Ambulance service invites the patient’s choice in employee awards

The search is on to identify the patient’s choice of ambulance employees who have gone beyond the call of duty over the past year.

Every year, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) holds the Beyond the Call of Duty Awards to recognise staff who have given exceptional care. The celebration also incorporates the long service awards for those staff who have been with the service for 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.

Members of the public have until Saturday 27 July 2019 to make a nomination and this can be done by completing the online form here: http://bit.ly/2v8AQ8j

NEAS covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region and employs more than 2,600 staff who serve a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region. In 2017/18 the service answered over 1.4 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 280,000 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged 27,000 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged over 100,000 patients at home. 

Now in its eighth year, this year’s event will take place at Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham on the 11 October and is sponsored overall by Ward Hadaway, along with associate sponsors:  vehicle design company WAS, Business Time Solutions, Cleric, GMB and UNISON.

Yvonne Ormston, NEAS chief executive says, “Our staff play a really important role in the lives of North East residents every day whether it be answering a 999 or 111 calls, giving clinical care or patient transport, or supporting the front line with everything from fleet, recruitment and finances to occupational health and information technology.

“Each one helps to ensure patients and their families receive the best service they can from us when it really matters. To us, they are all heroes, but we know that those whose lives they touch really understand what a difference they have made to them day in, day out.

“We are appealing to all those who want to recognise our staff to say well done for something that they often themselves see as ‘just their job’. Being recognised by a patient’s nomination can mean a lot to our hardworking staff.”

Last year, special recognition went to a call handler and emergency care crew for their support to give CPR advice and lifesaving treatment to save a patient’s life. Michaela Purdham, Lauren Wilding and Richard York won the public nomination award.

Nicola Richardson, partner in the healthcare team at law firm Ward Hadaway, said: “We work closely with the team at North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust so we know what tremendous work the staff at the Trust carry out every day of the year, often in very challenging situations.

“Sponsoring the staff awards is a great way for us to acknowledge how people at the Trust go above and beyond to deliver first class healthcare services when they are needed most to thousands of people right across the North East. The awards never fail to highlight inspiring acts of dedication and I am sure that this year will prove to be no exception.”

You have until Saturday 27 July 2019 to register your nomination in the patient’s choice category. To find out more and to submit your nomination, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/2v8AQ8j