Meet Dr Chloe Baker, Pre-Hospital Care Doctor

While many of us gather with loved ones over Christmas, EHAAT’s critical care teams remain on call, ready to respond whenever someone needs urgent help. As part of our Fund 100 Christmas appeal, we spoke with Dr Chloe Baker about what it means to work on the frontline during the festive season, and why your support makes all the difference.

What inspired you to join the HEMS team?

In 2007 I was run over by a lorry and rescued from the roadside by London’s Air Ambulance. It hadn’t occurred to me then that I could ever do this job, but as I went through my training and met more air ambulance personnel while working in A&E at The Royal London Hospital, I started to believe I might one day be part of it. Now I’m here and it’s an absolute privilege. Knowing you can take all our resources straight to a patient, alongside teammates who are the best at what they do, is an amazing feeling.

What do you enjoy most about being part of a HEMS crew?

I love how quickly we form a team with people we may never have worked with before, the ambulance service, fire crews, police, even bystanders. Everyone brings different skills, and it’s so rewarding to do whatever the patient needs from you in that moment.

How do you prepare yourself for what you might face at a scene?

There’s a balance between planning and staying adaptable. We make sure we’re aligned on what kit we’ll need and how to get to the scene, but we also know that situations often change once we arrive. You can’t overthink or over-plan, you have to be ready to respond to whatever you find when you land.

How important is EHAAT’s training to being ready for every call?

EHAAT brings together paramedics from the East of England and doctors from different areas of hospital medicine. We might be skilled individually, but without team training and drills, we couldn’t work as effectively on scene. The training here ensures we function as one highly skilled team, bringing hospital-level care straight to the roadside.

How does it feel to work over Christmas?

We all expect to work Christmas every few years. People don’t stop getting injured or ill just because it’s the holidays. My family find it hard, but they understand that if mummy’s going out to help someone who really needs it, that’s something to be proud of. And home Christmases can always be shuffled a day or two – it just stretches out the celebrations.

What does it mean to you to be part of our Christmas campaign?

I love the sense of ownership and pride that the people of Essex and Hertfordshire take in their air ambulance. Being part of this campaign is about representing EHAAT and showing how vital public support is. Without donations, we simply couldn’t fly or deliver the care we do. I’m really happy to have the opportunity to let people know how much their support really matters.

Your donation this Christmas can help fund 100 missions.
Together, we can make sure our teams are there for every patient who needs them. DONATE NOW

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