Proudly Supporting Project Wingman

Project Wingman is an initiative helping hospital teams deal with the stresses of working on the coronavirus frontline. Delivered by grounded aircrew from across the airline industry, it offers NHS staff 15–20 minutes of escape from the intense pressures of their frontline roles. This ‘time out’ involves snacks, drinks and the opportunity to chat – or simply relax.

EMH Technology is proud to be directly supporting Project Wingman. Our role involves the following services, without charge:

• Creating a website and database behind-the-scenes, ensuring that the team is able to operate smoothly and quickly.
• Designing a bespoke system to register and manage Project Wingman volunteers.
• Supplying cloud-based file storage for the duration of the project.
• Providing an IT helpdesk service, supporting the Project Wingman team

“NHS employees are showing an incredible level of dedication, courage and professionalism on a daily basis during the pandemic,“ says Eric Hughes of EMH Technology. “We are proud to be part of Project Wingman. This is a perfect way to use our skills to show our appreciation and thanks.”

The first of the ‘first class lounges’ opened at London’s Whittington hospital in late March. Pilot and captain Dave Fielding told The Guardian: “It’s about using the skills aircrew have to spoil hospital staff and make them feel they’re special. They come off shift exhausted and weary and come into our lovely lounge and we pamper them, in the same way that passengers in first-class lounges at airports are used to being looked after. NHS staff aren’t used to being treated like that.

“Aircrew are good with people. We know how to ask the right questions and make people feel at their ease, as that’s what we do as crew. We’re now doing that in the NHS rather than in planes”.

Project Wingman is available in six hospitals across London, Essex and Kent, with a growing number of hospitals requesting first-class lounges on their sites. This incredible initiative is being rolled out rapidly amongst other NHS Trusts across the UK in collaboration with HelpForce, a charity coordinating offers of help and recruiting volunteers where the NHS needs them.

The team at EMH Technology will continue to support Project Wingman for as long as our help is needed.