South East Coast Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), staff and volunteers have gathered to celebrate long service and special achievements at the second of its three annual awards ceremonies.
More than a total of 1,000 years’ service was marked with three colleagues picking up awards for an amazing 40 years’ service to the NHS at the ceremony at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking yesterday, (9 November). The awards primarily focused on colleagues from Surrey and Sussex with the final ceremony taking place in Sussex next week.
Queen’s Medals for Long Service and Good Conduct were presented to frontline staff by the King’s representative for Surrey, the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael More-Molyneux.
Staff and volunteers were also recognised for 10, 20 and 30 years’ service to the NHS, while Chief Executive Commendations were presented across a variety of categories including Clinical Excellence and Quality Improvement, Exceeding Expectations, Demonstrating Compassion and Community or Voluntary Service (full details below).
A public commendation was presented to James Ward from Staines, for his actions as a passer-by in delivering life-saving CPR to James Boxhall from Ashford, Surrey. Mr Boxhall, 53, was in his garden when he collapsed and was discovered by his wife, Verena. With exhaustion preventing Verena from continuing to deliver CPR to her husband on her own, the support of James ensured he was resuscitated.
SECAmb was delighted to welcome James and Verena to the ceremony to see James receive his award.
Team of the Year was awarded to SECAmb’s Safeguarding Team. The specialist team provides expert advice and support on a wide variety of often challenging and sensitive subjects right across the Trust. The team also plays a vital role in linking with other organisations across the region to protect the welfare of both staff and patients.
Operations Manager and Paramedic at Chertsey, Sam Garman, picked up the Employee of the Year award for his actions in managing the aftermath of a burst water main outside the Trust’s Chertsey Make Ready Centre which forced the SECAmb to move all services to alternative sites.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service were recognised their support following the same incident, which included the sharing of premises following the flood and ensured SECAmb could maintain its response to patients in the local area.
Elsewhere, Gatwick Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Ben Relf, was presented with a commendation for Demonstrating Compassion for his caring approach to supporting others going through difficult circumstances.
A special award was presented to Chertsey Emergency Care Support Worker, Richard Orme and Guildford Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Neil Godden for their role in participating in the King’s coronation parade earlier this year.
Full details of all long service and commendation award winners can be found below.
SECAmb Chief Executive Simon Weldon said: “It was extremely humbling to witness so many individuals receive recognition long service and for fantastic achievements.
“Across our region, staff, volunteers and members of the public do amazing things to help our patients and each other. Our award winners represent just a small percentage of the hard work, clinical skill and commitment demonstrated each and every day. I am very proud of their achievements, as they all should be.”
The third and final award ceremonies takes place in Sussex on 16 November.
Queen’s Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (presented on behalf of His Majesty The King).
Tracy Allison, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Guildford
Karen Bawden, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Guildford
Shaun Belcher, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Banstead
Eamonn Bell, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Gatwick
Tabitha Burton, Paramedic, Paddock Wood
Michael Byrne, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Chertsey
Tracey Carpenter, Paramedic, Banstead
Caroline Chalmers, Paramedic, Banstead
Caroline Collins, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Guildford
Sarah Evans, Emergency Care Support Worker, Guildford
Rolf Fiedler, Advanced Paramedic Practitioner, Gatwick
Stuart Fowler, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Guildford
Christopher Fuller, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Guildford
Alison Groves, Make Ready Centre Manager, Tangmere and Worthing
Scott Hardy, Critical Care Paramedic, (CCP), Chertsey
Mark Haydon, Head of Integrated Governance 111 and 999, Crawley/Trust wide
Dominic Hinchcliffe, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Worthing
Richard James, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Chertsey
Nicola Jiggins, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Chertsey
Paula Kennelly, Clinical Supervisor, West EOC, Crawley
Kathryn Lau-Kee, Paramedic, Chertsey
Steve Leggatt, Paramedic, Tangmere
Richard Orme, Emergency Care Support Worker, Chertsey
Angela Phipps, Paramedic, Banstead
Craig Prentice, CCP, Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex
Kirsty Pullen, Make Ready Centre Manager, Guildford
Nicky Relf, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Gatwick
Marcus Robson, HART Paramedic, Gatwick
Daniel Shelverton, HART Paramedic, Gatwick
Philip Simons, HART Paramedic, Gatwick
Lisa Simpson, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Banstead
Andrew Smithers, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Chertsey
Anil Tailor, Advanced Paramedic Practitioner, Guildford
Scott Thowney, Head of Clinical Operations for Integrated Care, HQ, Crawley
Sally Waterman, Associate Ambulance Practitioner, Guildford
Dave Williams, Head of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response, HQ, Crawley
20 Years’ NHS Service
Kelly Dancy, Emergency Medical Advisor, West EOC, Crawley
Lyndon Kinsley, Fleet Workshop Manager, Chertsey
30 Years’ NHS Service
Phil Smith, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Gatwick
40 Years’ NHS Service
Chaz Andrews, Paramedic, Guildford
Keith Moore, Paramedic Chertsey
Martin Warren, HART Paramedic, Gatwick (retired)
10 Year’s Voluntary Service
Tina Bowbrick, Community First Responder and Response Desk Co-ordinator, West EOC, Crawley
Paul Boxall, Community First Responder, Crawley
Kim Godwin, Community First Responder, Crawley
Mike Hodgson, Community First Responder, Oxted
Jeremy Kean, Community First Responder, Oxted
Judith Kean, Community First Responder, Oxted
Michael Price, Community First Responder, Horsham
Samantha Ford, Community First Responder, East Grinstead
Dawn Taylor, Community First Responder Team Leader, Partridge Green
Chief Executive Commendations
Clinical Excellence and Quality Improvement
Emily Ryder, Advanced Paramedic Practitioner (Paddock Wood) and Michelle Skillington, Advanced Paramedic Practitioner (Paddock Wood) – for their work together on a project to improve the working relationships between care homes and SECAmb and, in turn, patient care. Their work included creating a flow chart to be used by care home staff as a decision-making tool. (Michelle collected her award at last week’s ceremony in Kent).
Jasmine Hart, Paramedic, (Chertsey) and Laura Finch, Paramedic (Chertsey) – For their dedication and hard work as the clinical leads for alternative pathways within their operating unit. Under their watch, referrals to alternative pathways to an ambulance or A&E attendance increased significantly.
Exceeding Expectations
Jenny Churchyard, Specialist Safeguarding Practitioner (Polegate/Trust wide) – For implementing a safeguarding reporting system when both the Trust’s primary and back-up functions for colleagues to raise safeguarding concerns were lost as a result of a IT and Computer Aided Dispatch outage in November 2022.
Eleanor Jaquet, Cardiac Arrest Analyst, HQ, Crawley – For regularly exceeding the expectations of her role including the production of the Trust’s most recently published Cardiac Arrest Annual Report. Eleanor’s work sees her provide support to colleagues across a number of departments and also includes advice and coaching to clinicians looking to use cardiac arrest data for Masters degrees or research programmes.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service – For its vital support, including the sharing of its premises in the aftermath of a serious flooding incident which put the SECAmb’s Chertsey Make Ready Centre out of action. The service’s willingness to assist in partnership ensure SECAmb could maintain its response to patients in the area.
Demonstrating Compassion
Ben Relf, Paramedic and Operational Team Leader, Gatwick Make Ready Centre – for his caring approach to supporting others going through difficult circumstances. His dedication to his role and his appreciation from colleagues was evidenced by him receiving an amazing nine nominations for a commendation.
Voluntary or Community Service
Stan Delvin, Clinical Safety Navigator, West EOC, Gatwick – For his commitment to others in setting up regular football matches between SECAmb’s Chertsey and Guildford Operating Units. The move has proved extremely popular and provides colleagues with an opportunity to switch off from work and relax and exercise with each other. Stan was also praised for his willingness to help boost other’s morale and support colleagues with their health and wellbeing.
Alan Smart, Community First Responder, Fleet and Yateley – For his dedication to support patients and colleagues in his CFR role. Alan has been a CFR for 10 years makes himself available to respond to emergencies in his local area for around 200 hours each month – far in excess of the 20 hours a month CFRs are expected to provide. He has joined SECAmb’s Community Falls Service and also volunteers with local GP surgeries to deliver community vaccinations.
Public Commendation
James Ward, from Staines – for his actions as a passer-by in delivering life-saving CPR to James Boxhall from Ashford, Surrey. Mr Boxhall, 53, was in his garden when he collapsed and was discovered by his wife, Verena. With exhaustion preventing Verena from continuing to deliver CPR to her husband on her own, the support of James ensured he was resuscitated.
Employee of the Year
Samuel Garman, Paramedic, Operations Manager, Chertsey – for his actions in managing the aftermath of a burst water main outside the Trust’s Chertsey Make Ready Centre which forced the SECAmb to move all services to alternative sites. He immediately assumed responsibility and ensured a meaningful and purposeful plan to deal with the incident was in place.
Team of the Year
Safeguarding Team – For the expert advice and support they provide on a daily basis on a wide variety of often challenging and sensitive subjects. The team also plays a vital role in linking with other partners and organisations across the region to protect the welfare of both staff and patients.