While we tucked into turkey, for Wales Air Ambulance crews it was work as usual

For the Wales Air Ambulance, Christmas was very much a “normal day” at work, but with an extra bit of festive sparkle and camaraderie.

The crew do all that they can to turn what might be the worst day of somebody’s life into a better outcome.

The charity has to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road all over Wales, 24/7 – even on Christmas Day.

It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the charity’s vehicles.

Some of the Wales Air Ambulance’s Christmas heroes, who are based in Cardiff, Caernarfon, Welshpool, and Dafen, said they managed to juggle family life with working and said they found their job rewarding, especially over the festive period.

Simon Cartwright, critical care practitioner working in Welshpool, spent both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day working at the Wales Air Ambulance’s base in Welshpool.

This was his first Christmas working for the Wales Air Ambulance, having joined the charity two years ago.

Speaking before the holiday he said: “Like any other day, we check the medical kit and equipment to ensure we are ready for the day and prepare the aircraft and rapid response vehicle. The day very much depends on whether we will be dispatched to anyone who needs us across Wales.

“We are planning on making a team Christmas roast dinner and will be eating plenty of mince pies."

"Extra efforts are made at Christmas to increase morale. We have our Christmas tree up and we do a ‘Secret Santa’ on base. There’s always good camaraderie.

"We are a small team which thrives on supporting each other.”

Simon was working 12-hour days from 8am to 8pm then spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day evenings with his girlfriend, her family and also his own family.