Meet Our Volunteers: Bringing A Sense of Calm to an Incident, a conversation with Matt Burton

At 34 years old, based in Kent, Matt Burton balances a busy life as both an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Emergency Medicine and a dedicated volunteer for BASICS Essex.

By day, he works across adult and paediatric services at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. By night—or whenever the call comes—he brings his expertise to the roadside, living rooms, and anywhere else his patients might need him.

His journey into this field began in 2013 when he joined the London Ambulance Service. “I worked in ambulance, response vehicle, and control, in both standard paramedic and advanced practice roles,” he recalls.

After several years in prehospital care, he transitioned into hospital practice in 2019, where he’s since worked across two busy South London hospitals. “I’ve seen a good mix of patients and built up a lot of knowledge and skill quickly,” he explains.

But even with the variety of hospital practices, Matt felt something was missing. “I found BASICS and felt like I could use these skills for wider use in the local community”, he says. “This seemed like a no-brainer and an area of practice I had often thought was needed in my prehospital work. BASICS felt like a bridge to that.”

That bridge has not only allowed Matt to use his skills outside of the hospital walls, but also to share them with others. “I like that being a BASICS  Essex volunteer is not just about bringing knowledge and skill to the roadside. We regularly debrief ambulance crews, and these are a great opportunity to share knowledge and educate,” he explains.

“While we meet a lot of critically ill patients in our line of work, the most rewarding part of the role is being able to offer a sense of calm both for patients and supporting clinical services in distressing situations – being able to de-escalate and discharge on scene without overwhelming local health services is hugely important."

Of course, none of this would be possible without the right tools. “Our monitor is the most important piece of equipment we take to incidents,” he notes. “It gives us vital information such as blood pressure, oxygen levels, heart tracing, carbon dioxide level—without this we couldn’t do many of the things we do, such as anaesthesia, sedation, or enhanced analgesia.”

Outside of his demanding roles, Matt is first and foremost a family man. With a partner and three children, his downtime is precious. “Family time is really important to me,” he says. And when he isn’t working or with his family, you’ll often find him outdoors. “I really enjoy BBQ cooking and can often be found grilling in the garden!”

For Matt, volunteering with BASICS Essex isn’t just about critical interventions—it’s about being present for patients and crews when it matters most, bringing calm to chaos, and ensuring care extends beyond the hospital walls.