Rhonda Collins, 29, joined the ambulance service in 1998 and has progressed through the ranks to being clinical team leader of air operations and critical care paramedic.

She started in the control room of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance and Paramedic Service, receiving calls and dispatching crews to incidents.

After 18 months she "got the bug for going out on the road", having shadowed crews going about their duties, and started her technician training.

In 2000 she transferred to the Warwickshire Ambulance Service, where in 2001 she became a paramedic and, a year later, a team leader.

She was selected for the helicopter crew in 2004, which involved fitness tests, written exams on the management of trauma and scenarios to demonstrate what she would do.

"I don't think I would want to do anything else", said Rhonda.

"With car shifts and helicopter shifts you get a real variety."

Rhonda's went out with a doctor and picked things up as she went along for initial training, before receiving her full critical care training.

She has been one of the air crew ever since.

"If it was one of my family and a paramedic went out to them and they needed intubating and anaesthetic I would find it very upsetting if this service wasn't available because I know that is the best treatment for them," she said.

"I know paramedics will do a really good job with the treatment available, but to help people in a specialist role, for me, is why I do this."