We welcome five new expert doctors and one paramedic to our team:
Dr Simon Topham
Beginning his volunteer work in the late 1980s as a GP trainee in North Yorkshire. Although his background is in General Practice, his passion lies in Emergency Medicine.
After five years in the Scottish Highlands, he returned to the East Midlands, rejoining EMICS and spending eight years with a regional Air Ambulance service. Currently, Dr. Topham works as a senior emergency doctor in Oban Hospital in the Scottish Highlands but resides in rural Lincolnshire. He is committed to ensuring that rural communities receive healthcare on par with urban areas.
Dr Mark Clayton
Dr Clayton serves as a Specialty Doctor in Anaesthesia and Critical Care and as a Medical Examiner in North Lincolnshire. He also contributes as a HEMS Doctor with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and volunteers with St John Ambulance in the North East.
Dr Abigail Forsyth (Abbi)
Dr Forsyth is also a Specialty Doctor in Anaesthetics and Critical Care at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. Residing in the Peak District, she participates in her local Mountain Rescue Team and has a particular passion in event medicine for ultra-endurance events.
Dr David Cookson
With a career in pre-hospital emergency medicine since 2008, Dr Cookson has served in both the UK and New Zealand. His current roles include BASICS Doctor, MERIT Consultant, HEMS Consultant, and Strategic Medical Advisor. Dr Cookson has a keen interest in point-of-care ultrasound and advancing education for pre-hospital paramedics. He lectures at Lincoln University.
Dr Abilius Wong
Abilius is an Emergency and Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine Doctor working in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. He is also a HEMS Doctor with East Anglian Air Ambulance.
George Duffin
George has worked in the Midlands for the past five years as a paramedic and recently joined the air ambulance. He has served with the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) as a paramedic and as a Specialist Practitioner. George began his career as a community first responder and volunteered with St John Ambulance, providing event medical care.
Having witnessed the positive impact of the EMICS critical care team on patients in the community, he is eager to contribute to the team’s mission.
Dr. Tim Gray MBE, Founder of EMICS, said: “For 40 years, EMICS has ensured patients receive expert care when every second counts. I’m delighted to welcome our new doctors and paramedics, whose expertise will be instrumental in saving lives.”
For 40 years, EMICS has been saving lives across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and more recently, Lincolnshire. When someone suffers a serious accident, heart attack, or life-threatening injury, our volunteer doctors and paramedics bring hospital-level care directly to the patient—often getting to the scene before an ambulance. Every second matters in these situations, and without EMICS intervention, many patients wouldn’t survive. With over 50,000 emergencies attended—helping an average of three people every day—EMICS operates 24/7.
As a charity, EMICS relies entirely on public donations to fund its work, receiving no government funding. Community support is essential to equip its doctors and paramedics with the specialised medical tools required for rapid and effective response.
Dr. John Inman, Strategic Lead for EMICS said: “This expansion is all about making sure that patients and their families get the best possible care when it matters most. But we can’t do it alone. We rely on the support of our community to keep this vital work going.”
Residents and businesses interested in supporting EMICS can donate through the charity’s website or contact them via email at info@emics.org.uk. Your contributions directly impact the delivery of critical care services in your community.
If you would like to volunteer as a doctor or paramedic with EMICS, send a request via our contact page: https://emics.org.uk/contact.
