SkyCare Medical Team and Specialties
Medical Team
Current staffing numbers and Grades (Jan 2025)
| Qualification | Total Qty | Qty with existing flight experience | Qty NHS trained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doctor General | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Doctor ITU/Neo/Paed | 9 | 7 | 9 |
| Nurse General | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Nurse ITU/Neo/Paed | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| CCP (Crit Care Para) | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Paramedic (Band 6) | 23 | 8 | 23 |
| Technician | 18 | 5 | 18 |
| FREC4+ | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| FREC3,FREC4, ECSW | 83 | 2 | 15 |
| Pilots (PC-12) | 7 |
Specialities
Our Medical Team is headed up by Dr. Lee Collier (CV). Lee is a portfolio doctor with an extensive background in aeromedical transport, specialising in neonatal intensive care, and with considerable experience in high dependency adult and paediatric transport, human factors, team leadership, logistics and operational management and medical engineering. Lee works alongside a team of specialists including intensive care medicine consultants who will oversee any level 3 adult patients.
We have a complete guide to our care levels and skills mix that can be found here in our Policy for Levels of Care and Team Skill Mix.
Patients shall be mapped to the following specialty matrix. Where a patient may fit into more than one category, the Chief Medical Officer may determine which specialty the transfer falls under or decide to send a mixed-specialty team.| Speciality | Discriminators | Yes / No | Planned into Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neonatal | All children under six months of age All children being admitted to a secondary/tertiary neonatal service (e.g. ex-premature babies) | Yes - All Groups | |
| Neonatal Level 0 - (Ward Care) | > 2kg, > 34 weeks corrected gestation No oxygen requirement > 72 hours > 3 hourly feeds, or demand fed No unprovoked desaturation or bradycardia for last 72 hours Extubated > 72 hours No IV medications | Yes | |
| Neonatal Level 1 | > 1.5kg, > 32 weeks corrected gestation Low flow nasal cannula oxygen No unprovoked desaturation or bradycardia for last 72 hours Extubated > 72 hours | Yes | |
| Neonatal Level 2a | > 1kg, > 28 weeks corrected gestation Low flow nasal cannula oxygen No unprovoked desaturation or bradycardia for last 48 hours Extubated > 48 hours Faecal stoma | Yes | |
| Neonatal Level 2b | > 1kg, > 28 weeks corrected gestation Stable on high flow oxygen or CPAP Extubated > 48 hours Central line in situ | Yes | |
| Neonatal Level 3 | Any ventilated baby or extubated < 48 hours Unstable high flow oxygen or CPAP, i.e. some episodes of desaturation / bradycardia (consider intubation) Requiring inotropes, prostin, or IV insulin Airway abnormality Chest drains in situ Tracheostomy <1kg, <28 weeks corrected gestation | Yes | |
| Paediatrics | Other than neonatal, all children under eighteen years of age Exceptionally, patients over eighteen years of age managed within children’s services (e.g. looked-after children still in full time education) | Yes - All Groups | |
| Paediatrics Level 0 (Ward Care) | Patients whose needs can be met on a normal hospital ward or discharged to home with a minimal risk of deterioration Self-caring and ambulatory with minimal support / use of stick | Yes | |
| Paediatrics Level 1 | Requiring help with self-care and transferring Requiring nasal cannula oxygen (< 2 L/minute) | Yes | |
| Paediatrics Level 2a | Requiring IV analgesia Requiring oral opiate pain management (e.g. oramorph) Significant sensory impairment Neurodevelopmental condition (autism spectrum) Under 2 years of age | Yes | |
| Paediatrics Level 2b | Yes | ||
| Paediatrics Level 3 | Yes | ||
| Adult Level 0 - (Ward Care) | Patients whose needs can be met on a normal hospital ward or discharged to home with a low risk of deterioration On home respiratory support e.g. nasal cannula oxygen, night CPAP with their own machine Self-caring and ambulatory with minimal support / use of stick | Yes | |
| Adult Level 1 | Requiring help with self-care and transferring Requiring oral pain management (e.g. oramorph) Delirium / confusion but not agitated or aggressive Urinary catheter in situ | Yes | |
| Adult Level 2a | Patients with a single issue from list below, if more than one applies then level 2b: Requiring IV pain relief Less than 7 days post-operative Morbidly obese (BMI > 40) Stable tracheostomy more than 10 days since procedure requiring oxygen only (e.g. Swedish Nose / HME) Post-MI (heart attack) with appropriate intervention (PCI / CABG) Post-CVA (stroke) with appropriate intervention Delirium / confusion with agitation or aggression Mental health patients well-controlled on medication | Yes | |
| Adult Level 2b | Stepped down from Level 3 (ITU) care less than 7 days ago Transport is for emergency surgery Patients with a single issue from list below, if more than one applies then level 3: Non-invasive ventilation (CPAP / NIPPV / High Flow O2) with oxygen requirement < 40% and good blood gas results Requiring inotrope/pressor Delirium / confusion with agitation or aggression Morbidly obese (BMI > 40) Mental health patients requiring sedation | Yes | |
| Adult Level 3 | All mechanical (invasive) ventilation All multi-organ support: respiratory support plus inotrope/pressor Non-mature tracheostomy (less than 10 days since procedure) Ventilated tracheostomy | Yes | |
| Mental Health | Secure escort service with restraint and sedation capability | Planned | May 2025 |
| Infectious Patient (Isolation Pod) | We are able to transport infectious patients, based on the decision of our Chief Medical Officer and the patient's condition. | Planned | May 2025 |
| Neonatal patients under 1kg / requiring incubator | Planned | May 2025 | |
| Aortic balloon pump | No | Not Planned | |
| Dialysis / renal replacement therapy / hemofiltration | No | Not Planned | |
| Obstetrics | No | Not Planned | |
| ECMO | Planned | November 2025 | |
| Hyperbaric – barotrauma | No | Not Planned | |
| Nitric Oxide | No | Not Planned | |
| Oscillatory ventilation | No | Not Planned |
