New medical leadership team for GWAAC

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) in the UK has appointed Dr Andy Lockyer as its new Medical Director and Dr Andrew Heavyside as Assistant Medical Director.

After a rigorous selection process, Dr Lockyer and Dr Heavyside started their new leadership roles on 1 July.

They both will continue to work shifts as Critical Care Doctors for GWAAC.

Dr Lockyer joined GWAAC in 2016 when he started his pre-hospital emergency medicine (PHEM) training. He qualified as a Critical Care Doctor in 2017 and achieved the Fellowship in Immediate Medical Care in 2019.

He has been a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Bristol Royal Infirmary since 2018, where he is the Clinical Lead for major incident planning, public health, major trauma, education, and global health.

On his appointment, he said: “It will be a great honor to serve GWAAC going forward. The organization has seen a few challenges over the years, including the move to our current airbase and the pandemic.

“I can see a real opportunity to progress the medical team. We have an incredibly talented team of people; I want to harness this as best as possible so we remain a cutting-edge critical care service, with all the latest developments that we can provide.”

Dr Heavyside completed his PHEM training with GWAAC in 2019 and 2020. He continued clinical shifts into 2021 and rejoined the team as a Consultant in 2022. He achieved the Fellowship in Immediate Medical Care in 2021 and is a Level 8 Practitioner.

He said: “Ever since starting at GWAAC, I realized what an exceptional unit it is and that it’s filled with exceptional people. The idea of being part of the leadership team and molding its future is exciting.”