MALCOLM Russell is a man with a safe pair of hands and the person you would most want when involved in a serious emergency.

That could be a major road crash, fall from a great height, suffering burns, being shot or stabbed or involved in a farm accident.

Malcolm Russell is a GP with more than 10 years experience in pre-hospital medical care and is specially trained to help people with serious injuries on the spot, before going to hospital.

Dr Russell has joined a growing band of doctors in the Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS), a national charity that co-ordinates immediate care schemes across the country.

At the moment he is the only one in Herefordshire but three more are in training.

Since offering his services four years ago, Dr Russell has responded to about 30 emergency call outs, many serious road traffic accidents, often when people are trapped.

He usually covers a patch within 20 miles of his home.

He has an Ambulance service pager and is paged, or telephoned by the service when his help is needed. On occasions he has been picked up by the county air ambulance.

His organisation, MARS, is dedicated to providing emergency care on the spot to people critically ill, or injured, working in close co-operation with paramedics and the ambulance service.

Professionals like Dr Russell have extra skills, such as advanced resuscitation, the use of additional drugs.

They can also, if necessary, provide a general anaesthetic, which Dr Russell did for a seriously injured person on the roadside near Leominster a few years ago.

MARS doctors' wealth of practical experience and critical decision making skills, as well as surgical expertise, are of great assistance to ambulance personnel on the scene.

Their contribution in emergencies can often make the difference between life or death and can certainly mitigate the effects or consequences of injury.

Although a GP, Dr Russell has training in anaesthetics and has worked on the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service - the London Air Ambulance.

His work helping the injured in Herefordshire is voluntary and he and other members of MARS respond to incidents in their own vehicles, paying for fuel and maintenance themselves.

MARS does not receive any funding from the NHS, instead relying entirely on charitable donations. Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service provides certain pieces of equipment and a blue light for the car but MARS has to find up to £20,000 to train and fully equip a new member. That means trying to raise money from the public and Dr Russell has found a friend in Heather Holmes at his local shop, Tillington Village Stores.

She has agreed not only to devote one of her windows to display MARS information posters but to co-ordinate fund-raising in the Hereford area and take donations. She can be contacted on 01432 769420 .

With Herefordshire having one of the worst road accident rates in the country per population, it could be a worthy cause to support.