SURVIVING ADVENTURE™
Course Instructors

Dr Malcolm Russell - Course Director

Actively practicing pre-hospital immediate care for over fifteen years, Dr Russell has served most of his career as a doctor in the British Army working with the UK's most elite military units.

As a civilian Dr Russell has worked with several ambulance services including the London Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and has been involved in training paramedics and emergency care practitioners.

He is an examiner for the RCS Diploma in Immediate Medical Care and he is the Royal College of General Practitioners' representative on the Curriculum Training and Assessment Sub-committee of the Intercollegiate Board for Training in Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine.

Dr Russell has planned and managed medical support to various expeditions including to Mt McKinley (Denali) 2004, and the Army Everest West Ridge expedition, 2006.

Mr Andrew Hayles - Instructor

Andy has worked as an NHS paramedic for the last seven years and he works part time on the Midland Air Ambulance.

He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, North America and South Africa. Recently Andy travelled to Tanzania for some work experience, finding out how medicine is applied in a remote environment and the restrictions that are placed upon them by transport links, hospital facilities etc.

His experience has emphasised the importance of being self reliant, not to mention the requirement for a good evacuation plan if it all goes wrong.

Mr Tom Davies - Instructor

Tom is an experienced Paramedic, who has worked for West Midlands Ambulance Service and Midland Air Ambulance for the last five years.

He is a keen sportsman and played professional rugby for London Scottish in the premiership in 1999.

Tom also has a BSc in Sports Science and worked as a diving instructor in Australia and the Caribbean for 4 years. He acted as Safety Diver for Tanya Streeter on her 153m world record dive in 2003, where he gained his experience of working in remote locations.

More recently, Tom was selected as part of 12 man crew to attempt a world record to row from NY to Falmouth as team medic (funding dependent).

Mr Gordon Clark - Instructor

Gordon is a Critical Care Paramedic. He qualified as a paramedic in South Africa where he gained a wealth of experience, working as a response paramedic, lecturer and air ambulance crew member.

Since coming to the UK he has held a number of roles, working on response vehicles, ambulances and also as a long standing crew member of the air ambulance.

Being a paramedic in South Africa has taught Gordon to be resourceful and adaptable in remote environments where very often there is no back-up. This experience has stood him in good stead where he feels very fortunate to have been involved at the forefront of paramedic practice in the UK.

Mr Lincoln 'Tiny' Dodd - Instructor

Tiny has been with West Midlands Ambulance Service since 2005, and has been a Paramedic since 2008. He works mainly as a solo responder on a rapid response vehicle in and around Herefordshire.

He is also a CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) practitioner, working alongside the Hazardous Area Response Team in a Decontamination role as well as other specialist areas within the HART strategy.

Tiny is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons Pre-Hospital Trauma Faculty and is also dual qualified; he is a registered Staff Nurse, having worked in Accident and Emergency in Gwent prior to joining the ambulance service.

In his experience as a solo responder Tiny is aware of the importance of requesting the correct back up and also the difficulties posed in having to work with limited resources until further help arrives.

Mr Jim Hancox - Instructor

Jim joined the then Hereford & Worcester Ambulance Service in 2002 and qualified as a paramedic in 2005.

For the past five years, on a part time basis, he’s worked as a HEMS Paramedic with Midlands Air Ambulance. He currently works with a doctor out of the charity's base at RAF Cosford. When he’s not flying Jim works for West Midlands Ambulance Service's Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) based in Oldbury.

Having recently gained a PGCert in Critical Care through Warwick University, Jim is keen to develop his practice towards becoming a specialist paramedic in the field of trauma and critical care.

Outside of work Jim is a keen sportsman enjoying running and cycling and hopes to complete his first marathon later this year. He also plays Ultimate Frisbee at both a national and international level having represented Great Britain at the 2011 World Championships in Italy.