Shaping the Future of Brain Injury Care: Our Commitment This Action for Brain Injury Week 2025

Action for Brain Injury Week is a time to pause, reflect, and recognise the ongoing work being done to support patients with brain injuries. At Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT), one of our major strategic objectives is to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients with head injuries.

Due to the nature of our work, we regularly attend patients who have sustained severe head injuries, whether from road traffic collisions, falls, sporting incidents, or other unexpected and sudden events. When these emergencies happen, our priority is to be by the patient’s side as quickly as possible, delivering interventions that we know can be life changing.

The first few minutes after a head injury are critical. Many patients experience immediate breathing difficulties or airway obstruction, leading to reduced oxygen to the brain. That’s why one of the most vital interventions we deliver at the scene is an anaesthetic. This allows us to take control of the patient’s breathing, open their airway, and protect the brain from further damage. Alongside this, we provide other time-critical treatments at the scene – treatments that would otherwise be delayed until the patient reaches hospital, even via the fastest route.

But while we already bring some of the most advanced pre-hospital treatments in the world to our patients, we will not rest, and we want to do more. Through our Centre for Excellence, we are shaping the future of head injury care, placing innovation in the earliest phase of treatment at the top of our agenda.

Historically, most research and development in brain injury care has taken place days, weeks, or even months after the injury occurs. At EHAAT, we believe the greatest opportunity to change outcomes lies much earlier, closer to the moment of injury.

That’s why we’re embarking on an important journey, building our infrastructure to become a world-leading centre for research and innovation in the early phase of head injury care. We’re working in partnership with universities and hospitals with an ambition to shift the timeline of research and innovation to this crucial point in the provision of care. We’ve made a good start by investing in our academic programme for head injury, reforming our data systems, and creating new collaborations with partners, setting us on the right track towards helping patients in different ways in the future.

When we attend a patient with a head injury, the time we spend with them is precious. What happens in every single minute of their care matters and has an impact on their outcome.

Laurie Phillipson, our Clinical Academic Fellow in Head Injury and Critical Care Paramedic, began his PhD last year. He is exploring how novel monitoring devices used early in care might unlock new treatment pathways.

Laurie says, “I feel so passionate about head injury care, and I’m pursuing my PhD with EHAAT and Queen Mary University of London so that we can continue to innovate and advance our understanding and treatment of these patients. We’re always professionally cautious around how we go about bringing in new therapies, and we’ve been testing multiple novel technologies to see how they fit into our current treatment strategies. I know that the work that we’re doing will contribute to more specialist care for the patients of the future. Of course, the patients of the future could be any of us, or any of our loved ones so this work is vital to improve outcomes following serious trauma.”

Beyond the immediate medical response, brain injury can have long-lasting physical, psychological, and cognitive effects. These challenges can be overwhelming to navigate throughout the recovery journey, impacting not only patients, but their families and support networks too. That’s where our Patient and Family Liaison Team (PFLT) plays a vital role offering early guidance and support and a listening ear during some of the most difficult times.

Alice Kershberg, Lead for the PFLT, said, “It is vital that patients and their loved ones understand their brain injury and can access early support to help manage it. This can include peer support and referrals to organisations such as Headway. It is really positive that Headway have chosen the theme of ‘On a good day’ this year. Some of the hardest challenges for patients and families alike is the unpredictable and changing nature of brain injury. Often during recovery, no two days are the same.”

Looking ahead, we’re determined to do even more for patients with head injuries. We know this journey will take time, effort, and collaboration, but with the continued support of our community, we’ll make it happen.

Thank you to the people of Essex and Hertfordshire who stand behind us on this journey. We can’t fly without you—and we can’t keep pushing the boundaries of medical care without you.

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