A lifetime of dedication to emergency medicine

For over 30 years, Gillian Bryce has made an extraordinary impact on society through her work as a doctor, medical leader, and dedicated trustee of Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA).

As Chair of the DSAA charity for the past 11 years, Gillian’s visionary leadership and commitment to innovation have been instrumental in advancing pre-hospital critical care across the South West, transforming lives and improving outcomes for patients. Her selfless public service, driven by genuine compassion and altruism, has left a lasting mark on the community. The far-reaching positive effects of her work will be felt for generations to come, as she retires from the post this year.

Advocating for air ambulance care

As Medical Director of Somerset Ambulance Service (1992-1994), Gillian was instrumental in developing the very first paramedic training course, providing medical leadership for the training and assessment of a new cadre of professional colleagues. Following the amalgamation of Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset Ambulance Services, she became Medical Director of West Country Ambulance Service (1994-2006) and later led the integration of Dorset and West Country Ambulance Trusts to become South Western Ambulance Service (2006-2009).

During this time, Gillian transformed the integration of the ambulance service to provide a higher level of care for patients at incident scenes and in transit to hospital. She led the introduction of clinical governance to the ambulance service and, through expanded education and training, enabled an enormous evolution in paramedic practice regionally and nationally. This demonstrated significant vision and resolve and is a movement that continues almost 30 years later.

Gillian was a member of the national team that developed the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee and produced their first guidelines in 2000. She was a huge advocate for the expansion of air ambulance care in the South West and supported the expansion of Devon Air Ambulance to a seven-day-a-week service in 1997 and the creation of DSAA in 2000. Gillian ensured that during her tenure, the region’s air ambulances were integrated within the NHS governance structure.

Expanding critical care services

Gillian has served on the DSAA Board of Trustees since 2014, leading an incredible transformation in service delivery. Throughout her tenure, she ensured that patients and their families remained at the centre of development.

In 2014, Gillian provided expert medical advice and guidance to the board regarding the importance and achievability of a new master’s-level paramedic education programme. This charity-funded initiative won a Health Service Journal Award for ‘Improving Outcomes Through Learning and Development’ and resulted in all 21 of DSAA’s practitioners earning a master’s degree in Critical Care by 2024. This education programme marked a paradigm shift in patient care.

In 2015, Gillian was instrumental in enabling the creation of pre-hospital critical care teams for Dorset and Somerset. Using an evidence-driven approach, she supported the board in expanding critical care provision to 12 hours a day, seven days a week in 2016, and to 19 hours a day in 2017.

In 2018, she enabled the first provision of Outreach using a rapid response car in Dorset. Following the success of this trial, a second Outreach car for Somerset commenced in 2019. DSAA’s patient and family liaison service also commenced in 2018 and has since expanded to five clinicians, ensuring support reaches all patients treated by DSAA.

Leading through crisis and change

Appointed as Chair of the Board in 2019, Gillian navigated the charity through the COVID-19 pandemic with pragmatism and deep understanding, ensuring DSAA did not miss a single day of operations. Furthermore, she enabled DSAA to support the national COVID response by providing an inter-hospital transport service to safely move intensive care patients from over-capacity hospitals to hospitals around the country that still had critical care beds.

This effort resulted in DSAA providing 56% of the nation’s specialist inter-regional transport response during the crisis, a contribution recognised by Sir Keith Willett, Strategic Incident Director for COVID-19. Gillian also led the collaborative launch of DSAA’s paediatric time-critical transfer service in January 2021.

Following COVID, with a planned change in Chief Executive Officer, Gillian extended her service as Chair of the Board by two years to enable a smooth transition in leadership. This decision was selfless and fundamental, consolidating a decade of change and ensuring the maintenance of financial stability.

In late 2023, an unexpected change in aviation provider demonstrated the importance of a steady hand. Gillian worked tirelessly through months of complex meetings, constantly advocating for the position of patients and families. The resulting absence of any missed days of aviation operation is a testament to her expertise and composure. Across 2024 and to date, she has progressed the collaborative discussions for DSAA’s future airbase, ensuring that the next 20 years of DSAA provision remain secure.

A lasting legacy

In addition to leading change at DSAA, Gillian has found time to participate in fundraising events, including the 54-mile Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge and the 5K Twilight Shift. She now hands over the Chair of Trustees position in a supportive and collegiate transition. After 11 years of significant and rapid development, DSAA is in an excellent position and ready for the next chapter of patient care.

While ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem enough, it is said with our deepest appreciation for all that Gillian has done. Her legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire and shape the future of DSAA for years to come.

Meet our Trustees