Ella Donaldson, Author at NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service

22 October 2026

Kent man whose heart stopped seven times reunites with ambulance team who saved his life

A Kent man who survived a cardiac arrest has met the team who saved his life, as SECAmb celebrates England’s leading cardiac arrest survival rate and works towards an ambitious five per cent improvement. The latest figures for May 2026, published by NHS England, show SECAmb achieved its highest-ever monthly 30-day cardiac arrest survival rate of 17.2 per cent. This surpasses its previous record o

19 October 2026

Paramedic who brings joy to the toughest shifts honoured at Surrey awards ceremony

A paramedic whose kindness and humour helps colleagues through their toughest shifts has won an award in memory of Alice Clark at SECAmb’s first of three Surrey awards ceremonies. Matty Baker, a newly qualified paramedic based in Brighton, received the Alice Clark Award at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking on Thursday 15 October, where more than 150 colleagues and their families gathered to celebr

16 October 2026

Kent cardiac arrest survivor marries his lifesaver after agonal breathing recognised during 999 call

A Kent man who survived a cardiac arrest and 14 defibrillator shocks has married Tracy, his partner of more than 20 years, who helped save his life. When Bill suddenly lost consciousness at home on 19 May 2026, the snoring-like sounds he made led Tracy, now his wife, to believe he might be having a seizure. But the Emergency Medical Advisor, Isabelle answering her 999 call recognised a sign of ca

6 October 2026

Latest WRES and WDES reports show progress in workplace equality

Our latest workforce equality reports show improvements in recruitment, career progression and workplace support, alongside continuing inequalities in some colleagues’ experiences. The 2026 Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) reports assess equality across our Trust and help identify where action is needed. This year’s findings show improved re

12 August 2026

Kent mum’s reunion with ambulance team highlights importance of emergency maternity skills

A Kent mum who survived three postpartum haemorrhages has been reunited with the ambulance team who helped save her life. Jade, from Folkestone, visited Ashford Make Ready Centre to meet some of the team who cared for her when she suffered a life-threatening second haemorrhage at home on 9 March 2025, aged 30 following the birth of her fourth child. Jade had given birth prematurely to her little

4 August 2026

SECAmb shares life-saving skills at community 999 events across West Sussex

South East Coast Ambulance Service colleagues spent the weekend engaging with local communities and sharing potentially life-saving skills at two popular emergency services events in West Sussex. Team members from Tangmere attended Selsey RNLI 999 Day on Saturday, 1 August before heading to Chichester 999 Day on Sunday, where they met hundreds of residents and visitors, offering CPR and basic lif

3 August 2026

999 call handler spots cardiac arrest despite reports Kent patient was breathing

A 999 call handler’s ability to recognise a life-threatening sign of cardiac arrest helped save the life of a grandfather after his wife reported that he was still breathing. When wife, Pam called 999 after finding her husband Jim unconscious at home on 23 January 2025, she believed he was breathing. The noises Pam could hear sounded like snoring but Emergency Medical Advisor, Carla, knew t

28 July 2026

Kent 18-month-old meets clinicians after life-saving diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta

The pivotal clinical judgement made by a Thanet crew had a significant impact on the outcome of a 12-day-old baby who was reunited with her care givers in a recent reunion. Now 18-months-old, Evanna from Canterbury in Kent was able to reunite with Paramedic, Lauren and Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Mia, at a reunion at Thanet Make Ready Centre in May. Despite initial observations looking fine

10 July 2026

Ryan’s Legacy delivers life-saving defibrillators across the Isle of Sheppey

Five life-saving defibrillators have been installed across the Isle of Sheppey in memory of former colleague, Ryan O’Bray. The installations mark a significant milestone for Ryan’s Legacy, a fundraising initiative established by Ryan’s parents, Rob and Lisa O’Bray, following the loss of their son. Ryan worked as an Associate Ambulance Practitioner at Sheppey Ambulance Stat

8 July 2026

New hearing impairment badges and hi-vis inserts launched to help colleagues feel seen and supported

A project between hearing-impaired colleagues, field operations and our enABLE staff network has led to the launch of new badges and hi-vis inserts designed to help colleagues feel more visible, understood and supported. With approximately one in three people experiencing some degree of hearing loss during their lifetime, these badges and inserts are designed to help colleagues with hearing impai

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