Dr Roderick Mackenzie

Dr Roderick Mackenzie is the father of Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) – the discipline that provides vital specialist medical care to critically injured people at the scene of incidents such as car crashes, and during transport by air ambulance. Through his pioneering work, thousands of patients in the UK now receive significantly better care each year. His exceptional influence has profoundly improved the quality of pre-hospital care, inspiring, leading and delivering a transformation that was thought to be impossible even 10 years ago. When Rod began this mission, the UK medical profession had been struggling with (in his words) “appalling” outcomes from trauma. His impact has been to successfully address the critical “care gap” or “therapeutic vacuum” during the “golden hour” – the crucial period between an incident and the receipt of emergency care. From his first published papers advocating the professionalisation of pre-hospital care 25 years ago to the accreditation of critical-care paramedics at Consultant level in 2024, he has driven numerous life-saving advancements. His work is the bedrock of roadside and air-ambulance critical care across the UK. The transformation Rod catalysed, and continues to champion, will resonate for decades, saving countless lives and reducing suffering for many thousands of patients. His influence is therefore of generational importance. What’s more, this all comes on top of his paid role as a gifted hospital emergency physician.