In August we welcomed Josh to the team as one of our new paramedics.

The 29-year-old from Kendal has worked in Cumbria for the majority of his career and before joining GNAAS he had never been in a helicopter before.

We had a chat with Josh to find out more about his life before GNAAS, and how he’s finding his new role so far…

Could you talk me through your medical career from the beginning up to now?

In 2017 I came across an advert for a paramedic course ran by the local university near where I live. I made a last-minute decision to apply before the deadline and was fortunate to gain a position.

I qualified as a paramedic amidst the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and began working and gaining experience across Cumbria on double crewed ambulances and rapid response vehicles for several years.

During this time, I was lucky to work for the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) in the Lake District, a beautiful, but challenging area due to its rurality requiring lengthily conveyance times to hospitals. This varied experience coupled with working alongside and learning from some fantastic colleagues gave me a good grounding in paramedic practice.

I then took a secondment opportunity to the clinical hub within the emergency operations control room as a Specialist Practitioner in Urgent Care, providing telephone consultation and triage of 999 calls as well as providing clinical advice to clinicians. I progressed within clinical hub to the role of Advanced Practitioner in Urgent and Emergency Care enabling me to utilise some additional training, equipment and skills to attend and treat patients within the community.

I was offered this role substantively but decided to return to my role as a road paramedic as I had a strong interest in critical care that I wanted to peruse. I began studying for a MSc and sat the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care exam. Towards the end of 2024 I underwent the lengthy recruitment process for the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and was fortunate to gain a position on the team based at Manchester. I spent a brief period of time with the team responding to high-risk incidents in additional PPE following a period of extended training.

During this time there was an advertisement for the positions with GNAAS. This being a dream job and an opportunity that does not readily arise, I decided to apply on a whim with no expectation, but to my surprise I was extremely fortunate to be offered the position.

Do you have any highlights or stand-out moments from your career?

For me the highlight of my career has not been a singular moment but more the pleasure of being able to have worked alongside some fantastic people and colleagues.

So far, a standout moment would have to be my first time working a shift on the aircraft, as before this point I had never been on a helicopter. Getting to fly above the Lakeland fells on a sunny clear day was an amazing experience and something I won’t take for granted when responding to incidents in the future.

Why did you want to become a paramedic?

I was interested in becoming a paramedic because I wanted a job that allowed me to contribute positively to society. The ability to help others and make a difference daily really appealed to me. I am in a privileged position that I can try and make someone’s worst day of their life slightly better. I was additionally lured by the unscheduled nature of pre-hospital care, as I never know at the start of a shift what the day ahead will entail. Being able to drive around on ‘blue lights’ isn’t bad either!

What made you want to work for GNAAS?

Having worked in Cumbria for the majority of my relatively short career, I have always been profoundly inspired by the high levels of professionalism, skill and extended care that GNAAS’ team deliver. Being part of such a team really appealed to me as I have always strived to deliver the best care I possibly can. Having the opportunity to work alongside really experienced critical care paramedics, doctors and pilots means that I can contribute to delivering the highest level of care which can truly make a big difference. I am really grateful to be fortunate enough to do such a sought-after job.

How did you find the interview process at GNAAS?

The interview process was a long day. It comprised of a public relations interview, exam paper, clinical simulations and a formal interview. Everybody, including staff and other candidates, were friendly and welcoming which helped ease the nerves and because of this I felt relatively calm going into each of the stations. Despite feeling calm, I didn’t think I’d done amazingly well on the assessments!

How did it feel to receive the call that you got the job, and did you do anything to celebrate?

I had to wait for several weeks for the outcome because I attended the first lot of assessments. I really was expecting to be told that I hadn’t got the job, so it felt amazing to receive the telephone call with the good news. While I was delighted to have been offered the job, it also meant that I had to leave behind a fantastic HART team that I had just started working with, which made the decision to take the job slightly harder.

I celebrated getting offered the job by going out for a pizza with my girlfriend, followed by a mountaineering trip to the alps.

How have you found GNAAS so far?

I have really enjoyed my time so far with GNAAS, everybody is super friendly and supportive. I have spent some time getting signed-off on the air desk and I’m now concentrating on learning from my colleagues whilst attending incidents in preparation for clinical and aviation sign-off. There is a lot to learn, and the step-up is considerable but I do enjoy a challenge and I’m looking forward to developing within this role and ultimately becoming a better paramedic.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I enjoy being outside, whether that being climbing, cycling, caving, mountaineering or fell running with friends and family. It has been great seeing the fells that I have spent so much time ‘playing’ on from above in the aircraft!