9th Dec 2016
London’s Air Ambulance consultant Dr Mark Wilson has been announced as the winner of the Air Ambulance Doctor of the Year award at the 2016 Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence.
The event is organised by the Association of Air Ambulances, the membership body for organisations that form the air ambulance services in the UK and aims to recognise the amazing work carried out by paramedics, doctors, volunteers and fundraisers in the air ambulance community.
Luka Saucek, 11 was also shortlisted for the Outstanding Young Person Award for the help he has given his younger brother Sacha after Sacha suffered a serious head injury. Luka went on stage to receive thanks from the judges and was presented with a gift voucher to acknowledge the help he has given his brother.
Chosen by an independent judging panel made up of professionals from the air ambulance community, Mark Wilson was chosen as winner of the Doctor of the Year award for his work developing a portable brain scanner that can be used at the scene to detect life —threatening head injuries. He has also been recognised for creating the first aid responder alerter app GoodSAM which aims to save lives by enabling nearby first aid responders to attend medical emergencies.
Mark has been working with London's Air Ambulance since 2005, serving as a volunteer Emeritus Doctor following his secondment, and is world renowned for his work in pre-hospital medicine. His specialism is hyper-acute management of brain injury, in particular the effects of trauma and hypoxia and enables him to pioneer new medical procedures in pre-hospital care to deliver the best possible quality of care to patients. He has also recently co-authored a paper Impact Brain Apnoea which explained how early death following brain trauma could be prevented with quick, simple interventions.
11 year old Luka ‘s younger brother Sacha was left seriously injured after a 300kg tree branch fell on him on a school trip to Richmond Park. London's Air Ambulance attended to 7 year old Sacha who was left with severe head injuries and broken back, ribs and pelvis. Without the support of his elder brother Luka, he may not have made such a miraculous and speedy recovery. Luka was instrumental throughout Sacha’s recovery, his positive outlook guided the rest of the family during this difficult time and he spent hours by his bedside, thinking of jokes, games and videos his brother could enjoy.
Mark and Luka were honoured by TV presenter Rav Wilding, who hosted the awards, and welcomed them on to the stage.
Commenting on the news Interim CEO Charles Newitt said:
“It is a great honour to be shortlisted for the Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence for the Outstanding Young Person Award and to win Air Ambulance Doctor of the Year. What makes the Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence unique is that the recognition comes from our peers and other charitable organisations within the Air Ambulance Sector who understand the challenges that the industry faces. A big well done to Luca Saucek and Mark Wilson for their hard work, courage and determination, we are very proud that they have been recognised in this way.