South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS
staff were joined by volunteers and members of the public at the
first of the Trust’s annual award ceremonies.

The ceremony, for the east of SECAmb’s
region, was held on Thursday 23 February at The Orangery at Turkey
Mill, Maidstone, Kent.

The event saw staff recognised for long
service and Chief Executive’s Commendations awarded across a range
of categories including clinical excellence, patient care and
leadership.

The Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, Bill Cockcroft,
attended as the Queen’s representative to present Queen’s Medals
for Long Service and Good Conduct, while Trust staff were also
recognised for 20 years’ and 30 and 40 years’ NHS service. Between
them staff recognised for long service have provided some 800
years’ service. Volunteers receiving awards included husband and
wife Julie and John Croft from Caterham who were recognised for
their dedication over 10 years as voluntary car drivers for the
Trust.

Also among the award winners were a team
of Kent staff recognised for their clinical excellence in
delivering and then saving the life of a baby girl who was born in
the breech position and in respiratory arrest. Now nine months old
and meeting all her developmental milestones, little baby Sienna
from Sheerness, surprised the staff at the event as she and her
family, mum and dad Suzanne and Jake Ryan, along with big sister
River, joined the celebrations.

Ashford NHS 111 Health Advisor Helen
Sivyer was recognised for her quick thinking in realising over the
phone that a patient was agonal breathing – a sign they could be
going into cardiac arrest.

The Trust’s Thanet Chaplain, volunteer Donald
Lugg was awarded for his dedication in supporting staff, while Team
of the Year went to the medical response team at Brighton and Hove
Albion Amex Community Stadium. The team made up of SECAmb, St John
and Albion staff provides outstanding medical support at the club’s
home games and have successfully resuscitated four out of four
people who have suffered cardiac arrests at or very near to the
stadium.

SECAmb Acting Chief Executive Geraint
Davies said: “These awards show the amazing work which is going on
day in day out at SECAmb. It was an honour to present the
commendations and the long service awards are always very humbling.
I am immensely proud of the dedication, clinical skill and patient
care shown by all our staff and volunteers.”

Details of every award winner can
be found below – for further information on each award please see
the awards
booklet
.

Chief Executive Commendations

 

 

Clinical Excellence
Alexandra Hemsley – Paramedic Medway, Mary Cutts – Associate
Practitioner Medway, Jerry Russell – Technician Sheppey, Paul
Waghorn – Technician Sittingbourne, Laura Wren – Dispatcher
Coxheath EOC – For their actions in delivering and then saving the
life of a baby girl from Sheerness who was born in the breech
position.

Clinical Excellence
Madeleine Howley – Ambulance Technician, Ashford, Julia Gasking –
Paramedic, Ashford, John Sweeney – Clinical Team Leader, Ashford,
Nick Harrison – Critical Care Paramedic, Paddock Wood, Mick Carter
– Critical Care Paramedic, Gatwick –  For their clinical
excellence in treating a man who had been stabbed outside a pub in
Ashford.

Outstanding Patient Care
– Helen Sivyer, NHS 111 Health Advisor, Ashford – recognised for
her quick thinking in realising over the phone that a patient was
agonal breathing a sign they could be going into cardiac
arrest.

Outstanding Patient Care
David Latham – Clinical Team Leader, Thanet, Jennifer Hood –
Technician, Thanet, Natalie Spain – Paramedic, Thanet, Lindsey
Wretham – ECSW, Thanet, Richard Harker – Clinical Operations
Manager, Thanet, Dave Hawkins – Critical Care Paramedic, Thanet,
Caitlin Scaife – Paramedic Thanet, Gary Evans – Clinical Team
Leader, Thanet – For their efforts attempting to save the life of a
teenage boy who had been struck by a car in Westgate-on-sea.
Despite their efforts he sadly died in hospital.

Outstanding Patient Care
Rebecca Wicks, Emergency Medical Advisor, Lewes EOC – For providing
excellent CPR instructions over the phone when a 17-year-old girl
went into cardiac arrest.

Outstanding Patient Care
Michele Harvey – Associate Practitioner Medway and Michelle
Dziedzic – Technician Medway – for their quick thinking and
treatment in saving the life of a man who they established was
suffering from life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Leadership – Jo Crerar –
Operational Unit Manager – for her efforts and dedication in
leading by example, maintaining high standards and developing staff
teams at Ashford Make Ready Centre.

Leadership – Ian Heskett,
Clinical Team Leader, Paddock Wood Make Ready Centre – for his
leadership skills in acting as the Trust’s lead for preparing for
major roadworks taking place on the A21 and Maidstone gyratory.

Voluntary or Community
Service
– Donald Lugg, Chaplain, Thanet Make Ready Centre
– For his dedication in providing voluntary support and care to
Trust staff in Thanet.

Voluntary or Community
Service
– Sam Carter, Rother Community First Responders, –
For his ongoing commitment and his role in responding to the tragic
events at Camber Sands last summer.

Team of the Year – Medical
response team, Amex Community Stadium, Brighton – To the SECAmb, St
John and Brighton and Hove Albion team for providing outstanding
medical support at the club’s home games and for successfully
resuscitating four out of four people who have suffered cardiac
arrests at or very near to the stadium.

Queen’s Ambulance Service medals for
Long Service & Good conduct were presented to:

  • Jane Brown, Ambulance Technician, Ashford,
    Kent
  • Roy Cavey, Paramedic, Paddock Wood
  • Bryan Hopperton, Paramedic, Ashford,
    Kent
  • Lisa Masey, Clinical Team Leader, Ashford,
    Kent
  • Paul Moorhouse, Paramedic Practitioner,
    Beckenham, Kent
  • Julie Ormrod, Paramedic Practitioner,
    Coxheath
  • Katherine O’Connor, Paramedic Dartford
  • Andy Pascoe, Clinical Team Leader,
    Hastings
  • Robin Scott, Clinical Team Leader,
    Eastbourne
  • Barbara Sharville, Paramedic, Redhill
  • Richard Steinbeck, Paramedic, Thanet
  • Simon Trafford, Ambulance Technician,
    Medway
  • Susan Tugwell, Clinical Operations Manager,
    Walton, Surrey
  • Suzanne Wareham, Paramedic, Medway
  • Emma Webber, Paramedic Practitioner,
    Coxheath
  • Amanda Williams, Ambulance Technician,
    Dartford

 

20 years NHS Long Service
medals (for staff not eligible to receive Queen’s
Medal)

  • Sandra Gower, Emergency Medical Advisor,
    Coxheath
  • Mark Lamble, Lewes Emergency Operations
    Centre
  • Ted Sohanpal, Fleet department, Medway

 

30 years NHS Long Service
Award:

  • Kelvin Dixon, Advanced Ambulance Technician,
    Thanet
  • Steve Drowley, Paramedic, Hastings
  • Paul Everest, Paramedic, Hastings
  • Kevin McSweeney, Paramedic, Thanet
  • Steve Rose, Paramedic, Pembury
  • Graham Smith, Paramedic, Thanet
  • Sally Smith, Lewes Emergency Operations
    Centre

 

40 years NHS Long Service
Award:

  • Philip Lyons, Retired Ambulance Technician,
    Newhaven
  • John McCafferty, Paramedic, Ashford

 

Volunteer Car Drivers’ 10 years Long
Service Award

  • Julie Croft, Caterham, Surrey
  • John Croft, Caterham, Surrey

 

Full details of ALL winners at both events can
be found in the Awards page in Our Successes.