Ambulance service staff honoured for more than 240 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 Monday 24 November, where colleagues, friends, and families gathered 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. This year marks the first time the criteria also includes emergency operations centre staff (including 999 health advisors, dispatchers, and clinicians) and other roles that have a direct impact on emergency patient care. In addition, those with 30 and 40 years of service received a bar to display above their original medal, recognising their extended dedication.

The medals were presented by Ms Lucy Winskell OBE the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, 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: “Every one of today’s recipients has given an enormous part of their life to serving others. The situations they face are often complex and deeply emotional, yet their professionalism, compassion, and resilience never waver. We are incredibly proud to recognise their service and the difference they make, day after day, for our communities.”

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 2024/25, NEAS health advisors answered over 1.4 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, supporting more than 37,900 patients over the phone. Emergency ambulance crews transported over 280,000 patients to hospital and treated more than 139,700 patients in the community, reflecting the scale and complexity of modern pre-hospital care.

Among those honoured was paramedic Anna Graham, who joined NEAS in 2004 as an advanced technician and still jokes she “feels like a new starter” despite two decades in uniform. Anna says she still loves the variety and privilege of frontline care: “We meet people on the worst days of their lives. Being able to help, even in a small way, is why I still love this job.”

She credits supportive colleagues in her early years for shaping her practice: “I worked with incredible clinicians who set the bar high and supported me every step. The friends I made then are still my rocks now.”

Also receiving an award was Ben Dixon, who joined at 21 (also as an advanced technician) and now is the leader of the green team for the service’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

Ben says the role of paramedicine has changed significantly over the years: “Paramedic care has evolved hugely since 2004. We are now able to offer advanced clinical care in the pre-hospital setting and in HART we can also offer this in a variety of challenging and hazardous environments. Since I started over 20 years ago now, we’ve become far more prepared to be able to deal with major incidents and special operations; we’re always pushing to improve and provide the best possible care to patients."

Reflecting on his career milestone, he added: “Half my life has been spent with NEAS. That hits home. It’s been an honour.”

Lynn Huldie, head of service for ambulance dispatch, joined NEAS in 1990 on the doctors’ answering service before moving into 999 call taking; a role she describes as “exciting, daunting, and completely handwritten”.

“My first shift was terrifying. You listened in, then suddenly the phone was passed to you. No headsets, no triage, just pen, paper and instinct.”

Lynn went on to become the first EOC training manager in the country, building a structured training pathway that was later shared nationally: “I turned some of my toughest early experiences into a programme that made sure nobody felt as unprepared as I did on that first call, and I’m proud it still shapes our service today.”

Reflecting on the honour, she added: “The chain of care starts in the EOC. To see this work recognised means the world, not just for me, but for every colleague who picks up the phone to someone in crisis.”

Kev concluded: “Today we're recognising much more than length of service; we’re celebrating the commitment, humanity, and quiet heroism that defines our workforce. Every person here has helped save lives, supported families, and strengthened the communities we serve. We thank them for their exceptional service to the North East.”

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.