15 Oct 2026
Chrissie first joined London’s Air Ambulance as a HEMS Fellow in 2012 and became a HEMS Consultant in 2018. Since then, she’s taken on a range of clinical and leadership roles, helping drive innovation in pre-hospital emergency care while building a career alongside the people and patients at the heart of our service.
We spoke with Chrissie to hear more about her journey with London’s Air Ambulance Charity, what makes the clinical team so special and what she’s looking forward to in her new role.
How does it feel to take on the role of Lead Clinician?
It feels incredibly special. London’s Air Ambulance has been such a huge part of my career, so to now have the opportunity to lead the clinical team is a real privilege.
For me, being Lead Clinician is really about the team. It’s about supporting our clinicians, listening to them and creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and able to be the best clinician they can be.
I’m incredibly proud of the expertise and dedication within the team, and I want to help create the conditions for that to thrive. I’m looking forward to working alongside everyone, learning from each other and making sure that, together, we continue to provide the very best care for our patients.
For me, leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about bringing people together, helping them succeed and making sure we keep moving forward as a team.
Can you tell us a little about your journey with London’s Air Ambulance Charity and what brought you here?
I first came to London’s Air Ambulance as a HEMS Fellow in 2012 and I feel very lucky that my journey with the service has continued ever since. I became a HEMS Consultant in 2018 and along the way I’ve had the opportunity to take on different clinical and leadership roles.
What brought me here originally was a love of emergency medicine and a desire to challenge myself clinically. What’s kept me here is the people.
I’ve worked with so many exceptional clinicians and operational colleagues over the years. There’s a real sense of purpose in what we do and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a team that genuinely cares about its patients and about each other.
What first drew you to pre-hospital emergency medicine?
I initially chose emergency medicine because I love talking to patients and I love the clinical challenge. I think it’s a real privilege to be able to support someone at a time when they’re frightened, vulnerable or simply having a really difficult day.
Pre-hospital medicine took that one step further. You’re going to people when they need you most and bringing specialist care to them.
It’s also incredibly challenging clinically and that’s something I love. It pushes me to keep learning, keep innovating, and keep trying to be a better clinician.
What does being Lead Clinician mean to you and what are you most looking forward to?
For me, being Lead Clinician is fundamentally about people.
It’s about making sure our clinicians feel supported, valued and able to be the best clinicians they can be. It’s about maintaining the incredibly high standards of care that London’s Air Ambulance is known for, but also being willing to ask “what could we do better?”.
I’m really looking forward to working with the team, listening to them and helping us continue to evolve. I’m also looking forward to the challenge of the role, because I think the best leadership, like the best clinical practice, comes from always looking for ways to improve.
What do you think makes the clinical team at London’s Air Ambulance so special?
We have incredibly skilled clinicians, but what really makes the team special is the combination of expertise and humility. People are genuinely interested in learning, supporting each other and doing the very best for every patient.
There’s also an amazing camaraderie. We can be dealing with something incredibly challenging one minute and then be laughing together over a cup of tea afterwards.
That combination of excellence, compassion and a little bit of humour is very London’s Air Ambulance.
What’s your favourite part of working with the team?
I love the clinical challenge, but I also love the relationships you build with the people you work alongside. You know that when things get difficult, everyone around you is going to step up.
After so many years with London’s Air Ambulance, I’ve made some really special friendships. That’s one of the things that makes coming to work such a pleasure, even when you know the day ahead might be unpredictable.
What keeps you motivated on the tough days?
Ultimately, it’s the patient.
It’s remembering that for us it’s a job, but for that patient and their family, this might be the most important and frightening day of their lives. Being trusted to look after someone at that moment is a huge privilege.
I’m also probably more competitive than I’d like to admit, although I’m not sure my friends and family would describe it as “probably”! I like a challenge and I’m always trying to improve, whether that’s clinically, professionally or chasing a PB in a triathlon!
But being good clinically really matters to me because, in our job, the decisions we make can directly affect the outcome for our patients. That’s a pretty good reason to keep pushing yourself to be better.
And I have young children, so another thing that motivates me is wanting to show them that you don’t have to put limits on what you can achieve. I want them to grow up believing that if you work hard, take opportunities and are prepared to challenge yourself, you can achieve things you might never have imagined.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited about for the future of the clinical service?
I’m excited about being ambitious.
London’s Air Ambulance has such an incredible history of innovation and I want us to keep that spirit. I want us to continue asking how we can improve patient care, how we can support our clinicians and how we can make sure we’re giving London the very best pre-hospital care we possibly can.
I’m particularly excited about the next generation of clinicians coming through. Developing people and seeing them grow is one of the most rewarding parts of the job and I want us to create an environment where people are encouraged to be curious, challenge themselves and take on leadership roles.
I also think we need to be creative about how we build long and sustainable careers in pre-hospital emergency medicine. People’s roles and circumstances change over time and we need to be flexible enough to support that while still making the most of the experience and expertise we have within the team.
That might be through clinical work, education, research, leadership or service development. It’s about keeping great people within pre-hospital emergency medicine and continuing to benefit from what they bring, while also creating opportunities for the next generation.
For me, that’s a really important part of succession planning, building a strong and sustainable clinical team for the future.
Finally, what would you like to say to the supporters who make the team’s work possible?
Thank you really doesn’t feel like enough.
Every time our team gets onto the helicopter or into a response car, we’re able to do that because people across London and beyond have chosen to support us.
What I hope our supporters know is that their generosity translates directly into patient care. It means that when someone is having the worst day of their life, our team can be there with the skills, equipment and expertise they need.
I feel incredibly proud to be part of London’s Air Ambulance Charity and incredibly grateful to everyone who makes it possible for us to do what we do.
As Chrissie steps into her new role as Lead Clinician, we’re excited to see what the future holds for her and the clinical team. Her passion for our people, our patients and continually improving the care we provide will be a huge asset as we continue our mission to save more lives across London. Congratulations, Chrissie, and thank you for everything you continue to do for London’s Air Ambulance Charity.