An Ashford woman who suffered multiple organ failure and is lucky to be alive was reunited with the team who helped her recently. Married for 50 years to husband Richard, Susan’s (72) chance of survival was as low as 30 per cent – a harrowingly low statistic when four or more organs fail. Susan had been struggling with severe abdominal pain and exhaustion for days when her husband, Richard, grew i
A dash to the hospital turned into a dramatic roadside birth for one Kent mother, who has now reunited with the team who helped bring her baby into the world in the back of an ambulance. Lisa and Ant from Teynham, Sittingbourne had been to William Harvey Hospital on 14 January but was discharged to rest at home. However, soon after arriving, her waters broke. She and her husband, Ant, set off for
Two doctors who played a vital role in a Surrey man’s cardiac arrest survival are adding their voices to the call for more people to take the time to learn to save a life. Dr Melissa Tan and Dr Lucinda Shaw were on a day out with their families on Reigate Hill in April 2023 when they were alerted by cyclist, Roland Wootten, to Tadworth man, Ian Hook, having collapsed at the viewpoint while on a bi
When now 78-year-old Chris Mills collapsed in Chatham last October, he had no pulse and his heart had stopped. But thanks to the swift actions of an off-duty nurse who immediately started chest compressions, and the rapid response of emergency crews, Chris survived against the odds. Now, on Valentine’s Day, he and his wife Brenda were reunited with the team that helped to save his life, sending a
A Surrey woman is adding her voice to calls for more people learn how to save a life after being reunited with the ambulance team who rushed to her aid. Alejandra (Ale) Avila, 50, and husband, Jorge, attended Walton Ambulance Station recently ahead of South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) revealing its highest-ever and national-leading cardiac arrest survival rate at the launch of its latest
A Sussex man who received life-saving CPR from a fellow runner when he collapsed at Bognor Regis parkrun has added his voice for more people to learn how to save a life. Former police officer and experienced runner, David Knowles, 57, from Chichester, collapsed moments after crossing the finish line on 2 November this year. Having been reunited with his life-saving team before Christmas, including
A Chatham man is adding his voice to calls for more people learn how to save a life after being reunited with the ambulance team who rushed to his aid. Chris Mills, 77, and wife, Brenda, were special guests as South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) revealed its highest-ever and national-leading cardiac arrest survival rate at the launch of its latest out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annual repo
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is pleased to announce it will once again have a dedicated paramedic service working out of London Gatwick. The Gatwick Solo team, or ‘Gatso’, will begin on Monday 17 February, and will see a single SECAmb responder unit permanently based at the airport to cover both landside and airside areas, working closely with the London Gatwick teams. Colleagues wo
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is pleased to announce that our Council of Governors have today (Wednesday 5 February 2025) appointed Michael Whitehouse as our new Trust Chair. This appointment follows Usman Khan’s decision to stand down from the role at the beginning of March 2025 to take up a new Executive role at NHS London. In December 2024 we announced that we
A chance CPR course hosted at a Kent fire and rescue service station was put to the test when a Hadlow woman used it to save her husband’s life and ensured they got to spend Christmas together as a family. Hadow resident, Kirsty Finch, had no idea that a CPR course she completed just four weeks prior to her husband’s arrest would prepare her for this ultimate test. When Cliff Finch suffered a sudd