The interim National Director of Wales’ flying medics service has been awarded an MBE for services to military and civilian critical care.

She was presented with the honour by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace on Thursday December 7.

Originally from Shropshire, Dr Jones lives in Abergavenny and is a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. As well as her roles in the NHS, Dr Jones is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps and has undertaken two tours of duty in Afghanistan.

She is currently the interim National Director of the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru), the medical team who work on board the Wales Air Ambulance Charity helicopters.

Speaking about her medical career, Dr Jones said: “After college, I did five years at medical school and then another ten years of working in hospitals and completing specialist exams and training to become a consultant. While doing my specialist training in anaesthetics and intensive care, I deployed with the army to Afghanistan on the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), which was the helicopter service that flew to the front line to treat our severely injured soldiers, often in very austere conditions.

“This gave me a huge amount of training and experience in treating very injured casualties outside of a hospital environment, where conditions can be incredibly challenging. I then used this expertise to gain civilian experience and qualifications to help the people of Wales as an EMRTS doctor on the Wales Air Ambulance.”

She added: “I am humbled to have received this honour. My work with the military and the Wales Air Ambulance would not have been possible without the support of my family and my colleagues in Aneurin Bevan Health Board, 203 Welsh Field Hospital and EMRTS Cymru.

“I feel very privileged that I am able to help the sickest patients on their darkest days and proud that we are able to provide such a comprehensive medical service for the people of Wales, wherever they might live.”

Dr Jones has been a part of EMRTS Cymru since its inception in 2015. Also known as the ‘Welsh Flying Medics’, the Service provides consultant-delivered innovative pre-hospital critical care across Wales, by air and by road. It is achieved via an important partnership with the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.