‘It's Just Another Day'

For most people Christmas is a time for family and relaxation, but for some it’s a working day like any other

DR RICHARD SMITH, NORTHWEST AIR AMBULANCE

Dr Richard Smith has worked for the air ambulance for two years and was an NHS doctor for 15 years before that. He’s also married to an NHS doctor who is also often called on to work at Christmas so has seen from both sides how working the festive period can affect family life.

The dad of four children, aged from two to ten, said: ‘Working at Christmas was easier when I was younger and before we had children. They have limited understanding of why I’m not there on Christmas morning. They accept it – they’ll wake up ridiculously early and carry on as normal.

‘We’ll have family staying with us at Christmas as well, so there’ll always be someone around to help and for the children to play with.

‘I’ll try to video call them during the day to see their presents, but for us it’s just another day. The service is just the same and we will respond to call-outs just as we would on any other day of the year.

‘We try to make an occasion of it at the base as best we can,’ he added. ‘We’ll have some food together and some Christmas television but a call-out can mean the food goes cold. That’s when the microwave comes into its own.’

The North West Air Ambulance is on call 365 days a year and covers 5,500 square miles and eight million people. Since it launched in 1999, the charity has flown over 17,000 missions, with an average of five call-outs a day, rising to ten in summer.

‘Christmas Day tends to be a bit quieter – there are fewer people on the roads, so there’s usually fewer accidents – but that doesn’t mean things can’t happen. Christmas can be a big emotional strain for some people and heart attacks are quite common.’