PREMIER 2025

Kirsty began her career 18 years ago as a volunteer at a youth centre, supporting vulnerable children and young people with practical and emotional needs. This led to a full-time role where she spent five years building core skills in holistic support. She then worked for eight years at Nottinghamshire Women's Aid, supporting women, children, and young people affected by violence and abuse.

For the past six years, Kirsty has been with Redthread, first as Team Leader for Nottingham's Youth Violence Intervention Programme, and now as Programme Manager overseeing services in Birmingham and at St Mary's, Paddington. She is passionate about safeguarding, youth empowerment, trauma-informed care, and reducing violence and abuse — and the lasting effects these have on individuals, families, and communities.

Dr Whitney has worked for University Hospital Southampton since September 2007 as a paediatric neurologist.

They completed medical school training in Bristol, and paediatric neurology training in Southampton, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE) and Melbourne Children's Hospital.

Dr Whitney runs the Wessex Epilepsy Interest Group forum, lectures regionally and nationally on epilepsy as part of the Paediatric Epilepsy Training faculty, and lectures at NCYPE meetings and on the ketogenic diet at Epilepsy Action meetings.

Dr Sykes has worked for University Hospital Southampton since April 2007.

Her parent speciality is paediatrics and she trained both in South Africa and the UK. She completed four years of sub-specialty training before taking up her current appointment. She is the lead for medical education and training on the unit and is involved nationally with sub-specialty training in paediatric intensive care medicine.

Dr Alviani is a paediatric allergy consultant at University Hospitals Southampton, with research interests in FPIES, non-IgE mediated allergy, and the care of adolescents with allergies.

Dr Matt Harmer is a Consultant in Paediatric Nephrology at Southampton Children's Hospital. He is also Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Southampton and PIER Network Research Co-Lead for Wessex.

His research focuses on improving the outcomes of children and young people with diseases of the kidney, with a focus on growth and nutrition and the integration of research throughout routine clinical practice to better understand diseases and improve their treatments.

Dr Adebola Sobande is a paediatrician working at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, with a special interest in sickle cell disease.

Dr Oscar Renton is a consultant in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, who works with the Hampshire Crisis Team.

He is one of the leads for the MRCPsych Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Module in Wessex and has a special interest in ARFID.

Dr Amy FM Mitchell is a Consultant Paediatric and Adolescent Oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals, Thames Valley Children's Cancer Alliance Lead, and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Oxford.

She specialises in complex cancer care, survivorship, and holistic, family-centred support for young people with cancer. Dr Mitchell has a strong background in Quality Improvement (QI), leading initiatives that enhance patient safety, streamline acute care pathways, and improve long-term outcomes. Her expertise in QI underpins her work to align frontline services with specialist oncology care.

She has a particular interest in the acute management of oncology patients and emergency presentations. A committed educator and national contributor to service development, Dr Mitchell champions multidisciplinary collaboration.

Jon is experienced in working with emergency and response service organisations across the public and private sector to train and develop their capabilities across chemical emergency response, incident management and alternative fuel safety.

He has a chemistry degree and started work in the chemical risk team as a telephone emergency responder, then moved to regulatory compliance. He now supports clients with sustainability challenges with his wide breadth of knowledge of the challenges faced across the chemical industry.

Jon works with organisations to identify gaps in their chemical risk awareness, response capabilities and training plans, collaborating with wider Ricardo teams to overcome any client challenges.

Dr Esther Sabel is a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist who is passionate about suicide prevention and championing for young people. She loves family, travel, food and sport.

A graduate of Southampton Medical School in 2005, Dr Black has been working as a Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine in Southampton since 2011. He began his working life as an infantry soldier, serving for six years before leaving to study medicine.

Alongside his clinical work, Steve is a member of the FASSGEM (Forum of Associate Specialists and Staff Grade Doctors in Emergency Medicine) executive, the SAS representative on the International Committee at the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, and the SAS representative on the LCNC and standing committee — currently using this position to reintroduce the Associate Specialist grade to Southampton. He was recently appointed as Deputy SAS Tutor in Southampton and also works for Southampton Football Club as a crowd doctor at St Mary's Stadium.

As an educator he has instructed many diverse groups ranging from junior doctors and medical students to multidisciplinary teams, using simulation, shop-floor and formal teaching methods. He is a keen cyclist, and a father to three delightful children.

Dr Joe Schrieber is an Accident and Emergency Medicine Consultant from the UK. His focus areas include trauma management, acute cardiac emergencies and advanced resuscitation techniques, drawing on emergency airway management, stabilisation of critically ill patients and rapid diagnostic assessment to deliver care during urgent and life-threatening situations.

Matt Sawyer is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP), who alternates his time between Portsmouth Hospital ED and the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Team.

He has interests in pre-hospital care, POCUS, and regional anaesthesia. In 2024, he was awarded Critical Care Practitioner of the Year at the Air Ambulances UK (AAUK) Awards of Excellence.

Outside of work, he likes to spend time exploring the outdoors with family.

Jessica is a Paediatric Surgeon and currently part of the Southampton team as a post-CCT fellow. She trained in the South East of England deanery, including a one-year Darzi Fellowship working with the paediatric trauma service at the Royal London Hospital and the North East London & Essex Major Trauma Network.

Dr Pughe is an RCEM ACCS trainee, currently based at University Hospitals Southampton.

He has a keen interest in immersive simulations, and is currently developing a regional guideline on managing penetrating chest trauma in paediatric patients.

Dr Rachel Rowlands is a consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine at University Hospitals of Leicester, and is the Leicester ED lead for Unexpected Child Death.

She has an active interest in medical education and research. Outside of work she is a keen skier and sailor.

Charlotte is a PEM trainee at Southampton General Hospital. She is the joint-trainee representative on the PERUKI Executive committee and is interested in research and education within PEM.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance provides life-saving, pre-hospital critical care to those in urgent need across Dorset and Somerset. Since March 2000 the team has responded to emergencies across the region, bringing advanced medical care to patients wherever they are. The team's specialist skills, advanced equipment and rapid response capabilities can make a life-saving difference.

The dedicated team includes expert pilots, critical care practitioners, paramedics, nurses, and doctors, working together 19 hours a day, from 7:00 am to 2:00 am, every day of the year. From remote rural areas to busy urban centres, they bring the hospital to the patient, providing complex and life-saving interventions at the scene. Whether landing by a roadside, in a park, or on a beach, the crew's response can be the difference between life and death.

Once patients are safely transported to hospital, patient and family liaison nurses are there to offer compassionate support, ensuring continuity of care and guidance for families during incredibly challenging times. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is funded by charitable giving.

Experts from the University of Southampton are highlighting an urgent need to improve practical and psychological support for families who experience the unexpected death of a child.

Around 3,000 children die each year in England and Wales, of which 30 percent are infants and children whose deaths are unexpected and sudden. The researchers say the availability and quality of existing support for both families and professional caregivers varies substantially and unfairly.