As Armed Forces Day approaches on Saturday, 28 June, Cambridgeshire-based emergency medical charity Magpas Air Ambulance is proudly reaffirming its commitment to supporting the UK’s military community.
Armed Forces Day provides a moment for the nation to recognise the dedication, service and sacrifices made by personnel across the British Armed Forces—past and present. For Magpas Air Ambulance, a charity that delivers advanced, pre-hospital critical care 24/7 across the East of England, the links with military medicine are more than symbolic—they’re operational and deeply embedded. The charity’s clinical teams often work in environments that mirror the high-pressure, high-stakes conditions familiar to military medics. This shared approach to critical care has strengthened a growing partnership between Magpas Air Ambulance and the armed forces.
As a formal sign of the charity's ongoing support, Magpas Air Ambulance signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2021, and went on to become the first air ambulance charity in the UK to receive the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme—the scheme’s highest accolade. This recognition highlights organisations that go above and beyond in their support for serving personnel, veterans and their families.
The connection to defence runs throughout the organisation, with many of Magpas Air Ambulance’s clinicians, pilots and trustees bringing with them military service or strong ties to the armed forces. Building on this foundation, the charity has recently launched a new collaborative initiative with Defence Medical Services (DMS); including a recent clinical placement undertaken by DMS Army Paramedic Melissa Duff, made possible through close partnership working between the charity and the military. This pioneering placement is the first of its kind for the charity and was developed by veteran DMS paramedic Andy Smith (Sqn Ldr rtd).
Melissa described the experience: “I completed the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) military course last September, but hadn't yet had real life exposure to the time-critical, high-pressure missions I will work on when I get deployed. That’s why this placement has been invaluable for my clinical development.
“From managing kit and controlled drugs to working in small teams around an airframe, the placement with Magpas Air Ambulance has set me up as close as can be to the work I’ll be exposed to on the frontline with the army—allowing me to deliver the best possible patient care.”
Andy Smith commented, "I’ve seen first-hand how much the NHS has learnt from military medicine over the years, especially during times of conflict. Being able to give something back through this collaboration means a great deal to me—both professionally and personally. It’s about sharing experience, building mutual respect, and ultimately doing everything we can to improve care for those injured in the most challenging environments, including those injured on the battlefield."
Initiatives like this showcase the meaningful collaboration between military and civilian medical teams; which not only strengthens clinical capability, but also improves patient care across both sectors.
