Inspired by the selfless acts of those in our community, Rachael Perrett meets five Essex superheroes who are devoting their time and skills to help others.
WILL HORDLEY
Co-pilot, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance
Not all superheros wear capes. Some have other means of flying.
Ever since he was a boy, Will Hordley set his sights on becoming an air ambulance pilot. When he eventually had the opportunity to obtain his flying qualifications, he jumped at the chance. Now, after six-and-a-half years working for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance, Will considers himself lucky to be able to combine his passion for flying with helping save lives.
‘This is a very rewarding job, but also being able to work alongside such a fantastic team of clinicians is a real privilege,’ Will explains. ‘Ultimately, this job is very exciting because of the type of flying we get to do and the fact that we’re able to land in places that a typical helicopter pilot wouldn’t be able to.’
As an air ambulance co-pilot, Will splits flying time with his captain, carrying a team of clinicians to the scene of a medical emergency. The day begins with checks on the aircraft, checking for fuel and monitoring the weather and additional hazards in the area. At the same time, the clinicians do their own checks and prepare their equipment on the aircraft.
After a briefing between the captain, co-pilot and clinicians, the team is officially on call – ‘the phone could ring at any point’.
Operating out of the charity’s North Weald Airbase, Will and his team attend an average of three calls each day. As the first port of call for patients with life-threatening injuries or medical emergencies, the crew provides pre-hospital care in the most critical cases. Situations where the air ambulance crew may be launched include someone falling from a great height, penetrating traumas and paediatric cardiac arrest.
Will says, ‘We generally go to the worst jobs out there that come into the ambulance service. We essentially take the emergency department to the patient on the roadside, to the point where our clinicians can perform open-heart surgery, anaesthetise someone at the roadside – all sorts of things.’
Despite the urgency of every call, Will is the epitome of calm and collected. ‘I know time is of the essence, but safety comes first ultimately. You have the whole crew on board the aircraft and you can’t put their lives at risk by rushing. Everything is done methodically in a way that we don’t miss things. Slow is fast, at the end of the day.’
DIANA TURNER
Clinical nurse specialist, St Helena Hospice
When someone with an incurable illness is put forward for palliative care, it can be frightening. But where people may think of hospices as purely providing end-of-life care, clinical nurse specialist Diana Turner aims to reduce fear, provide comfort and even bring a dose of positivity to patients.
Since joining St Helena Hospice in 1990, Diana has worked in the in-patient unit and day services. Now, she’s part of the Hospice in the Home team, visiting people who have been referred for palliative care. Supporting both patients and families, Diana conducts initial assessments, introduces people to the hospice’s services and provides ongoing support based on patients’ individual needs.
‘We’re here to support people in terms of pain, nausea and reduced mobility, give them information in regards to their treatment and provide emotional support,’ she says.
‘It’s a holistic approach, not just looking at the physical but the emotional, financial, psychological and spiritual needs. It’s all about improving people’s quality of life. The little goals such as somebody going out for a meal or sitting in the garden makes such a difference to people and their families.’
Covering the Colchester area, Diana visits patients of various ages and medical backgrounds. While some people may be cancer patients, others have illnesses such as motor neurone disease or kidney failure.
Like any good superhero, Diana knows she couldn’t help others without a bit of teamwork. The hospice’s support network is made up of various teams that work closely together, from hospital oncology departments and GP surgeries to the hospice’s rehabilitation team. This allows Diana to offer patients personalised care, set them up with equipment to make them feel comfortable and signpost people to benefits such as a blue badges.
Even after 30 years of working in hospice care, Diana is still passionate about helping others: ‘I get a lot back from this post. It’s difficult to put into words why I love it. I understand people are going through a very traumatic time. It’s about that support and availability, and knowing we make a difference, even if it’s something as simple as making somebody feel less nauseated so they can enjoy their favourite food.
‘I still enjoy going to work. There’s always a new challenge to learn, new advances, new team members. It’s not just about visiting people at home; it’s about trying to find what we can do to help and being creative.’
SOPHIE COCKER
Cadet, St John Ambulance
390. That’s how many hours 17-year-old Sophie Cocker gave to people in the East of England in 2022. As a member of St John Ambulance’s Cadet programme, Sophie volunteers her time to provide first aid and care at community projects and events.
Based in the charity’s Southend and Rochford unit, Sophie began volunteering with St John at just 10 years old, supporting her local community and learning vital skills for her future.
‘I discovered my local unit as it was in the same building my sister dances in,’ Sophie says. ‘I eventually want to become a paramedic, so I thought it would be a great place to start as I would build some basic first aid skills and gain patient-facing experience.’
Now, Sophie volunteers every weekend, taking part in around six events a month as well as weekly training evenings.
‘There’s no typical day on the job and that really drives me. Usually I will arrive, greet everyone and be given my role for the day – anything from first aid on a foot team to running the comms on the radios. At some events, we can have multiple patients and be very busy, then other times we can have only one or two. It’s a real mixed bag, so you need to be prepared for anything.’
Eager to put her skills and experience to good use, Sophie hopes to turn her volunteer work into a career in the ambulance service.
‘What motivates me to keep going is knowing there will always be someone who needs help. I’m supported by my team as they’re always behind me. I love when I’m at events and I’ve helped, whether giving someone a plaster for a blister or saving someone who is unwell.
‘One moment that particularly stands out to me was when I went to London for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. I was on the Cadet post in the middle of The Mall and there was a small influx of patients. I felt proud that I was there with my friends and a team of healthcare professionals able to treat everyone. I really value teamwork and the way we worked as a team alongside the atmosphere of the event made that a standout moment for me.’
IAN EDWARDS
Matron of resus training, trigger response, hospital out of hours & sepsis – Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust
From clapping for carers to placing rainbow stickers in windows, people across the country showed their appreciation for NHS key workers’ unwavering dedication throughout the pandemic. One group of NHS staff that really stood out for its innovation and commitment was the resuscitation team at Broomfield Hospital, with matron Ian Edwards at its helm.
Ian’s team was nominated for a Parliamentary award in 2022 for its proactive approach to reaching as many staff as possible to ensure they received resus training in a particularly difficult time.
‘Unfortunately, ward managers aren’t able to release their staff as frequently as they would like because of staffing pressures, and obviously direct patient care has to be a priority,’ Ian explains. ‘So, we diversified the way we delivered training. We started doing on-ward teaching for staff and had a drop-in clinic in the atrium of the hospital.’
It’s just one element of Ian’s work, but it shows the lengths he and his team go to to support staff and ensure patients receive a high standard of care.
As matron, Ian manages four departments treating deteriorating patients, including resuscitation training; an outreach department working to identify and treat acutely unwell patients outside of intensive care; hospital out of hours, which supports and coordinates the medical on-call team on nights and weekends; and clinic nurse specialists dedicated to reviewing patients and educating staff on sepsis identification and treatment.
While being nominated for the Parliamentary award was a welcome recognition for the team, at the end of the day, it’s patients not praise that motivate Ian: ‘Ultimately, I think anyone who gets into healthcare does it because they want to affect patient outcomes and safety.
‘My main goal is to make sure that patients at Broomfield Hospital, in relation to acute deterioration, are as safe as possible. As far as I’m concerned, the more proactive we are, the better chance of patients having successful outcomes.
‘I think, apart from anything else, it’s a way of ensuring that the high standards we all strive for are achieved. Because our departments don’t have a specific body of patients like a ward, it affords us a bit more time to be proactive, undertake quality initiatives and make improvements to ensure the NHS and our trust specifically aren’t standing still, that we’re constantly progressing and achieve the best standard of care that we can for our patients.’
JENNIE MORRELL
Service manager – South and West Essex Hub, Headway Essex
Heroes come in many guises. For Jennie Morrell, service manager at Headway Essex, her superpower lies in helping others to unleash their own.
‘I’ve always had a passion for helping people to reach their full potential,’ Jennie says. ‘I believe that everyone deserves that opportunity; they might just need a bit of support to do so in a slightly different way.’
As a charity, Headway Essex ensures everyone in Essex with a brain injury can live a fulfilling life and that families and carers are better able to cope in their caring roles. Through its day centres, the staff help adults adjust and regain skills for daily life after an acquired brain injury, which could be the result of anything from a road traffic accident to a stroke, infection, assault or tumour. The charity also offers survivors the chance to connect with other people living with brain injury, helping improve mental health at a time when many feel isolated.
Having worked with Headway Essex for five years, Jennie opened the charity’s new Day Centre in Benfleet last year.
‘Every day varies, which is why I love the job, but generally, a typical day is full of positivity, peer support and inspirational people. Each day at the Day Centre is attended by a different group of service users. We support these individuals by working on physical, cognitive and social skills in a safe environment, providing physical activities, education, cognitive exercises, and of course, having fun!
‘It means the world to me to play even the tiniest part in improving someone’s life after sustaining a brain injury. Acquired brain injury turns life upside down, not just for the survivor but for their families, friends and support network too. It’s so important that they have somewhere to turn for comfort and advice during a hugely traumatic time.
‘Seeing the improvements that our service users are making, even if they don’t recognise it themselves, is so rewarding. We are our own biggest critics, so it’s even more rewarding when the service users notice their own improvements too.’
Jennie and the Headway team work with people during what’s no doubt a worrying time in their life. But to Jennie, these people are the real heroes, providing all the motivation she needs to continue her work: ‘[These people] have experienced the unimaginable yet continue to show determination, optimism and humour. It’s so difficult not to have your mood lifted when you’re surrounded by them!’
