Ambulance service colleagues honoured for more than 300 years of service to the North East

The Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct ceremony took place at the Grand Hotel Gosforth Park in Newcastle on Wednesday 30 September, bringing colleagues, friends and families together to celebrate this year’s recipients.

The medals, issued under Royal Warrant, recognise ambulance personnel who have worked in emergency care for 20 or more years. Those reaching 30 and 40 years of service also received a bar to display above their original medal, recognising their extended dedication to the ambulance service.

The medals were presented by deputy lieutenant Christopher Tearny DL ACF, representing His Majesty the King in honouring colleagues who have devoted decades of their lives to supporting patients and communities across the region.

Chief executive Kev Scollay said: “Long service in the ambulance service represents so much more than the number of years someone has worked for us. It represents thousands of shifts, countless patients and families supported, difficult moments navigated and the commitment to keep showing up for our communities.

“Today is an opportunity to pause and recognise the incredible contribution made by these colleagues over the course of their careers. Whether working on the frontline, in our emergency operations centres or in other roles supporting patient care, each recipient has played an important part in our service and the communities we serve.

“We are incredibly proud of their achievements and grateful for the knowledge, experience and compassion they continue to bring to NEAS.”

From frontline ambulance crews to emergency operations centre (EOC) colleagues, this year’s recipients represent the full breadth of the service’s expertise and commitment to emergency patient care.

In 2025/26, NEAS health advisors answered more than 1.475 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, supporting more than 56,000 patients over the phone. Emergency ambulance crews transported more than 298,000 patients to hospital and treated more than 143,000 patients in the community, reflecting the scale and complexity of modern pre-hospital care.

Among those recognised was Paula Slater, a rapid response paramedic who joined East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) in 2005 as an advanced technician. She joined NEAS in 2009 after moving to Newcastle, later qualifying as a paramedic in 2014. Over her career, Paula has worked in the emergency operations centre and frontline services, was involved in filming the BBC One series ‘Ambulance’ and has worked as a rapid response paramedic since 2019.

Reflecting on two decades in the ambulance service, Paula said: “I genuinely love meeting new patients. Every person has a story, and over 20 years I’ve met thousands of people from all walks of life. We’re invited into people’s lives at some of their most difficult and vulnerable moments, and I’ve never taken the trust they place in us for granted.

“The job has changed hugely since I started, but that human connection remains what I value most. I’m incredibly proud of what I do, and I always try to treat people as I would want my own family to be treated.”

Also recognised was Michael “Mik” Anderson, who retired from NEAS in 2025 after an extraordinary 40-year NHS career. Mik began his ambulance career in 1985 with Suffolk Ambulance Service as an ambulance technician, later becoming one of Suffolk’s first paramedics before progressing through clinical and management roles. He went on to work across ambulance services and hospital settings in the Midlands and North East, joining NEAS in 2015 as an advanced practitioner (paramedic).

During his career, Mik witnessed the ambulance service transform from a service focused largely on emergency response and patient transport into a highly skilled clinical service, with paramedics able to provide increasingly advanced care in the community. Reflecting on his career and receiving the long-service award, Mik said: “There have been so many changes over 40 years, but one thing has stayed with me. I once showed a local Beaver group the emergency response car and all the equipment we had and asked them what the most important thing was to be as a paramedic. A little girl put her hand up and said, ‘To be kind.’ She was absolutely right.

“After all the training, clinical skills, and technology, perhaps the most important thing is simply remembering to be kind. For me, this award is a recognition of the many patients, colleagues, and experiences that have made up my career, and the privilege of being able to help people when they need it most.”

Kev concluded: “For 20, 30 or 40 years, these colleagues have given their time, skills and commitment to helping others. That is an extraordinary contribution, and one that deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

“I hope today gives each recipient an opportunity to reflect on everything they have achieved and the people they have supported along the way. On behalf of everyone at NEAS, thank you for your service, your dedication and everything you continue to do for our patients and communities.”

Congratulations to all of this year’s medal recipients and thank you for everything you’ve given – and continue to give – to our patients, our teams and our communities.