A young woman who survived a devastating brain haemorrhage, stroke and spinal cord infarction caused by a ruptured aneurysm has been reunited with the ambulance crew who helped save her life. Sophie Dougherty, now 34, from Broadstairs in Kent, met two members of the team who responded when she collapsed in 2019, an emotional milestone after years of recovery that have seen her defy the odds. Sophi
A man from Hailsham, who was given nine life-saving shocks after suffering a cardiac arrest, thanks the South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) clinicians that saved his life. Now 50-years-old, Simon Ford and his partner Liz recently visited SECAmb’s Polegate Make Ready Centre, where he was reunited with some of the clinicians that saved his life earlier this year. On 25 January 2025, Simon was at hi
A granddad of six from Kent who suffered a heart attack while at home has been reunited with the SECAmb crews who he says, ‘saved his life’. Dave Hughes, aged 53 from Sheerness, Kent, who is an ex-kickboxer, was at home with his wife Angie in the early hours of 3 May 2025 when he started to struggle with what he assumed was indigestion. Dave was experiencing stabbing chest pains and sickness, as
The life-saving actions of an 11-year-old boy from Brighton have been praised, after he took over a 999 call as his dad went into cardiac arrest. Winston was at home with his dad Mike, now 56-years-old, and younger brother Mani when Mike began experiencing tingling in his left arm, severe chest pain and nausea on 2 March 2025. Mike initially dialled 999 but as his symptoms deteriorated and he went
A newborn baby boy who went to cardiac arrest while being delivered was introduced to the team who saved his life recently. Kent parents, Charlotte and Matt, very proudly showed off their four-month-old son, George, as they thanked their son’s lifesavers at an emotional reunion at Dartford Ambulance Station. The family got to meet some of the team who helped when George slipped into cardiac arrest
In a move that puts inclusion at the heart of care, the Trust is launching its Patient and Public Engagement Strategy for 2025–2029, and, for the first time, an easy read version is being published alongside it. This is the beginning of a new five-year journey to meaningfully collaborate with our patients and the public in the communities we serve. The strategy has been designed to improve patient
The daughter of a Medway man who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home arranged an emotional surprise reunion between her family and the team who saved his life. David Hanlon, (54) from Rochester, Kent, was overwhelmed to come face to face with the team who bought him back from the brink of death after he went into cardiac arrest on 2 December 2024. David’s wife Karen awoke to what sounded like
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) leads the way for NHS flu vaccination rates among frontline staff with a 73.7 per cent uptake – one of the highest rates recorded nationally. With a decline in vaccination rates among frontline health care workers seen over the last few years, the Trust recorded a remarkable uptake among frontline and patient facing staff in 2025. Nationally, the co
Members of our new Shadow Board met for the first time this week as the group held a workshop at its first face-to-face meeting. SECAmb’s Shadow Board, which has been set up to inform the Trust Board’s discussions, will see members working closely with senior leaders to offer a fresh perspective on issues that matter to colleagues and patients. The session on Wednesday 4 June marked the beginning
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Independent Non-Executive Directors. Suzanne O’Brien and Peter Schild begin their three-year terms on 9 June 2025. Suzanne is an experienced non-executive director with extensive senior leadership experience. She is a qualified accountant and tax consultant with more than 30 years’ ex