of MERT flying above Southern Afghanistan.

In return, Adam was presented with a plaque for his dedicated long-standing service to TAAS.

TAAS Director of Operations, Richard Clayton said: “It’s been a great pleasure having Adam working with us over the last 12 years, he has been such a valued member of the TAAS family and it’s a real loss to see him go.

“On behalf of the charity, I’d like to thank Adam for his dedication to The Air Ambulance Service and across the communities, we wish him the best of luck in his new venture, and we’ll definitely keep in touch.”