Ambulance UK April 2025

Volume 39 No. 14 

April 2025 

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CONTENTS 

CONTENTS 

Ambulance UK 

4 EDITOR’S COMMENT 

7 NEWSLINE 

This issue edited by: 

Sam English 

c/o Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 

Upper Sapey, Worcester, WR6 6XR 

25 IN PERSON 

ADVERTISING: 

Terry Gardner, Samantha Marsh 

CIRCULATION: 

Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks, Lockhill 


Tel: 01886 853715 

E: info@mediapublishingcompany.com 

www.ambulanceukonline.com 

PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY: 

February, April, June, August, 

October, December 

COVER STORY 

The Infant Warming Mattress: A Simple Solution to a Critical Need 

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metabolic instability, and even death. The Infant Warming Mattress is a simple, yet 

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fragile newborns. 

COPYRIGHT: 

Media Publishing Company 

Greenoaks 

Lockhill 


PUBLISHERS STATEMENT: 

The views and opinions expressed in 

this issue are not necessarily those of 

the Publisher, the Editors or Media 

Publishing Company 

Next Issue June 2025 

Designed in the UK by TGDH 

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Do you have For anything further recruitment you would vacancies like to add visit: or include? www.ambulanceukonline.com 

Please contact us and let us know. 

AMBULANCE UK – APRIL 

3

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

EDITOR’S COMMENT 

Welcome to this issue of AUK 

When my co-editor, Sam, asked me if I wanted to work with him on Ambulance UK, he said that writing the 

editorial was a cathartic process that allowed one to get on their soapbox and rant about whatever was on 

one’s mind. 

“However, 

as I read the 

various articles 

for this edition, 

the stories that 

really grabbed 

my attention 

were those 

where survivors 

of out of hospital 

cardiac arrest 

thanked the 

clinicians 

who had 

helped them.” 

In the few years I’ve been doing this, I’ve found the process exactly that. However, I was admonished last 

time by a colleague, Steve, who said I had just written about a day on the drink! To be fair to Steve, that’s 

exactly what I wrote about, but I like to think there was a little more to it than that. 

Nevertheless, lessons learned, I made the conscious decision to be a little more relevant this time round. 

That decision was made all the easier with the government’s decision last month to abolish NHS England. 

Similarly, many NHS organisations, including ambulance trusts have been asked yet again to tighten their 

belts and become more efficient. I won’t comment one way or the other on the politics of this, but it does 

bring home the realisation that none of us are a hundred percent secure in our jobs. It has also led to many 

of us to look again at how the ambulance service interacts with our other NHS partners to improve patient 

outcomes, and how we can improve on that. Inevitably, that discussion focuses on the lower-acuity patients 

who make up the vast proportion of patients the ambulance service deals with today. That is the case 

whether that interaction is over the telephone or face to face. 

However, as I read the various articles for this edition, the stories that really grabbed my attention were those 

where survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest thanked the clinicians who had helped them. We spend 

the majority of our time focusing on the low acuity patients. This is appropriate and inevitable when we look 

at the current work of ambulance clinicians. What we must all remember, though, is that at any time we 

may be called to much higher acuity patients and need to be prepared to treat them with the expertise of a 

clinician who deals with these cases on a daily basis. Again, the articles in this edition suggest that is exactly 

the case time and time again. Although financial cuts and reconfigurations may cause many of us to reflect; 

being reminded of why we are here, and the huge impact our clinicians make to people’s lives on a daily 

basis makes one realise how essential the functions of the ambulance service are. 

Matt House, Co-Editor Ambulance UK 

Publishers Statement 


For nearly 40 years, thanks to trade support, we have been able to provide Ambulance UK FREE 

OF CHARGE in the knowledge that those receiving our dedicated bi monthly publication enjoy having 

something to read during their free time however, return on investment seems to be the buzz word 

amongst Ambulance Service Suppliers these days, therefore if you enquire about a product advertised, 

please mention Ambulance UK as it help us confirm to the trade that we are reaching the right 

people and providing advertisers with value for money. In respect of our current edition we would like 

to thank the following companies for their support as without their contribution towards our print and 

postal costs this issue would not have been published - Alpha Laboratories, Axnar, Bluelight UK, 

DS Medical, Intersurgical, Ortus, Proact. 

Terry Gardner 

Publisher 

4 

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5

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NEWSLINE 

25 Years of Saving 

Lives for Dorset 

and Somerset Air 

Ambulance 

On 21st March 2025, Dorset 

and Somerset Air Ambulance 

(DSAA) celebrated 25 years 

of their lifesaving service to 

the community. During that 

time, DSAA has innovated and 

transformed into one of the 

most advanced pre-hospital 

critical care services in the UK. 

The care that they provide, is 

only made possible because of 

charity funding and donations 

they receive. Without this 

support, it would not exist. 

In the early years, DSAA only 

operated five days a week 

with a small team of pilots and 

paramedics. The aircraft was 

a Bolkow 105 helicopter with 

limited space and the equipment 

and skills of the team were similar 

to those you would find on a road 

ambulance. 

Ken Duffield was the first patient 

treated by DSAA 25 years ago; 

they were tasked to his incident 

52 minutes after coming online 

for the first time. Kenn was riding 

his motorcycle to work when he 

collided with a car and was sent 

hurtling 26 metres along the road. 

His wife Kirstin was eight months 

pregnant and they had a son, 

Alexander, who was two. 

Kenn said: “I was conveyed to 

Dorset County Hospital within 

minutes, where I underwent three 

full-body blood transfusions. 

Because I lost so much blood, 

my family believe if I had been 

conveyed by land ambulance, 

I would not have survived. My 

right leg was broken at the knee 

and the femur and I was kept 

in hospital for six weeks, during 

which time my daughter Becca 

was born. Doctors managed 

to save my leg, but it took 12 

operations and five years before 

it was fully functional. Our 

children have grown up knowing 

what happened to me and the 

importance of DSAA’s work. So 

many people including myself, are 

here because of the work they 

do. They are amazing.” 

Fast forward to 2025 and over 

29,000 missions later, the 

shift in care for the people of 

Dorset and Somerset has been 

remarkable. DSAA’s critical care 

team, consisting of consultantgrade 

doctors and specialist 

practitioners, now bring the 

hospital to the patient 19 hours 

a day, 365 days of the year. 

The charity also provides an 

enhanced care service across 

both counties with two outreach 

cars operating 12 hours a day 

and they have a compassionate 

team of five patient and family 

liaison nurses. Since 2017, DSAA 

has operated a state-of-the-art 

AgustaWestland169 (AW169) 

helicopter, which was the first 

AW169 to enter air ambulance 

operational service in the UK. 

Betty Boland was six and a half 

when she fell 12ft through the 

roof of a neighbour’s workshop 

while searching for her football, 

landing on her head. Mum, 

Sarah explains: 

“Betty sustained a life-threatening 

brain injury and in the blink of 

an eye, our lives flipped upside 

down. It would be 17 days, 

before we would return home 

again. DSAA were tasked to the 

incident; a decision that would 

prove to be life-saving. The 

team suspected a closed head 

injury and she needed to get to 

a specialist children’s hospital 

that could perform neurosurgery 

as soon as possible. Within 

20 minutes, we were on top of 

the helipad at Bristol Children’s 

Hospital, where she was rushed 

for an MRI scan and X-rays. 

These showed a fractured skull, 

bruising and several bleeds on 

the brain, and damage to her 

lungs; she spent five days in 

intensive care in an induced 

coma. After some really scary 

touch-and-go moments, Betty 

pulled through. We are forever 

indebted to the crew and the 

charity’s amazing patient and 

family liaison nurses who were 

heaven sent. Because of their 

incredible work, Betty is still with 

us today and living life to the full.” 

Kenn and Betty’s stories are just 

two examples of the exceptional 

care provided by the life-saving 

service. With plans to purchase 

a second aircraft, build a new 

airbase, and eventually extending 

operations to 24 hours a day, your 

support today is needed more 

than ever. Every donation you 

give will make a big difference. 

Charles Hacket, CEO of Dorset 

and Somerset Air Ambulance 

said: “Firstly, I would like to say 

thank you to everyone who 

supports us. Your donations have 

taken us from small beginnings 

to where we are today; providing 

pre-hospital critical care that 

no one imagined 25 years ago. 

This has only been possible 

because of consistent, regular 

commitment from our supporters. 

Whether they have joined our 

lottery, donated regularly, or 

supported us in other ways, 

they have directly contributed to 

saving lives. Without that support, 

we wouldn’t be where we are 

today and wouldn’t be able to do 

more tomorrow. For that, we are 

incredibly grateful. 

“In 2016, we were tasked about 

800 times, last year it was 

nearly 3,000. This continuous, 

step-by-step growth in care, in 

such a short period of time, has 

been nothing short of incredible. 

However, the cost of our 

operations has also steadily risen 

and now exceeds the generous 

income we receive. The charity 

has taken bold steps over the 

past decade, and that has been 

the right approach as it leads 

to saving life. But now we face 

the challenge of maintaining and 

being able to fund that boldness. 

“We promise to continue 

engaging with our supporters to 

demonstrate the impact of their 

generosity and hope that they will 

remain with us for many years. 

At the same time, we need to 

expand our supporter base. So, 

if you know about DSAA, please 

tell others about our work and 

the difference that their support 

would make. Together, we can 

make sure that DSAA remains 

here, ready to respond, whenever 

and wherever we are needed.” 

How to help: With each of DSAA’s 

missions costing approximately 

£3,500, your support is vital. 

With your help, they can continue 

saving lives for another 25 years. 

Celebrate this milestone by giving 

a one-off or monthly donation 

via the charity’s website: www. 

dsairambulance.org.uk/25 or by 

calling: 01823 669604. 

If you would like to get more 

involved, DSAA welcomes your 

fundraising ideas and energy, 

whilst information on how you 

can make a lasting impact by 

leaving a gift to the charity in 

your Will can be found by visiting: 

www.dsairambulance.org.uk/ 

leaving-a-legacy 

Air Ambulances UK 

Relaunches All-Party 

Parliamentary Group 

For Air Ambulances 



7

NEWSLINE 


Air Ambulances UK is pleased 

to announce the successful 

relaunch of the All-Party 

Parliamentary Group on 

Air Ambulances (APPGAA), 

reaffirming its commitment to 

advocating for the lifesaving 

work of air ambulance charities 

across the UK. 

Back: Pictured left to right: Jamie 

Ward AAUK, Graham Leadbitter 

MP SNP, Pippa Heylings MP 

Liberal Democrats, Claire 

Young MP Liberal Democrats, 

Glen Picknell AAUK, Liz Jarvis 

MP Liberal Democrats, The Rt 

Hon. the Baroness Foster of 

Aghadrumsee DBE, Jim Shannon 

MP Democratic Unionist Party 

Front: Left to right: Steve 

Witherden MP Labour, Lindsay 

Boswell, Interim CEO AAUK 

The meeting was chaired 

by Steve Witherden MP, the 

APPGAA brings together 

politicians to address key 

issues affecting the sector. The 

gathering marked a significant 

step towards raising awareness 

and campaigning on policy issues 

within the air ambulance sector to 

enhance the delivery of lifesaving 

pre-hospital care. 

During the meeting, Pete Wishart 

MP (Scottish National Party) 

was reaffirmed as Chair, and 

new officers were appointed to 

support the group’s work: 

• Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP – 

Officer (Conservative) 

• Steve Witherden MP – Officer 

(Labour) 

• The Rt Hon. the Baroness 

Foster of Aghadrumsee DBE – 

Officer (Conservative) 

The meeting set out the group’s 

aims and objectives for the 

coming year, with a keynote 

address from Lindsay Boswell, 

Interim CEO of Air Ambulances 

UK, who outlined the vital 

role of policy and advocacy 

in supporting air ambulance 

charities. A key topic on the 

agenda was hospital helipads, a 

significant challenge facing the 

sector. Lindsay Boswell provided 

an update on national issues 

surrounding hospital helipads and 

the urgent need for investment. 

Plans were discussed for Air 

Ambulances UK to employ a 

helipad specialist to assess 

the impact, compile a report 

to support APPGAA lobbying 

efforts, and provide clear 

evidence to the Government on 

return on investment. 

Lindsay Boswell, Interim CEO of 

Air Ambulances UK, said: 

“The APPGAA plays a vital role 

in ensuring that air ambulance 

charities have a strong voice in 

Parliament. The relaunch of the 

group demonstrates a renewed 

commitment from policymakers 

to tackling the key challenges 

facing the sector. We look 

forward to working closely with 

MPs and Peers to champion the 

needs of air ambulance charities, 

ensuring they can continue 

delivering lifesaving pre-hospital 

care to those who need it most.” 

Jamie Ward, Policy and 

Public Affairs Manager at Air 

Ambulances UK, said: 

“The APPGAA is a crucial platform 

for addressing the challenges 

faced by air ambulance charities. 

With cross-party support, we 

can push for meaningful change, 

particularly on issues like hospital 

helipad access, to help improve 

patient outcomes.” 

Air Ambulances UK looks forward 

to working with Pete Wishart MP 

and the APPGAA to drive positive 

change, securing the long-term 

sustainability of air ambulance 

services nationwide. 

Antipodean 

paramedicine expert 

joins University of 

Cumbria as Visiting 

Professor 

As a leading UK educator of 

allied health professionals, 

the University of Cumbria 

has appointed Australian 

academic Scott Devenish 

as a Visiting Professor. 

Professor Devenish is joining the 

university’s respected Institute 

of Health and its Centre of 

Excellence in Paramedic Practice. 

A Professor of Paramedicine 

and Head of Discipline at the 

Australian Catholic University 

(ACU), Professor Devenish holds 

a PhD in Paramedic Education 

from Queensland University 

of Technology, with his thesis 

focusing on the professional 

socialisation of universityeducated 

paramedics. 

He is a Fellow of the Australasian 

College of Paramedicine and the 

UK Higher Education Academy, 

evidencing his recognition as 

a leader in health education 

and research. 

He also serves as Chair of 

the Australasian Council of 

Paramedicine Deans (ACPD) 

and is a key representative on 

multiple national and international 

committees. His extensive 

academic portfolio spans over two 

decades, encompassing roles as 

lecturer, senior lecturer, associate 

professor, and professor across 

renowned institutions. 

Professor Devenish’s 

appointment as a Visiting 

Professor further strengthens 

University of Cumbria’s academic 

reputation as a leading provider 

of paramedicine education, will 

promote collaborative research 

initiatives, and enrich teaching 

practices and experiences for 

university students and staff. 

Associate Professor Tom 

Davidson is Director of Allied 

Health Professionals and the 

Centre of Excellence in Paramedic 

Practice at University of Cumbria. 

He said: “We’re delighted to 

welcome Scott to Cumbria’s 

university. As a Visiting Professor, 

Scott’s distinguished career 

and experience, scholarly 

achievements, and global 

influence make him an ideal 

candidate to contribute to our 

university’s research, teaching, 

and enterprise goals. 

“Scott is a highly distinguished 

academic and professional 

lead in paramedicine, whose 

exceptional contributions align 

with our university’s mission to 

advance research, scholarship, 

teaching and enterprise in 

health professions such as 

paramedic science. His expertise 

in developing paramedicine 

education pathways and 

mentoring doctoral students will 

also directly benefit our Institute of 

Health faculty and student body.” 

Professor Devenish’s research 

outputs are prolific, with peerreviewed 

journal publications, 

book chapters, and research 

grants in areas such as 

paramedic education, workforce 

development, and professional 

socialisation. He has led 

significant international research 

collaborations with institutions 

in Sweden, the USA, and the 

UK. His leadership in securing 

competitive grants and fostering 

innovative research frameworks 

has advanced knowledge in 

paramedicine education and 

practice. He has also helped 

contribute to teaching and 

curriculum developments, 

8 


NEWSLINE 

including leading major reviews 

of paramedicine degrees and 

aligning international accreditation 

standards. 

During his tenure at University of 

Cumbria, Professor Devenish will: 

The pioneering London 

• Collaborate with the Institute 

of Health on research 

initiatives aligned with 

workforce development and 

paramedicine education. 

Ambulance Service team that 

brings together mental health 

experts and paramedics 

is celebrating a decade of 

providing specialist mental 

health care across the capital. 

• Deliver guest lectures and 

workshops, sharing insights 

into international best 

practices and innovations in 

paramedicine. 

• Mentor academic staff and 

postgraduate students, 

providing guidance on research 

and career development. 

Upon his appointment, Professor 

Devenish said: “University of 

Cumbria’s vision - centred on 

a deeper purpose - aligns well 

with my personal values and 

professional aspirations. This 

role marks a natural progression 

in my commitment to advancing 

paramedicine education and 

research while offering an exciting 

platform to build networks and 

foster professional opportunities 

between two of the largest 

paramedicine programs in the UK 

and Australasia. 

“The University of Cumbria 

embodies the principles of 

service, stewardship, and 

sustainability. Its outstanding 

paramedicine academic team, 

under the leadership of Associate 

Professor Tom Davidson, is driving 

transformative contributions to the 

paramedicine profession.” 

London Ambulance 

Service celebrates a 

decade of specialist 

care for mental 

health patients 

Ten years ago, a small number 

of mental health nurses 

began working in the London 

Ambulance Service’s emergency 

control room, providing 

assessment and advice to 

patients in a mental health crisis. 

Building on the success of this, 

in 2018 the Service teamed up 

paramedics and mental health 

clinicians in a fast response car. 

Working together in this way, 

the specialist team can ensure 

patients with mental health 

conditions get appropriate 

treatment quickly and, where 

possible, avoid the distress of 

attending busy A&E departments 

if they could receive better care 

elsewhere. 

Today, the Service has a team of 

more than 40 clinicians including 

mental health paramedics, 

experienced nurses, social 

workers and occupational 

therapists. 

These specialist practitioners 

continue to work across London 

in mental health joint response 

cars and now also work in the 

Service’s emergency control 

room, providing remote clinical 

assessment to patients with 

mental health issues and referral 

into services closer to home. 

Carly Lynch, Consultant Nurse 

for Mental Health at London 

Ambulance Service, said: “We 

are delighted to mark this 10 year 

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9

NEWSLINE 


milestone. The mental health joint 

response team wraps expert care 

around the patient and brings 

specialists in mental and physical 

health to people in need. As more 

people experience mental health 

issues, we are delighted to be able 

to provide this service, and I’m 

truly proud that we were ahead of 

the curve when we launched 10 

years ago. 

“Thanks to the incredible work 

of our specialist clinicians we 

now only take 18% of patients 

experiencing a mental health 

crisis to A&E. We know that for 

many people with mental health 

conditions, A&E is not the best 

place for them to receive care, 

and the busy environment of 

a hospital can be traumatising 

for our patients. We also know 

their needs can often be met 

more effectively in their own 

home, in the community or 

alternative services. 

“But it’s vital that our patient’s 

physical and mental health is 

treated as a whole. Nearly 50% of 

all mental health patients will have 

a physical health condition and 

on average, those with a serious 

mental illness live up to 20 years 

less compared to the general 

population.” 

Patients with mental health issues 

make up a growing proportion of 

the patients London Ambulance 

Service cares for. More than two 

million Londoners are reported 

to experience poor mental health 

every year and our team of 

specially trained mental health 

clinicians provide expert and 

compassionate care to around 

9,000 patients a month. 

Dr Fenella Wrigley, Chief Medical 

Officer at London Ambulance 

Service, said: 

“The needs of our patients are 

changing as the population gets 

older and more people living with 

a range of long-term complex 

conditions, including mental 

health problems. 

“Since the first nurses started 

working here ten years ago, 

we have continued to adapt 

to offer more individualised 

clinical responses alongside the 

traditional ambulance. 

“We continue to train all our 

paramedics so they can provide 

more assessments, treatments 

and other interventions to better 

meet the needs of Londoners and 

ensure that every patient gets the 

care they require.” 

The mental health joint response 

car has been an integral part of 

developing care for patients with 

mental health issues in recent 

years and have previously won a 

HSJ Patient Safety Award. 

The unit was initially launched as 

a single car in south east London 

in November 2018 and has now 

expanded to six response cars 

across London. 28,000 patients 

have been treated by the team 

since the unit expanded in 

February 2020 during the Covid 

pandemic. 

Last year LAS also mobilised 

bespoke ambulances to attend 

patients in a mental health crisis. 

The ambulances, created in 

partnership with mental health 

experts and charities, have been 

designed to be more comfortable 

and create a tranquil environment 

for patients in a mental 

health crisis. 

I survived cancer 

three times and it 

inspired me to join 

ambulance service 

and save others 

An emergency medical 

technician at London 

Ambulance Service who has 

beaten the odds and survived 

cancer three times says she is 

dedicated to giving back to the 

NHS that has repeatedly saved 

her life. 

As cancer survivors across the 

globe came together to raise 

awareness of the devastating 

disease on World Cancer Day 

(4 February), Katherine Murrell, 

who has beaten cancer three 

times in 11 years, has shared 

how the experience made her 

determined to give back to the 

NHS in her work for London 

Ambulance Service. 

Katherine, 27, returned to work 

in early 2024 after undergoing 

a double mastectomy and 

reconstruction in September 

2023 following a breast cancer 

diagnosis. 

Having had the latter part of her 

school years disrupted by cancer, 

Katherine was unfortunately 

unable to go to university and 

therefore left school not knowing 

what she wanted to do as 

a career. 

Her first interest in paramedicine 

was sparked after she was 

rushed to hospital in her late 

teens by South East Coast 

Ambulance Service due to a 

complication of her cancer. 

Recalling the incident, she said: 

“The staff were so incredible. 

When we got to the hospital, 

that’s when it really hit me that 

the medic crew was amazing 

and how cool it would be do 

something like that. 

“They got to me really quickly 

and then gave me exactly what I 

needed. I now know that was just 

in a day’s work for them, but the 

care they gave has really stuck 

with me.” 

Katherine as first diagnosed with 

cancer when she was just 16. 

She has been cancer free since 

the end of 2023. 

Doctors originally thought her 

symptoms, including back pain, 

were due to a trapped nerve. But 

following drastic weight loss she 

was referred for blood tests and 

later the haematology team. 

While her peers were preparing for 

their GCSEs, Katherine’s whole life 

changed when she was given a 

diagnosis of stage four lymphoma 

– a type of blood cancer which 

affects the immune system. 

She underwent six months of 

gruelling daily chemotherapy and 

then a month of radiotherapy 

at the Royal Marsden, where 

the Princess of Wales was also 

treated for cancer. 

She was given the all clear and 

has regular check-ups with her 

doctors to ensure the cancer had 

not returned. 

But seven years later, she noticed 

a swollen lymph node in her neck 

and began to worry the cancer 

had returned. By this time she 

had started working at London 

Ambulance Service and was 

training to become an emergency 

medical technician (EMT). 

The results of a biopsy – which 

came back the day before her 

passing out ceremony (the 

graduation from the EMT course) – 

showed the lymph nodes and her 

thyroid were cancerous and would 

have to be surgically removed. 

After the operation she was once 

again given the all-clear, but a year 

later a couple of her lymph nodes 

10 


NEWSLINE 

were found to be on the border 

of being pre-cancerous and were 

removed using keyhole surgery. 

Because Katherine had received 

radiotherapy so young, she was 

at risk of secondary cancers 

including breast cancer. 

To minimise this risk, Katherine 

decided to have a double 

mastectomy. As she prepared for 

this, a tissue sample revealed a 

very small tumour in her breast. 

She was diagnosed with cancer 

for a third time. 

Despite all of the health challenges 

Katherine has survived, she 

credits her cancer with giving 

her the dedication to help others, 

make a difference, and her drive 

to help the NHS, which has now 

saved her life three times. 

She said: “I’ve now spent 11 

years going to regular hospital 

appointments time and time again 

and when you get that used to it, 

you want to give something back – 

that’s my mentality I suppose.” 

Now she is thriving in her role and 

has huge aspirations for her time 

in the Service. 

She said: “I’ve probably got 

30 years of my career left 

and so that’s a long time to 

explore different avenues and 

opportunities. That’s the big 

thing with London Ambulance 

Service (LAS) – there are so many 

different teams which allow you 

to do different things. It’s not just 

a one size fits all. If you want to 

go and try something – there’s 

nothing stopping you.” 

Despite everything she has faced, 

Katherine is hugely positive about 

how her cancer has helped her 

believe in herself and her ability to 

help others. 

She said: “When I was training I 

was petrified because I suspected 

I had thyroid cancer and 

wondered if I could still work at 

the Service, as well as wondering 

if I was going to be alright. Then 

the breast cancer came along and 

that really tested me. 

“But now, months on from those 

diagnoses and with an all clear, 

it has not impacted my career at 

all. If anything, it’s enhanced it. 

It has made me acutely aware 

of my abilities, my empathy and 

compassion – it’s given me 

that skill. 

“I now use it as a superpower and 

I’d advise anyone going through 

a similar situation to try to do the 

same. I know it’s not easy, but I 

tried to see the good in the bad, 

the learnings in those struggles. 

For instance many people 

would assume that the time I 

spent sitting in a hospital getting 

treatment was just a horrible 

time – but I like to reframe it more 

positively. For me, I got so much 

exposure to medicine and clinical 

pathways in that time – I use that 

knowledge I gained from those 

experiences every day now. I truly 

believe it has enriched my learning 

and work in my current role.” 

She added: “Now, any time I 

go to a cancer patient at work, 

I am so empathetic – I just get 

it. It’s a connection I have with 

these patients – an emotional 

connection of course, but 

more than that I have a real 

understanding of the physical 

aspects of what they are going 

through, like the hair loss and 

everything else. When I see 

it I literally know what you are 

going through. 

“When I go to patients like that 

– that’s when the penny drops 

for me that I’m in the right job. I 

get this wave of happiness that 

I’m in the right place, I’m where 

I belong. I come away and I 

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11

NEWSLINE 

feel like I’ve been able to give 

someone a little bit of positivity 

about what they are going 

through – it’s a strange feeling 

but it has made me realise I’m 

definitely in the right path.” 

Tottenham fan 

meets legendary 

Spurs player after 

London Ambulance 

saves his life from 

a cardiac arrest 

“Now I have something even 

more special to remember.” 

Ossie Ardiles said: “It was very 

nice for myself and the club to 

share this moment with him. 

“The paramedics made the day 

very special as well. I spoke to 

Bruno throughout the day and 

he’s very grateful to the people 

who saved his life.” 

Recently Bruno met the London 

Ambulance Service paramedics 

who saved his life at a reunion at 

Friern Barnet Ambulance Station. 

and donate if they could 

spare money. 

He added: “You never know 

when your loved one might need 

a defibrillator in a public place. It 

could make all the difference.” 

Mark Faulkner, Consultant 

Paramedic and Associate Clinical 

Director at London Ambulance 

Service, said: “Bruno is very lucky 

to have survived thanks to the 

quick use of a defibrillator. These 

devices are incredibly easy to 

operate and people are nearly four 

times more likely to survive if they 

have one used on them in time. 

The untold stories of women 

who risked their lives to save 

others have been uncovered 

as London Ambulance Service 

marked International Women’s 

Day on 8 March. 

Newly discovered photographs 

and records held by the Service 

show the extraordinary contribution 

of women over the last hundred 

years and beyond. 

They include Ann Armitage and 

Betty Leverton (see picture) who 

served in the London Auxiliary 

Ambulance Service during 

World War II. 

A lifelong Tottenham Hotspur 

fan who had a cardiac arrest 

shortly after a tour of the 

stadium has met Spurs legend 

Ossie Ardiles in an emotional 

return to the football ground. 

Bruno added: “I really wanted to 

meet the crews and thank them. 

I can’t speak highly enough of 

them. Without them I wouldn’t be 

here today. 

“Saying thank you can never be 

enough and I have nothing but 

admiration for the ambulance 

crews who saved my life that day.” 

“However, our own analysis 

has found there are large 

discrepancies between 

communities in outcomes for 

cardiac arrest and the availability 

of life-saving devices. This 

means that households in more 

deprived areas are more likely to 

be in greater need of additional 

defibrillators. 

With German planes dropping 

hundreds of bombs on the densely 

populated East End and its docks, 

the pair were sent to help. 

Their ambulance was one of 

just three that was able to get 

through intense fires started by 

incendiary bombs. 


Bruno Bertoncini, 64, was having 

dinner with a friend following 

a tour of the team’s stadium 

in North London when his 

heart stopped beating and he 

collapsed, erasing all memory of 

the visit that day. 

When Bruno was reunited with 

the paramedics who saved his life 

this month and revealed the loss 

of this cherished memory, London 

Ambulance Service reached out to 

the football club. They immediately 

offered another stadium tour but 

this time with an introduction to 

World Cup winner Ossie. 

Bruno, who lives in South 

Tottenham, said: “This has 

been a really special day for me, 

particularly meeting Ossie as he’s 

a player I watched throughout 

his career. It was also very 

emotional coming back to do the 

tour – walking around I couldn’t 

remember anything from my 

previous visit. 

Emergency Medical Technician 

Gabi Villar, who was the first to 

arrive on scene with Paramedic 

Amber Muddle, said: “It was 

great to meet Bruno and see that 

he is doing so well. We rarely 

meet people who have survived a 

cardiac arrest.” 

London Ambulance Service 

crews – including Gabi and Amber 

arrived in minutes to resuscitate 

Bruno using a defibrillator from the 

ambulance – a life-saving device 

that restarts the heart. 

Last summer the London 

Ambulance Charity launched 

a ground-breaking fundraising 

campaign – known as London 

Heart Starters – to buy life-saving 

defibrillators for the communities 

where they are most needed 

and improve cardiac arrest 

survival rates. 

Bruno is now donating to the 

campaign and encouraged 

Londoners to back the campaign 

“If you’re in one of these priority 

neighbourhoods, please help 

your neighbours and loved ones 

by hosting or fundraising for a 

defibrillator in your community. 

You can also register to become 

a London Lifesaver and receive 

training in CPR and how to use 

a defibrillator.” 

For further information about 

donating to the London Heart 

Starters campaign please 

visit the London Ambulance 

Charity website. 

Women on the 

frontline of the 

ambulance service – a 

history of saving lives 

In their wooden ambulance the 

pair made a daring dash through 

an oil spill on fire to reach women 

and children trapped in the 

devastation. So many people 

needed rescuing, the women 

made five journeys into danger to 

save them all. 

The King awarded them British 

Empire medals for their bravery. 

Records show more than five 

thousand women volunteered for 

the London Auxiliary Ambulance 

Service during the war. 

Craig Henty, Head of the Historic 

Collection at London Ambulance 

Service, said: “By documenting 

all our archives we are beginning 

to learn the stories of many 

courageous women who took on 

frontline roles. 

“They were working 24-hour 

shifts and would find themselves 

putting out fires, clearing debris 

and climbing unstable buildings to 

12 


NEWSLINE 

rescue the injured and recover the 

dead. When they weren’t saving 

lives, they were using newlyacquired 

skills to maintain and 

service the ambulances which also 

took a battering during the Blitz.” 

Women in London were first 

recorded working on ambulances 

during World War One. 

Bloomsbury Station was then 

staffed entirely by women. 

It was a progressive move but 

attitudes of the day were resistant 

and after WWI, the government 

encouraged women to return to 

domesticity. 

Women were also encouraged to 

step aside after WWII and make 

way for returning servicemen. 

Some women continued to 

work at the switchboard but by 

1965 – when London Ambulance 

Service as we know it today was 

launched – just six per cent of the 

workforce were women. 

Today more half the people 

working for London Ambulance 

Service are women. 

Last year, the Service hit the 

headlines for naming Pauline 

Cranmer as the UK’s first female 

chief paramedic. 

She vowed to blaze a trail for all 

those coming after her, admitting 

that when she joined the Service 

30 years ago, “there was often 

an assumption that because you 

were a woman, you couldn’t be 

the paramedic.” 

She added: “I’m really glad that 

people like me have come through 

those times and gone on to thrive. 

I am really proud that many of 

the women of my generation of 

technicians and paramedics are 

now in leadership roles.” 

Now 43 per cent of the Service’s 

senior managers are women 

and while there is a gender pay 

gap, it has been reduced to 4.7p 

and work is continuing to end 

the pay gap while offering more 

opportunities for flexible working. 

However it wasn’t until the 1970s 

that the Service appointed its first 

female Station Officer. 

This was such big news in 1976 

that Mary Conway made the pages 

of the Service’s internal magazine 

which reported: “She says she will 

not stand for insubordination just 

because she’s a woman.” 

Consultant paramedic Georgette 

Eaton, co-chair of the London 

Ambulance Service Women’s 

Network, said: “By looking at 

the history of women in the 

ambulance service, we can take 

pride in their achievements, gain 

a deeper understanding of their 

journey, and work towards a more 

equitable future. 

“It also highlights the prejudice 

and sexism women have 

endured. While significant 

progress has been made 

since the 1970s, change is not 

happening quickly enough. 

“That’s why, on International 

Women’s Day, we stand alongside 

women around the world to make 

a call to #AccelerateAction on 

gender parity. 

“Our goal is to campaign, 

challenge and advocate for true 

equality for women” 

You can find out more about 

the London Ambulance Service 

Historic Collection at: https:// 

www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/ 

about-us/commercial-services/ 

london-ambulance-servicehistoric-collection/ 

You can find out more 

about the #AccelerateAction 

campaign: https://www. 

internationalwomensday.com/ 



13

NEWSLINE 


Leading Shared 

Care Record System 

Passes One Million 

Monthly Views Ahead 

of 5th Anniversary 

(Great North Care Record is now 

viewed more than one million 

times every month by health and 

care staff in the North East and 

North Cumbria. Credit: Great 

North Care Record) 

The digital shared care record 

system, Great North Care 

Record, has reported that its 

system has reached one million 

views every month by health 

and care staff across the North 

East and North Cumbria – 

making it one of the most used 

systems of its kind in the UK. 

GNCR enables health and 

care professionals to securely 

access patient data from multiple 

providers, all in one platform. This 

streamlined approach supports 

more informed decision-making, 

resulting in higher quality of care 

and safer experiences for patients. 

Passing one million monthly 

views coincides with GNCR’s fifth 

anniversary – and since its launch 

in March 2020, it has become 

one of the world’s leading shared 

care record systems, with 25 

million total views and 30k regular 

users. Over that time, annual 

views have increased by 839% - 

rising from 998k in 2020, to 9.3 

million in 2024. 

The landmark one million monthly 

view caps off another year of 

significant growth for GNCR, 

including the region-wide launch 

of GP Connect. It is also the first 

shared care record in the country 

to have all NHS Foundation Trusts 

in the region sharing maternity 

data through one common 

electronic patient record. 

Currently, just over half of health 

and care professionals in the 

North East and North Cumbria 

who can access GNCR are doing 

so, with its a reach and impact 

on health and care services in 

the region continuing to grow. 

With plans to expand the system 

into areas such as community 

dentistry, the volunteer sector, 

care homes, and community 

pharmacy, Great North Care 

Record is set to enhance 

collaboration and improve patient 

care even further. 

Lisa Sewell, GNCR Programme 

Director, said: “We’re delighted 

to have surpassed our landmark 

goal of one million monthly 

views. It evidences the incredibly 

positive impact that GNCR 

has had at scale. It continues 

to enable timely and informed 

decision making supporting a 

person’s care in NENC. 

“It brings immense pride for all 

involved to see how far GNCR has 

come in the last five years. It is 

now a core digital enabler within 

our region’s health and social care 

system. We recognise that there 

is still more to do to ensure the 

scale and quality of information 

presented continues to develop. 

Our goal continues to be that the 

value of GNCR is maximised for 

the benefit of all in the North East 

and North Cumbria.” 

Professor Graham Evans, 

Executive Chief Digital and 

Infrastructure Officer, NHS North 

East & North Cumbria ICB, 

added: “It gives me great pride 

to see the service continuously 

go from strength to strength and 

support frontline care for the 

population we serve, 

“Over the past 5 years, GNCR 

has led the way when it comes 

to shared care records and 

connecting organisations 

together digitally. Regionally, we 

must continue to collaborate and 

promote using Great North Care 

Record to maximise its value and 

provide greater benefit for all.” 

Magpas Air 

Ambulance is 

growing its fleet 

of rapid response 

vehicles as the 

charity continues 

to respond to the 

rising demand for 

its lifesaving care 

via helicopter, and 

by road. 

Having evolved from volunteer 

GPs across Cambridgeshire, 

responding to devastating road 

traffic collisions by car in the 

70s, Magpas Air Ambulance 

has always maintained that 

it’s not the mode of transport 

that makes the difference but 

instead, ensuring that the right 

medical care and equipment is 

delivered to patients as quickly 

as possible—however that 

may be. 

Due to the wide geography 

Magpas Air Ambulance is called 

to, the helicopter is often the 

quickest way for its specialist 

medical team to reach critically 

ill and injured patients. However, 

factors such as weather and road 

conditions, light and proximity to 

incident scenes, can mean it’s 

sometimes more effective to travel 

to patients by road. Currently, 

Magpas Air Ambulance responds 

to emergencies between 7 pm-7 

am via rapid response vehicle 

because the time advantage is 

often no greater by air at night. And 

all the cars carry exactly the same 

kit bags as the air ambulance, 

meaning the charity’s medical team 

has access to the same hospitallevel 

equipment and drugs they do 

on board the helicopter. 

For these cases, Magpas Air 

Ambulance is ensuring the service 

has the best possible rapid 

response vehicles for the job. 

This week, the Cambridgeshirebased 

charity took delivery of the 

first of three new rapid response 

vehicles, expanding its total feet 

to four. These cars are emergency 

services specification versions of 

the hybrid Volvo XC90 SUV, with 

benefits over a standard road car 

such as an advanced braking 

system and larger fuel tank. 

Additionally, they’re all fitted with 

the latest emergency light and 

safety systems, including handsfree 

communication devices and a 

sat nav system that is activated by 

the NHS critical care desks. 

Magpas Air Ambulance Clinical 

Operations Manager and 

Critical Care Paramedic Andy 

Smith says, “The visibility of our 

response vehicles is of paramount 

importance to the safety of 

our clinical teams and public, 

especially when responding in 

the hours of darkness. We have 

specially designed our livery to be 

highly reflective and increased the 

emergency lighting installed on 

all the vehicles, as well as further 

enhancing the emergency siren 

to warn other road users of our 

presence. We hope people across 

Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and 

further afield will be able to spot 

these new Magpas Air Ambulance 

cars on the road, just as they do 

our helicopter in the sky.” 

The full new fleet of cars—made 

possible with funding from the 

HELP appeal and support from 

14 


NEWSLINE 

Cambridgeshire based company 

Triple9—will be fully operational by 

spring 2025 and sport the same 

orange, white and green livery as 

the new Magpas Air Ambulance 

helicopter (which touched down 

last autumn), making the charity 

easily recognizable on the road 

or in the air as the lifesaving team 

respond to emergency calls 24/7. 

Find out more about the 

service Magpas Air Ambulance 

provides in your community at 

magpas.org.uk. 

Photo caption: The first of three 

new Magpas Air Ambulance rapid 

response vehicles 

Barnsley Town Centre 

Wardens sign up to 

responder training 

with Yorkshire 

Ambulance Service 

Six Barnsley Town Centre 

Wardens have linked in with 

the region’s ambulance service 

to train as Community First 

Responders (CFRs), so that 

they are able to provide vital 

care, comfort and reassurance 

in medical emergencies before 

an ambulance arrives on scene. 

The two-day CFR training course, 

run by Yorkshire Ambulance 

Service NHS Trust, included 

cardiopulmonary resuscitation 

(CPR), operating a defibrillator, 

administering oxygen and 

assessing a patient’s condition 

to decide whether an ambulance 

is required. 

The Town Centre Wardens will 

respond on foot and attend 

patients who become ill within 

their patrolling vicinity. They 

can be activated by Yorkshire 

Ambulance Service to attend 

patients following an emergency 

call being made, as well as helping 

those that they come across. 

This is in addition to their core 

role of patrolling the town centre 

to offer advice and support to 

those who need it, help to reduce 

low-level crime, environmental 

offences, and anti-social 

behaviour. 

Cllr Wendy Cain, Cabinet 

Spokesperson for Public Health 

and Communities at Barnsley 

Council, said: “The safety and 

wellbeing of those visiting and 

working in our town centre is 

a priority, and our wardens are 

now in an ideal position to offer 

immediate assistance in an 

emergency situation. 

“We’re dedicated to making 

sure our town centre remains a 

thriving, vibrant destination. Our 

wardens already do a fantastic 

job of keeping our town centre 

safe and welcoming for everyone, 

and we’re pleased to be able to 

work with Yorkshire Ambulance 

Service so that the team is 

equipped with life-saving skills to 

support in an emergency.” 

Yvonne Hargreaves, Community 

Defibrillation Trainer with 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service, 

said: “We’re always delighted 

to train volunteers in life-saving 

skills, and we are very pleased 

to be working with Barnsley 

Metropolitan Borough Council to 

train their colleagues. 

“CFRs contribute greatly to their 

communities, and visitors to 

Barnsley and those working in 

the town centre now have the 

benefit of having CFRs close by. 

We know that in many medical 



15

NEWSLINE 


emergencies, such as a heart 

attack, breathing difficulties or a 

collapse, the first few minutes are 

critical. If effective treatment can 

be given within that initial period, 

lives can be saved.” 

Ambulance service 

receives prestigious 

award for carbon 

emission reduction 

The North East Ambulance 

Service was awarded the 

nationally-recognised 

Sustainability Standard ‘Triple 

Crown’ Certificate by Carbon 

Saver for its impressive efforts 

to reduce the organisation’s 

carbon emission output 

The prestigious award is only 

granted to a limited number of 

organisations across the UK, 

and recognises the Trust’s 

achievement of meeting Carbon 

Saver’s three environmental 

certificates: Carbon Saver Gold 

Certificate, Water Saver Gold 

Certificate, and Waste Saver Gold 

Certificate. 

In 2023/24, the ambulance 

service’s emergency crews 

and patient transport service 

completed over 770,000 journeys 

to the regions hospitals and 

primary care providers. In total, 

the service operates over 450 

vehicles across the Trust and 

responds to the regions 2.7 

million people, spanning over 

3,200 miles. 

Since it’s Sustainability Action 

Plan and Green Plan launched in 

2021, the service has embarked 

on several projects to reduce its 

environmental impact, headed by 

its environmental sustainability and 

facilities manager, Martin Gibson. 

On the importance of the service’s 

sustainability work, he said: “I’m 

really proud of the work we’ve 

been able to do since I joined 

the service in 2022. So far, we’ve 

made massive strides towards 

helping future proof the service’s 

estate whilst also decarbonising 

the energy we us in our buildings, 

reducing carbon emissions, and 

saving the NHS money. 

“The cumulative impact of the 

projects that we’ve embarked on 

already have helped us reduce 

our carbon emissions by more 

than 60% which is an incredible 

achievement. 

“I look forward to continuing 

our work and helping ensure 

that we can provide sustainable 

healthcare to all of our patients, 

now and in the future.” 

Overall, the ambulance service 

was found to have reduced their 

carbon emissions by 7.4% in 

the past year; 2.4% more than 

forecasted in its Sustainability 

Action Plan. 

Some of the projects the service 

has undertaken since 2022 

include: 

• Air source heat pumps at 

Backworth, Seaham, Bishop 

Auckland, Gateshead, 

Hartlepool, and Morpeth 

Ambulance stations which 

have helped the service take 

steps towards its net zero by 

2040 target by eliminating the 

need for gas on each station 

• A 128kW battery storage 

system at Ashington station 

which has helped reduce 

electricity consumption on 

station by approximately 50% 

• Solar panels at Morpeth, 

Wallsend, Blucher, and 

Hartlepool South stations which 

are anticipated to save the Trust 

£30k per year in energy costs 

Last year, the service partnered 

with Tyne and Wear Fire & Rescue 

Service and Northumbria Police to 

open the UK’s first ever carbonneutral 

tri-station in Hebburn, 

South Tyneside. The site was 

built with environmentally-friendly 

ground source heat pumps, 

electric vehicle (EV) charging 

points, e-cycle storage and 

charging facilities, and a wildflower 

meadow to support local 

biodiversity. 

The service also teamed up with 

NHS colleagues at Northumbria 

Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 

and Newcastle Hospitals on a 

no-idling campaign to reduce 

the number of harmful emissions 

created by ambulances 

at hospital. 

As part of the project, ambulance 

crews at Northumbria Specialist 

Emergency Care Hospital 

(NSECH), the Freeman Hospital, 

and the Royal Victoria Infirmary 

were encouraged to turn off their 

engines whilst using the hospital’s 

ambulance bays. 

NEAS director of finance and 

digital, Tarryn Lake, oversees the 

Trust’s estates and sustainability 

teams. On receiving the 

certificate, she said: “Climate 

change is now viewed as one 

of the leading threats to the 

health and wellbeing of millions 

of people across the world. As 

a healthcare service, it’s our 

responsibility to do our bit to 

combat it and the minimise its 

impact on our region. 

“Receiving this certificate 

is indicative of our ongoing 

commitment to creating a more 

environmentally sustainable 

service, and demonstrates the 

incredible work our estates and 

sustainability teams have done 

over the past year. 

“I am very proud of the work 

that our service has done, but 

it doesn’t stop here. We will 

continue to do all that we can to 

make the North East Ambulance 

Service a leader in sustainability 

within the NHS, and ensure that 

the North East’s patients are 

healthy and safe for generations 

to come.” 

NHS staff report 

continuing 

improvements in 

their experiences 

of work, according 

to world’s largest 

workforce survey 

A growing proportion of 

NHS workers agree that 

there are enough staff at 

their organisation to do their 

job properly, according to 

new results from the NHS 

Staff Survey. 

Results from the 2024 NHS Staff 

Survey, which was coordinated 

by the independent charity Picker 

(https://picker.org/) on behalf of 

NHS England, included responses 

from almost 775,000 NHS 

staff working across more than 

200 organisations. The survey 

included all directly employed 

staff in secondary and tertiary 

care organisations, ranging from 

consultants to care assistants 

and from porters to paramedics. 

Questions in the survey cover 

all aspects of work experiences, 

with a particular focus on NHS 

England’s People Promise. 

Staffing levels 

One of the biggest changes 

compared to the 2023 survey 

was in the proportion of staff 

agreeing that there are enough 

staff at their organisation to 

do their job properly. This rose 

from 32.3% in 2023 to 34.0% in 

2024, a 1.7% point improvement. 

Improvements in 2024 can 

be seen across all NHS trust 

types, with a particularly notable 

increase of 6.5% points in 

16 


NEWSLINE 

Ambulance Trusts (from 29.3% in 

2023 to 35.8% in 2024) – a sector 

often under intense pressure. 

Perhaps related to this 

improvement, there are some 

signs of continuing, gradual 

improvements in the pressures 

facing NHS staff. All measures 

of staff burnout are now at 

their lowest levels since 2021 

– showing that improvements 

identified in 2023 have 

been sustained. 

Harassment, bullying, and 

abuse 

Similarly, there has been a 

continued gradual improvement 

in the proportion of staff reporting 

that they suffered harassment, 

bullying, or abuse: 

• from patients and the public 

(25.1%; down from a recent 

peak of 27.8% in 2021); 

• from colleagues (17.6%; down 

from 18.7% in 2021); and 

• from managers (9.5%; down 

almost a fifth from 11.6% in 

2021). 

Conversely, the proportion of 

staff experiencing discrimination 

from patients and the public has 

continued to grow – up to 9.25% 

in 2024 compared to 8.6% in 

2023 and 7.3% in 2020). 

Rates of staff experiencing 

physical violence have remained 

stable compared to 2023 (14.4% 

from patients and the public; 

0.8% from managers; and 1.9% 

from colleagues). Encouragingly, 

though, the percentage of staff 

saying that such incidents were 

reported by themselves or a 

colleague has substantially 

increased: 

• For harassment, bullying and 

abuse: 54.0% (up from 51.8% 

in 2023). 

• For physical violence: 74.7% 

(up from 73.6% in 2023). 

Commenting on the findings, 

Chris Graham, Group CEO at 

Picker, said: 

“The NHS Staff Survey gives 

unparalleled insight into the 

experiences of people working 

across the health service in 

England. This year’s findings 

shows continuing improvement 

on a number of questions that 

relate to pressures on staff and 

on negative experiences, such 

as harassment and burnout. 

These are important issues for 

retaining a skilled, experienced 

NHS workforce: this is vital to the 

success of the ten year forward 

plan, and the improvements are 

very welcome news. 

“Despite this, the survey shows 

further room for improvement 

in many key areas. Only three 

in five staff would recommend 

their organisation as a place 

to work, and less than three 

quarters agree that care of 

patients is their organisation’s 

top priority. Coupled with a 

worrying rise in the proportion of 

staff experiencing discrimination 

from patients and the public, 

this demonstrates a need for 

an ongoing focus on ensuring 

that all NHS workplaces are 

safe, inclusive, and have positive 

working cultures centred on 

delivering high quality, person 

centred care.” 

Paramedics are 

calling on Londoners 

to host a defibrillator 

in their communities 

by contacting the 

dedicated London 

Ambulance Charity. 

This follows a 

whooping £140k 

grant that will directly 

fund nearly 60 

defibrillators for local 

neighbourhoods. 

London Ambulance Charity has 

been awarded an incredible 

£142,000 to boost a pioneering 

campaign that aims to give 

Londoners the best chance of 

surviving a cardiac arrest in 

the capital. 

This money will go directly to the 

London Heart Starters campaign, 

which will fund 200 defibrillators 

in areas of the capital where 

they are needed most. These 

life-saving devices when used by 

a member of the public make a 

crucial difference when someone 

suffers a cardiac arrest. 

The money awarded by NHS 

Charities Together was the result 

of a partnership with Omaze and 

the £2.6m raised as part of the 

Million Pound House Draw. 

Sam Palfreyman-Jones, Head of 

Community Resuscitation and 

Paramedic at London Ambulance 

Service, said: “This grant will 

really bolster the Heart Starters 

campaign and fund nearly 

60 defibrillators for the local 

communities in desperate need 

of these devices. I’d also like to 

thank everyone who took part in 

the draw for helping to give our 

patients the best possible chance 

of surviving a cardiac arrest. 

“We’re calling on Londoners to 

help their neighbours and loved 

ones by hosting a defibrillator 

in their communities. A person 

who has a defibrillator used on 

them by a bystander is nearly 

four times more likely to survive a 

cardiac arrest. 

“These devices are incredibly 

easy to operate and gives people 

in life-threatening emergencies 

the best chance of survival when 

used quickly.” 

Jon Goodwin, Head of Grants at 

NHS Charities Together, added: 

“We are delighted to award this 

grant to London Ambulance 

Charity as part of our Community 

Resilience Grants Fund. The 

project has the potential to make 

a huge difference to the people 

living in London by helping 

them recognise the early signs 

of a cardiac arrest and how 

to respond. 

“In addition to helping improve 

chances of survival, by educating 

people to know how to respond 

in a health emergency – or even 

prevent it from happening in the 

first place – we can also help 

reduce pressure on the NHS, 

which has never been more 

important. We look forward 

to continuing our work with 

London Ambulance Charity and 

other organisations across the 

UK to help the NHS go further 

for everyone.” 

Last year, analysis by the London 

Ambulance Service revealed 

that dozens of neighbourhoods 

are ‘defibrillator deserts’ – where 

there is little or no access to a life 

saving device. 

The data has revealed large 

discrepancies between 

communities in outcomes for 

cardiac arrest and the availability 

of life-saving devices. Households 

in more deprived areas are more 

likely to be in an area in greater 

need of additional defibrillators. 

London Heart Starters has 

been partially funded by the 

Community Resilience Grants 

Fund from NHS Charities 

Together, thanks to a successful 

partnership with Omaze. 

Help us raise money for our 

life-saving Heart Starters 

campaign on our dedicated 

website: https://www. 

londonambulancecharity.org. 

uk/Appeal/heartstarters 



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NEWSLINE 


SCAS secures over 

£1 million funding for 

green initiatives 

South Central Ambulance 

Service NHS Foundation Trust 

(SCAS) is delighted to have 

secured over £1 million of 

NHS funding for solar projects 

in four locations across the 

trust’s estate. 

The funding is part of a £100m 

investment in solar and battery 

installations. The scheme is jointly 

run by the Department for Energy 

Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), 

the Department of Health and 

Social Care (DHSC), Great British 

Energy (GBE) and NHS England. 

This announcement will see 

SCAS install solar panels at the 

trust’s Winchester & Eastleigh 

Resource Centre, North Harbour 

Resource Centre (Portsmouth), 

Abingdon Fleet Services and 

Stoke Mandeville Resource 

Centre (Aylesbury). 

Work has already started on 

the Winchester site, with SCAS 

keen to progress with a proof of 

concept installation that would 

demonstrate the very clear 

financial and environmental 

benefits from installing Solar PV 

with battery storage. 

Jonathan Guppy, sustainability 

manager at SCAS, who led the 

team applying for the funding, said: 

“SCAS has started the transition 

to an electric vehicle fleet and 

we also have ambitious plans 

to decarbonise our heating. 

Both of these initiatives will 

see a significant increase in 

our electricity consumption so 

installing Solar PV with battery 

energy storage systems will 

offset this cost, whilst enhancing 

our resilience and reducing our 

carbon footprint.” 

The work at the Winchester & 

Eastleigh Resource Centre will 

see 626 panels with a 345kWh 

battery energy storage system 

installed, allowing surplus power 

produced during the day to be 

used at night. It is estimated that, 

once finished, the installation 

will generate 100% of the site’s 

electricity requirements for more 

than six months a year, and 

save the trust around £34,000 in 

annual electricity costs 

This one installation will also 

mean the trust saves 49 tonnes 

of CO2 annually, the equivalent 

of planting 2,258 trees a year. 

Similar savings and benefits are 

expected at the other three sites 

in Portsmouth, Abingdon and 

Aylesbury, with construction work 

to commence later this year. 

The £100 million funding was 

awarded to 132 projects across 78 

NHS trusts, covering around 200 

sites in England. It is expected that 

the programme will: 

• Save the NHS around £8.6 

million annually in addition 

to current savings from solar 

power in the NHS 

• Generate an additional 

estimated 55 million kWh 

annually of solar-generated 

electricity 

• Ensure an average return on 

investment of between 200- 

260%, with an average payback 

period of less than 15 years 

• See a 300% increase in NHS 

solar generation 

Chris Gormley, chief sustainability 

officer at NHS England, said: 

“Thanks to the dedication of 

teams nationwide, the NHS has 

already implemented hundreds 

of projects that enhance 

energy efficiency and drive 

significant cost savings. This 

groundbreaking new investment, 

across 78 NHS trusts on around 

200 sites, will expand solar 

power generation within the NHS 

by over 300%, slashing energy 

costs by hundreds of millions of 

pounds. These vital savings can 

be reinvested directly into frontline 

care, ensuring the NHS continues 

to deliver for our patients and 

communities.” 

Ambulance service 

joins forces with 

local partners and 

campaigners to 

help reduce knife 

crime in the South 

Central region 

South Central Ambulance 

Service NHS Foundation Trust 

(SCAS) launched a campaign 

throughout February that 

aims to reduce the number of 

knife crimes in Hampshire and 

the Thames Valley, highlight 

the impact these have on 

victims, their families and 

local communities, and raise 

awareness of what emergency 

first aid members of the public 

should provide to victims of 

knife crime whilst emergency 

services are on their way. 

Knife crime is a common topic 

on daily news reports due to its 

prevalence in society. According 

to data supplied by the Office of 

National Statistics (ONS)1, there 

were over 50,000 reported knife 

crimes between September 2023 

and September 2024. Additionally, 

the Home Office reported over 

2,500 deaths as a result of knife 

crime throughout 2023. Knife 

crimes have increased by 80% 

over the last 10 years, and knife 

related homicides have increased 

by 23% in the same period. 

While knife crime affects people 

of all ages, there is a significant 

proportion of younger people 

involved and the Home Office has 

argued that there is a risk of knife 

crime becoming normalised with 

more and more young people 

carrying knives, often in the 

misguided belief that this gives 

them more protection. 

As an ambulance service, SCAS 

attends multiple serious stabbing 

incidents every month, and these 

usually become our highest 

category of priority call. Solely 

within the area covered by SCAS, 

the ONS reported over 2,160 

stabbings between September 

2023-September 2024. The 

highest levels of incidence within 

our area are in Oxfordshire and 

south east Hampshire, but there 

have been serious incidents 

reported across the whole region. 

Mark Ainsworth-Smith MBE is 

a Consultant Pre-Hospital Care 

Practitioner for SCAS and said 

“Tragically we see a significant 

number of deaths caused by 

knife crime and violence in our 

ambulance service every year. 

Every one of those deaths is a 

tragedy for families and friends, 

and they cause terrible trauma to 

all those involved, including the 

police, ambulance service and 

other emergency responders 

who have to deal with the 

consequences.” 

However, despite the shocking 

statistics, there are many positive 

campaigns and improving 

figures to show that interventions 

are effective. A study2 across 

Hampshire and the IOW shows 

that knife crime offences have 

fallen across this area by 19% 

since 2022. Charities and councils 

are working hard with police to 

help educate adults and young 

people on the risks and facts 

surrounding knife crime. 

Patrick Green, CEO of the Ben 

Kinsella Trust highlights the need 

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NEWSLINE 

for raising awareness of knife 

crime, saying “Education is our 

most powerful tool in the fight 

against knife crime; that is why 

awareness raising campaigns 

are so important. We need to 

equip young people with the 

knowledge and skills to navigate 

potentially dangerous situations 

and understand the devastating 

consequences of knife crime.” 

“Raising awareness isn’t just 

about statistics; it’s about 

changing attitudes and 

behaviours. The Ben Kinsella Trust 

and Stay True to You are working 

across Thames Valley to deliver 

impactful training for parents and 

professionals that resonate with 

young people. By talking directly 

to young people, we can address 

their fears, dispel misinformation, 

and empower them to make 

positive choices.” 

SCAS is joining in the conversation 

and had a number of key events 

planned in February. Firstly, we will 

release a short film of a meeting 

between Amanda Stephens, the 

mother of a teenager who was 

fatally stabbed in Reading, and 

Kirsten Willis-Drewett, our director 

of operations who was the SCAS 

operational commander on scene 

that day. This was the first time 

Amanda and Kirsten had met 

since the incident. 

We are also working closely with 

Slough Council, Thames Valley 

Police, Slough Youth Council and 

Together as One to host an event 

in Langley to teach young people 

first aid around stabbing incidents 

and help familiarise them with the 

emergency bleed kits which are 

available locally, what’s in them 

and how to use them. We will also 

hear the personal story of a victim 

of knife crime in Oxfordshire which 

occurred decades ago, but still 

has an effect on his life today. 

Finally, we will also release a 

video providing emergency first 

aid advice for the public to help 

them know what to do in the 

event of a stabbing before the 

ambulance arrives. 

SECAmb paramedics 

to return to airport 

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’, began 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 closing with the 

London Gatwick teams. 

Colleagues working on one of 

SECAmb’s fully-electric Mercedes 

e-Vito vehicles will respond to 

critically-unwell patients as well 

as lower acuity calls, potentially 

negating the need for an 

ambulance to attend. 

Colleagues working on the 

vehicle have completed additional 

training to enable them to 

work and access all parts of 

the airport. Gatso will operate 

between the hours of 6am and 

midnight, seven days a week. 

SECAmb’s Operating Unit 

Manager for Gatwick, Dan 

Garratt, said: “It’s really good 

news that we are in a position to 

provide this service. Its return will 

see us improve the care we are 

able to provide travellers who are 

unfortunate enough to become 

unwell on their journey. 

“The team will undertake shifts 

both within the airport and as 

part of our wider 999 contract 

with an approximate 50/50 split. 

This approach ensures ongoing 

exposure to the full range of 

paramedic responsibilities and 

helps colleagues maintain a full 

range of skills and engagement 

with our wider local workforce.” 

Nick Williams, Head of Passenger 

Operations, London Gatwick 

said: “We are delighted to have a 

dedicated SECAmb paramedic 

service at London Gatwick. 

An on-site paramedic ensures 

passengers and staff receive the 

best professional healthcare we 

can provide. It may also mean 

that patients can be treated onsite, 

improving their chances of 

making it on their holiday or avoid 

needing an ambulance trip.” 

The service will be provided 

under a medical provision 

contract for emergencies which 

occur within the airport perimeter. 

Baby Chloe’s 

lifesaving heroes 

reunite with family 

A Brighton family’s worst 

nightmare turned into a story of 

survival, thanks to the actions 

of the SECAmb team who 

brought their baby daughter 

back from the brink after she 

suffered a sudden cardiac 

arrest at home. 

Seven-month-old Chloe Jackson 

collapsed on 12 April 2024, 

prompting a desperate call to 999 

from Chloe’s mum, Heather. 

Thanks to the swift actions 

of emergency call handler, 

Beth Panton and SECAmb 

paramedics, Chloe received the 

critical CPR and emergency care 

that ultimately saved her life. 

The Jackson family recently 

had the opportunity to reunite 

with Paramedic, Kate Davies, 

Emergency Care Support 

Worker, Zoe Dean and Associate 

Ambulance Practitioner, Hili-Blue 

Pate, at Brighton Make Ready 

Centre to express their heartfelt 

gratitude to them. 

“The actions of both the operator 

and ambulance crew undoubtedly 

saved Chloe’s life,” said Chloe’s 

parents. “Without the call handler, 

Chloe would not have received 

the immediate and effective CPR 

which kept her alive until the 

crew arrived. We’ve been told by 

multiple doctors how instrumental 

the crew’s actions were in her 

survival. They did an exceptional 

job in what was a rare scenario.” 

Once Chloe was stabilised, she 

was blue-lighted to the Royal 

Alexandra Children’s Hospital in 

Brighton before being transferred 

to a specialist’s children’s unit 

in London. 

Further investigations revealed 

she had an extremely large 

cardiac fibroma which is a 

rare tumour in her left ventricle 

which causes life-threatening 

arrhythmias. 

“I was overjoyed to receive such 

a touching compliment from 

Heather, Chloe’s mum. said Beth. 

“As an EMA, we rarely meet our 

patients, and so it was incredibly 

moving to know my efforts were 

appreciated.” 

Specialist surgeons at Great 

Ormond Street Hospital went on 

to perform a complex surgery 

to remove 92 per cent of the 

tumour while preserving her heart 

function. Remarkably, Chloe 

made a strong recovery, and 

was discharged just a week later, 

showing no signs of neurological 

damage. 

“She has not had any arrhythmias 

since surgery and her heart has 



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fully recovered from both the 

arrest and the operation,” said 

her parents. “We hope the team 

understands just how vital their 

roles were in getting us to where 

we are today. She would not be 

here without them.” 

Operations Manager, Vicky 

Knights said “I am so proud of 

the team for what they did that 

day, it made me cry with pride for 

our staff.” 

Kate added “It was a pleasure to 

have the opportunity to reunite 

with Chloe, Heather and Joe and 

I couldn’t be happier that we were 

there to help them in their time of 

need. We all wish them the best 

of luck for their future.” 

Nurse reunites 

with outstanding 

ambulance crew 

A Frailty Nurse Practitioner 

with 25 years’ experience 

in the NHS who survived 

a sudden cardiac arrest 

has been reunited with the 

ambulance crews who saved 

her life, describing their care 

as “outstanding” and their 

actions as the reason she is 

here today. 

Now 52-year-old Dee was at 

home in East Sussex when 

her husband Will found her 

unresponsive in June 2024. 

Dee’s husband immediately 

raised the alarm, called 999 and 

spoke to Emergency Medical 

Advisor, Teresa Taylor, who 

coached him on how to perform 

CPR on Dee, while Resource 

Dispatcher, Lauren O’Leary, 

coordinated a team of seven 

clinicians to their home. 

When SECAmb teams arrived 

on scene, they found Dee in 

cardiac arrest. Thankfully, 

Emergency Care Support 

Worker, Leah Corney, Newly 

Qualified Paramedic, Charles 

Bastin, Paramedic, Ian Le Page, 

Operational Team Leader, Martyn 

Hall, Associate Ambulance 

Practitioners, Gary Shadbolt- 

Smith and Emily Goldsmith, 

and Critical Care Paramedic, 

David Staplehurst, delivered five 

shocks with a defibrillator before 

achieving a return of spontaneous 

circulation (ROSC). 

Once Dee was stabilised, she 

was conveyed to the Conquest 

Hospital where she was ventilated 

in intensive care, going on to 

make a remarkable recovery 

and being discharged just three 

weeks later. 

Now back home with her family, 

Dee recently had the chance to 

personally meet Ian, Emily, Gary 

and Leah who all played a crucial 

role in her survival. 

Speaking at the reunion, she 

said “I will never be able to put 

into words my sincere thanks 

and appreciation for all those 

involved. I want to thank every 

single person who treated me 

and supported my husband that 

day. Your care and service were 

outstanding, and I am lucky 

enough to be living proof of this.” 

Despite extensive tests, doctors 

have been unable to determine 

the cause of Dee’s cardiac arrest. 

She now has an Implantable 

Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) 

which is a device implantable 

inside the body, able to perform 

defibrillation. 

“Just carry on doing what you are 

doing because each and every 

one of you are incredible human 

beings,” she said. “Thank you 

seems such a small word, but 

what do you say to people who 

saved your life?” 

Ian said “Reunions like this are 

incredibly special. Our crews 

rarely get to see the outcomes of 

their work, so to meet Dee again, 

hear her story, and know she is 

recovering well is truly rewarding. 

Her words mean a lot to us all.” 

Dee is now focusing on her 

recovery at home with her family 

and remains forever grateful to 

those who came to her aid in her 

time of need. 

She added “Meeting the 

ambulance crews was such 

a positive experience for me 

and it formed a valuable part 

in my healing process. I highly 

recommend others to reach out to 

SECAmb as I did. I firmly believe if 

more bystanders learnt CPR and 

used this training in those crucial 

minutes there would be more 

success stories like mine.” 

‘Shout for help’ sees 

GoodSAM responder 

save patient’s life 

A Crawley man who was first 

on scene of a cardiac arrest, 

after being alerted via the 

GoodSAM app by South East 

Coast Ambulance Service 

(SECAmb), is urging others to 

sign up to the initiative. 

Cub and Scout leader, Callum 

Hawker, responded to the alert 

following reports of a cardiac 

arrest in the Crawley area 

in January. 

GoodSAM is an app used 

by SECAmb to alert trained 

responders to cardiac arrests 

within a 500-metre radius. It 

allows 999 call takers to alert 

first-aid trained, local volunteers 

to perform CPR and/or bring 

a defibrillator to the scene of 

an arrest and minimise the 

time a patient spends without 

receiving CPR. 

Callum, who has a Level Four 

Certificate in First Response 

Emergency Care was on the 

scene of the incident within 

minutes and was able to deliver 

care including a shock with his 

own defibrillator prior to the arrival 

of ambulance crews. 

Callum’s actions were praised 

by the SECAmb team when he 

visited the Trust’s Gatwick Make 

Ready Centre recently. Callum 

was able to discuss GoodSAM 

with the SECAmb team and 

added his voice to those calling 

for more people to learn CPR. 

He said: “I’m really pleased to 

have been able to put the skills 

I have learned into practice 

and help someone in a real-life 

situation. I would encourage 

others who have undertaken 

official training to consider signing 

up to become a GoodSAM 

responder. Getting to someone 

to provide chest compressions 

ahead of the ambulance service 

can make all the difference. I’m 

pleased I could help, and I will be 

using the incident as an example 

for our cubs and scouts so they 

can see the difference providing 

CPR can make.” 

Attending Student Critical Care 

Paramedic, Kirsten Reid said: 

“Callum’s quick response was 

vital. He swiftly made his way to 

the scene and did everything right 

to give the patient the best chance 

of survival. Providing the patient 

with a shock prior to our arrival 

was so important. He did a great 

job and should be really proud.” 

With less than one in 10 out-ofhospital 

cardiac arrest victims 

surviving in the UK, Callum’s 

actions highlight the vital role 

CPR and defibrillation play in the 

minutes following cardiac arrest. 

GoodSAM acceptance has 

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been associated with a threefold 

increase in survival and Callum’s 

quick response demonstrates 

how effective the technology can 

be in critical situations. 

Operating Unit Manager, David 

Hawkins, has been key in the 

development of the use of 

GoodSAM across SECAmb. He 

said: “The minutes after a cardiac 

arrest are crucial. Giving someone 

early CPR in those minutes can 

save their life. Callum is a prime 

example of how effective the use 

of the GoodSAM app can be 

within our communities and he 

should be extremely proud of his 

actions. It’s like having a ‘shout for 

help’ in your pocket albeit with a 

wider radius.” 

Thanks to the skill of colleagues 

right across the Trust, including 

our dedicated volunteer 

community first responders, 

emergency operations centre 

teams and frontline ambulance 

crews along with members of 

the public, like Callum, who have 

provided life-saving CPR prior 

to ambulance crews’ arrival, an 

amazing 307 lives were saved 

in the 12 months between April 

2023 and March 2024. 

The Trust is encouraging 

everyone to learn how to save a 

life and asking colleagues and 

members of the public with first 

aid training to consider signing up 

to the GoodSAM app. 

Trust exits special 

measures 


Service NHS Foundation 

Trust (SECAmb) is pleased 

to announce that on 6 March 

2025, following a period of 

sustained improvement, it is to 

exit special measures. 

Following a thorough review, 

NHS England has confirmed 

that SECAmb is no longer in 

NHS oversight framework (NOF) 

segment 4 and has been removed 

from the Recovery Support 

Programme (RSP), formerly known 

as ‘special measures.’ 

NHS England described the 

announcement as an important 

milestone for the Trust and, while 

recognising that there is more 

to do to continue to improve 

services for our patients, paid 

tribute to the hard work of the 

Trust over recent years. 

Simon Weldon, Chief Executive 

of SECAmb, welcomed the 

announcement and thanked 

everyone for their hard work, 

dedication and commitment. 

He said: “I would like to take this 

opportunity to thank our people 

for their continued efforts, and 

everything they have done to help 

us reach this significant point in 

our improvement journey. 

“The difference I see in SECAmb 

today, compared to when I joined 

two years ago, is profound. We 

have made remarkable strides, 

but I know we can achieve even 

more. Our next steps will involve 

collaborating with our lead ICB 

on a plan to ensure our continued 

improvement and to keep 

delivering the exceptional care 

our patients and our communities 

deserve. 

“I would once again like to extend 

my thanks to all of our people 

for their dedication and support. 

Together, we will continue to 

strengthen our Trust and move 

forward with purpose and 

commitment to deliver on our 

strategy and future plans.” 

Usman Khan, outgoing Chair 

of SECAmb, said: “I am really 

pleased that the very real 

progress SECAmb has made 

during recent years has been 

formally recognised by NHS 

England. This is testament to the 

professionalism and focus shown 

by all of our people, including our 

leadership team, and I know that 

I am leaving the organisation in a 

strong position to move forward.” 

Michael Whitehouse, incoming 

Chair of SECAmb said: “I 

welcome this announcement, 

which represents an important 

step forward for SECAmb. Our 

people provide expert and 

compassionate care to our 

patients, every minute of every 

day and they should all take 

a moment to be proud of this 

achievement.” 

Up to 100 personnel 

have taken part 

in a multi-agency 

exercise designed 

to put final-year 

University of Cumbria 

paramedic students 

through their paces 

before graduating 

this summer. 

Exercise Green Fledgling 

has been staged at Halton 

Training Camp, near Lancaster, 

challenging 24 third-year 

undergraduate students in a 

series of escalating scenarios, 

simulated examples of what 

they are likely to encounter 

upon qualification. 

The name of the two-day exercise 

alludes to the iconic colour of 

paramedic uniforms and the 

students’ level of experience. 

First-year University of Cumbria 

paramedic students have also 

taken part, having recently 

returned to campus from their 

first professional placements with 

regional ambulance crews. 

They performed the roles of 

patients and bystanders in some 

of the scenarios before having 

the opportunity to be a student 

paramedic alongside their finalyear 

peers, ensuring they could 

also benefit from the practical 

learning exercise 

Bringing a number of public 

uniformed services together, 

trainee police officers from 

Cumbria Constabulary travelled 

from the force’s Penrith 

headquarters to participate. 

Crews from Lancashire Fire and 

Rescue Service and North West 

Ambulance Service were involved 

too, as were – for the first time – 

reservists from the specialist 335 

Medical Evacuation Regiment. 

The Army also supported 

Exercise Green Fledgling by 

facilitating use of the Halton camp 

on 6 and 7 February. 

The camp is located three miles 

from university’s Bowerham Road 

campus that is home to its Centre 

of Excellence in Paramedic 

Practice, recognised as a primary 

provider of paramedic education 

in the UK. 

The exercise not only tested 

clinical and response skills of 

students but has strengthened 

team and partnership working 

among those in attendance. 

Exercise Green Fledging is the 

brainchild of Senior Lecturer in 

Paramedic Practice, Darren Moss. 

An ex-soldier and former 

paramedic himself, Darren said: 

“This unique exercise challenges 

our final year BSc (Hons) 

Paramedic Science students 

in a range of clinical medical 

and trauma skills, through a 

number of scenarios and a final 

major incident. Each scenario 

consolidates the training and 

knowledge within the students’ 

own practice. 



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NEWSLINE 


“The aim has been to collectively 

challenge our soon to be qualified 

paramedics in their final student 

paramedic exercise, for them 

to be able to demonstrate their 

leadership, clinical, decision 

making, patient assessment 

and management skills whilst 

working with student police 

officers as well as the fire and 

ambulance services. We are also 

very fortunate to have this time 

for the first time Army reservists 

who serve with the 335 Medical 

Evacuation Regiment. It is only 

the third time we have hosted 

this event. It started very small 

and continues to grow thanks 

to all involved, including my 

colleagues within University of 

Cumbria’s Institute of Health. All 

of the services that have taken 

part have been able to use this 

exercise as a training opportunity 

which can only be a good thing 

as we serve the public together. 

“We are very grateful for 

the support from Cumbria 

Constabulary, Lancashire Fire 

and Rescue Service, North West 

Ambulance Service and the Army. 

Their involvement enhances the 

authenticity of the two days.” 

Cumbria Constabulary sent their 

latest cohort of trainee police 

constables. Lancashire Fire 

and Rescue crews provided 

a specialist fast-flowing water 

rescue team. 

The exercise involved six 

‘scenarios’ where the third-year 

paramedic students were tested 

on progressively complex kinds 

of resuscitation. Simulations 

ranged from an assaulted 

pregnant patient with a sudden 

and unexpected birth, to a near 

drowning and a gunshot wound. 

The finale involved the simulation 

of a five-vehicle road traffic 

accident with 10 patients 

displaying traumatic injuries. 

Like in a real-life accident, the 

student police officers attended 

first, followed by paramedics 

and the fire service, who aided 

the extraction of casualties from 

the vehicles. 

The multi-faceted exercise 

has strengthened ties and 

understanding between 

professional services supporting 

the event. 

PC Hayley Johnson, of Cumbria 

Constabulary’s training team, 

said: “We’d like to thank the 

university for organising this 

event. It has provided our student 

officers with some excellent 

experience of what they might 

encounter carrying out their 

duties in emergency scenarios. 

“Partnership working is often key 

in the job they will do – so they 

were able to gain extra insight 

into how other agencies work. 

“The event challenged them 

in a fast-paced scenario to 

work effectively as a team and 

communicate with partners for 

the good of the public.” 

Station Manager David Curran 

from Lancashire Fire and 

Rescue Service said: “These 

exercises are crucial for our 

firefighters as they get to see 

how other agencies respond 

to various incidents that we 

attend, whilst giving the students 

an opportunity to see how 

Lancashire Fire and Rescue 

Service responds. We are grateful 

for the support of the University 

of Cumbria, the other emergency 

services and the army. Our crews 

have greatly benefitted from the 

exercise, and we look forward to 

working closely with them again 

on future exercises.” 

This summer 24 paramedics on 

the undergraduate course will 

graduate from the University 

of Cumbria and will join the 

paramedic register and bolster 

the NHS workforce. 

The University of Cumbria’s Centre 

of Excellence in Paramedic 

Practice is the principal provider 

of paramedic education in the 

UK. It has over 3000 students 

studying on a mixture of degree 

and professional qualifications, 

including the new paramedic 

apprenticeship scheme which is 

delivered in partnership with seven 

English Ambulance NHS Trusts. 

Associate Professor Ian 

Corrie, an academic within the 

university’s Institute of Health, 

is Honorary Colonel of the 335 

Medical Evacuation Regiment, 

2nd Medical Brigade. 

Special guests observing this 

year’s exercise included Lt 

Colonel Johanna Horn from the 

Royal Army Medical Service 

and Associate Professor Tom 

Davidson, Director of Allied 

Health Professionals and 

the Centre of Excellence in 

Paramedic Practice at University 

of Cumbria. 

Grateful cardiac 

arrest survivor 

donates to 

Shropshire CFRS 

A man who suffered a cardiac 

arrest whilst playing bowls 

in December last year has 

donated money to the volunteer 

Community First Responders 

who were first on scene. 

John Preece, 81 from Claverley 

in Shropshire, collapsed after 

finishing a game of indoor 

bowls in Alveley Village Hall on 

18th December 2024. Thanks 

to friends and members at the 

village hall who had recently 

completed CPR training held by 

Alveley First Responders, CPR 

was promptly started on Mr 

Preece and 999 was called. 

Alveley First Responders Mike 

Nixon and Martin Hill were first 

on scene followed by two crews 

and a critical care car from the 

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity. 

The team managed to restart 

Mr Preece’s heart at the scene, 

and he was taken to hospital for 

further emergency care. John 

spent a month in New Cross 

Hospital and was fitted with an 

internal defibrillator before being 

discharged home. 

The CFR group recently received 

a thank you letter from Mr Preece 

and a donation to the scheme. 

Talking about that day, Mr 

Preece, said: “The phrase ‘having 

ones ducks in a row’ couldn’t 

have been more accurate than on 

that day. Had I been anywhere 

else, I am sure I would not have 

survived so I owe the CFRs and 

the Air Ambulance Doctor my 

life, for which I am most grateful. 

Apparently, and thanks to you 

good people, I have only lost 5% 

of my heart function. In thanks to 

you I am making a donation to the 

First Responders. Again, many 

many thanks.” 

Mike, who has been a CFR for 

10 years, said: “I am so happy to 

hear John had a positive outcome 

and just shows the importance 

of early CPR and the excellent 

work CFRs do in their local 

community supporting WMAS. 

We had recently held a free CPR 

and defib awareness course 

a few months earlier to John’s 

cardiac arrest which the people 

with him had undertaken so 

had the knowledge to start CPR 

and get one of the three CPAD’s 

we have in the village. We have 

since done more CPR training in 

February this year with the bowls 

club at which John came along 

and was guest of honour. Whilst 

we absolutely don’t volunteer for 

the money, it’s an enormously 

generous donation which will go 

directly back into the community 

that we serve. The money has 

been spent on replacing the 

decals and signage on our new 

scheme vehicle.” 

22 


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24 


IN PERSON 

Air Ambulances UK 

announces new Chair 

of Trustees 

Air Ambulances UK is pleased to 

announce the appointment of Sarah 

Thewlis as the new Chair of its Board of 

Trustees. Sarah takes on the role following 

a comprehensive selection process to 

identify a leader with the expertise and 

strategic vision to guide the organisation 

in its ongoing mission to support air 

ambulance charities across the UK. 

Sarah brings extensive leadership experience 

from a diverse career spanning human 

resources, logistics, healthcare management, 

and executive search. She began her career 

at Marks and Spencer before moving into 

senior leadership roles, including Deputy Chief 

Executive at the Royal College of Physicians, 

Chief Executive at the Royal College of 

General Practitioners, and Chief Executive 

and Registrar at the Nursing and Midwifery 

Council. In 2010, she established Thewlis 

Graham Associates, a boutique executive 

search and consultancy firm specialising in 

the not-for-profit sector, professional bodies, 

and regulatory organisations. 

Reflecting on her appointment, Sarah said: 

Lindsay Boswell, Interim CEO of Air 

Ambulances UK, welcomed Sarah to the 

role, stating: 

“We are thrilled to have Sarah join Air 

Ambulances UK as the new Chair of our 

Board of Trustees. With her wealth of 

experience across multiple sectors and her 

passion for supporting complex organisations, 

she brings invaluable insight and leadership. 

Sarah’s expertise will be instrumental in 

strengthening our support for air ambulance 

charities and ensuring the sector continues to 

deliver life-saving care across the UK. We look 

forward to working closely with her and the 

Board of Trustees to build on our mission and 

drive further impact.” 

Great Western Air Ambulance 

Charity (GWAAC) is delighted 

to announce the appointment 

of Jason Holt as its new Chair 

of the Board of Trustees. 

Jason brings extensive 

leadership skills and a wealth 

of experience that will help 

drive the charity forward in 

a time when its lifesaving air 

ambulance and critical care 

service is in demand more 

than ever. 

He is currently Chair of EDX Medical Group 

PLC and was appointed by the Secretary of 

State for Transport as Chair of Dover Harbour 

Board. He is also Chief Executive and a 

Board Director of European Cargo Limited. 

Previous roles have included Whitehall’s Chief 

Executive of Test at UK Government DHSS 

Test & Trace, Chief Executive and Chairman 

of Swissport Western Europe, Executive Vice 

President and Board Member of Cargolux 

International SA Luxembourg, and Director of 

Strategy at EasyJet Airlines. Other high-profile 

roles follow his early career as a Squadron 

Leader in the UK Royal Air Force where he 

attended the Empire Test Pilot’s School 

prior to joining the airline business and Virgin 

Atlantic Airways. 

Jason has a personal reason for wanting 

to contribute to his local air ambulance and 

critical care service; 12 years ago, he was 

first on scene to a serious road traffic collision 

and witnessed first-hand the value that an air 

ambulance crew brings to someone having 

their worst day. 

“I am honoured to be joining the Great 

Western Air Ambulance Charity team as 

its new Chair of the Board of Trustees. I’m 

especially looking forward to extending the 

presence of GWAAC within the West as it 

continues to reach the many individuals in 

times of urgent need.” 

Jason Holt, Chair of the Board of Trustees, 

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity 

Anna Perry, Chief Executive of GWAAC says, 

“I am thrilled that Jason is our new Chair of 

the Board of Trustees and I am confident 

that with his expertise and commitment to 

supporting our vital work, he will help steer 

GWAAC as we continue to deliver excellent 

standards of pre-hospital critical care to 

evermore people who need it in the region 

we serve.” 

“I am delighted to be appointed as the 

independent Chair of Air Ambulances UK and 

to support the outstanding work of the air 

ambulance charities who provide timely critical 

care especially where distance or accessibility 

is a challenge. I look forward to serving with the 

rest of the Board and to working collaboratively 

in driving forward the organisation’s mission 

and strengthening the vital support provided to 

the regional bodies across the UK.” 

Jason has chaired several complex 

organisations in logistics and medical 

healthcare and has a background sitting 

on charity boards for armed forces 

personnel wellbeing. This combined with 

his ambition to continue to give back to 

the community and “do great things for 

great causes” makes him a perfect fit for 

GWAAC. 

As Jason takes up the reins, GWAAC wishes 

to thank its former Chair of the Board of 

Trustees, Martyn Drake, for his hard work 

and commitment over the years. Since 2019, 

Martyn has helped to: strengthen the entire 

organisation in terms of its people; lead the 

service GWAAC offered during the COVID-19 

pandemic; increase the number of operational 

missions; improve GWAAC’s financial stability 

by broadening revenue streams; and bring 

good business practices to the charity whilst 



25

IN PERSON 

retaining its social purpose. GWAAC is 

delighted that Martyn will remain on the Board 

until the end of his term, totalling nine years of 

dedicated service. 

Jason took up his new post with GWAAC in 

December 2024, initially working with Martyn 

during a transitional phase, and will remain 

as Chair of the Board of Trustees for GWAAC 

until Spring 2028 when his tenure may 

be extended. 

Appointment of new Chief 

Digital Information Officer 

SECAmb Chief Executive, Simon Weldon, 

said: “I welcome Nick to SECAmb and am 

pleased that we have been able to make this 

important appointment to this key executive 

director role. He brings with him a wealth 

of experience and I am looking forward to 

working closely with him as we continue to 

develop our digital agenda. 

“I would like to thank Stephen for the 

contribution he has made during his time 

with us, including for the development of our 

Digital Strategy. He is leaving us with a solid 

platform to build on moving forwards.” 

Nick said: “I am really excited to be joining 

SECAmb at such a defining period for 

them, with the opportunity to deliver a 

transformational digital strategy to improve 

patient care and enhance the staff user 

experience. I look forward to using my 

learning from Moorfields and UCLH specialist 

Michael’s appointment will therefore be for an 

initial 12-month period to ensure continuity 

while we await the outcome of this work. 

Lead Governor, Andrew Latham said: “On 

behalf of the Council of Governors, we are 

very pleased to appoint Michael into the 

role of Chair. He has extensive leadership 

experience of both the Trust and the NHS 

and will ensure continuity and stability to 

the Board whilst we continue to implement 

our forward strategy for the benefit of those 

we serve.” 

SECAmb Chief Executive, Simon Weldon, 

said: “During my time at SECAmb, I have been 

impressed with Michael’s clarity of thought 

and commitment, and the leadership he has 

shown as Deputy Chair and Chair of our 

Audit Committee. I would like to thank him for 

taking on this role and am looking forward to 

working closely with him.” 

acutes to help develop the next level of 

technology and data capability for this vital 

emergency response service.” 

St John Ambulance Appoints 

New Chief Operating Officer 

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS 

Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is pleased to 

announce the appointment of a new Chief 

Digital Information Officer. 

Nick Roberts joined the Trust on 1 April. 

Stephen Bromhall will be returning to 

his substantive role at East of England 

Ambulance Service at the end of April 

following the end of his secondment. 

Nick is currently Chief Information Officer at 

Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation 

Trust in London. He has been the senior 

responsible officer for technology and data 

across Moorfields at Board level since joining 

the hospital in 2020. 


Service NHS Foundation 

Trust (SECAmb) is pleased to 

announce that our Council of 

Governors appointed Michael 

Whitehouse as our new 

Trust Chair on Wednesday 

5 February 2025 

St John Ambulance is pleased to 

announce the appointment of Matthew 

Killick BEM as the first aid charity’s 

Chief Operating Officer, effective from 

early May. 

Matthew will join St John Ambulance from 


Nick has been involved in several major 

transformational programmes including 

the transformation of OpenEyes – an eye 

care clinical noting system converted to a 

highly available public cloud solution, and in 

delivering the trust’s full business case for its 

new EPR, MoorConnect. 

Previously, Nick was Director of Digital Services 

at University College London NHS Foundation 

Trust (UCLH), onboarding a new outsourced 

IT service provision, and implementing the 

technology and data migration to support their 

Epic EPR implementation. 

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 

had begun to work with our colleagues at 

South Central Ambulance Service to explore 

creating a group model. 

Scouts, where he served as Executive 

Director of Operations from July 2023. In 

this role, he was responsible for overseeing 

all operations, including Safety and 

Safeguarding, Member Support, Growth and 

Communities, and Youth programmes. He 

worked with volunteers and staff throughout 

the UK to ensure the safe and effective 

delivery of services. 

Prior to his tenure at Scouts, Matthew spent 

six years with the Red Cross, beginning as 

UK Director of Event First Aid & Ambulance 

Services before becoming UK Director of 

26 


IN PERSON 

Crisis Response and Community Resilience. 

During his time at the Red Cross, he led some 

of the largest operational responses in recent 

history, addressing critical issues such as the 

Covid pandemic, the Afghanistan evacuation, 

and the conflict in Ukraine. In recognition of 

his exemplary service during the Covid crisis, 

Matthew was awarded a British Empire Medal 

in the 2021 Honours list. 

With over 25 years of experience in senior 

operational and commercial business 

development roles within prominent charities, 

including Barnardo’s and Catch 22, Matthew 

brings a wealth of expertise to St John 

Ambulance. 

“I’m truly excited to be joining an organisation 

that plays such a vital role in society,” said 

Matthew. “St John is an incredible charity, 

and I look forward to working alongside the 

dedicated employees and volunteers who 

make such a difference every day to the lives 

of others.” 

Shona Dunn, CEO, St John Ambulance 

says: “I’m delighted to have Matthew joining 

us at this important time. As we focus on 

our growth and impact, I am confident that 

Matthew’s experience and passion will be 

pivotal in helping us achieve our goals.” 

New Non-Executive and 

Associate Non-Executive 

Directors join the Yorkshire 

Ambulance Service NHS 

Trust Board 

NHS England has confirmed the 

appointment of Saghir Alam OBE as a 

new Non-Executive Board member of 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust 

with effect from 1 February 2025. He 

has been joined by three new Associate 

Non-Executive Directors on the Board, 

Tabitha Arulampalam, Katie Lees and 

Rebecca Randell. 

Saghir is a very experienced non-executive 

director who has a legal and business 

background. He is a Rotherham Borough 

Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Safe 

and Clean Communities, and has extensive 

experience in public sector leadership and 

governance locally and nationally and was 

awarded an OBE for public service in 2006. 

He is a former Non-Executive Director of 

The Rotherham NHS Trust, lay advisor to 

the National Police Improvement Agency 

and expert member of the Youth Citizen 

Commission. 

Saghir succeeds Jeremy Pease whose term 

of office came to an end on 31 January 

2025 after six years at the Trust. Saghir’s 

appointment runs from 1 February 2025 until 

31 January 2028. 

As a non-executive member of the Board, 

Saghir’s role is to work alongside other 

Board colleagues to ensure the Trust has 

a clear strategy and works to ensure that 

communities and patients receive high 

quality, safe services for patients and local 

communities. 

Martin Havenhand, Chair of the Trust Board, 

said: “I am delighted that Saghir has joined 

us on the Board. His skills and extensive 

experience will be incredibly valuable to the 

Trust and we look forward to working with 

him. I would also like to thank Jeremy Pease, 

who has stepped down after six years, for his 

valued contribution. 

“I’m also pleased to welcome three new 

Associate Non-Executive Directors to the 

Trust who all bring valuable insight and 

experience.” 

Non-executive appointments to NHS Trusts 

are made by NHS England and made in 

accordance with the Governance Code for 

Public Appointments. NHS England ensures 

that all appointments to NHS trust boards are 

made in a way that is open, transparent and 

fair to candidates. 

Associate Non-Executive Directors 

The term of office for the Associate Non- 

Executive Directors is up to two years from 1 

February 2025 and is reviewed annually. 

Tabitha Arulampalam has worked in local 

government, the NHS and the third sector for 

more than 30 years with a successful track 

record of collaborative work. She has been a 

Non-Executive Director for many years, most 

recently for the Johnnie Johnson Housing 

Association and Wakefield District Community 

Foundation. She is a former commissioner 

of community and mental health services in 

Yorkshire, working with partner organisations 

to deliver improvements. 

Katherine (Katie) Lees is a General Practitioner 

(GP) and has helped to develop and deliver 

seven new NHS services across North West 

England and West Yorkshire since completing 

her training in 2016. Katie currently works with 

an out-of-hours service in West Yorkshire and 

her roles include clinical care, 111 triage and 

being part of the COVID Medicine Delivery 

Unit. She brings valuable lived experience 

of neurodisability and neurodivergence, 

which informs her advocacy for inclusivity in 

healthcare and workplace settings. 

Professor Rebecca Randell has over 20 years’ 

experience in digital health and is passionate 

about using technology to support the NHS 

in delivering better healthcare and achieving 

meaningful improvements for patients and 

staff. She is Professor of Digital Innovations 

in Healthcare and Director of the Centre for 

Digital Innovations in Health and Social Care 

at the University of Bradford, where she is 

committed to increasing the diversity of the 

NHS digital workforce and involving service 

users in technology design. She has varied 

experience of committee work at regional, 

national, and international levels, including 

for the National Institute for Health and Care 

Research and the European Federation of 

Medical Informatics. 



27

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Ambulance UK April 2025

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