Ambulance staff praised for academic achievement at annual awards

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) is celebrating the academic achievements of 413 members of staff tonight at an annual awards event at Ramside Hall.

The annual event marks the education, learning and development of staff on the frontline and in support services.

Presenting the awards, Yvonne Ormston, chief executive said: “We recognise the value of our people and one of our key strategic objectives is to look after them.  Having recently achieved Investors in People status, we will continue to invest in our workforce and celebrate their individual and collective achievements because we know that it helps us to retain and develop our talented employees and attract our future employees.”

Celebrating the achievements of frontline employees:

Forty-eight of whom qualified as paramedics having completed their Paramedic Practice BSc.

Fifty-one clinical care assistants will be recognised for completing their core training and inductions over a four week clinical skills course followed by a four week driving course to be able to assist paramedics with patients.

Thirty-three scheduled care crews, who have completed their two week induction which included first aid training, spending time within a care home setting and a vehicle familiarisation course.

Our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) completed a range of training courses to develop their skills, including mass casualty incidents involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) or other hazardous materials, train crashes, large scale vehicle accidents, building collapses, significant fires, working in water, urban search and rescue, operational commander training.

Personal academic achievements will be recognised in everything from ‘Enhanced Care’, helping paramedics to build on their existing clinical skills and International Trauma Life Support, to project management, first aid and business management.

But the awards won’t stop there.  Mentorship is a key skill to support new people in the Trust and those successfully completing their 12 week mentorship course ‘Facilitating Learning and Practice’ will ensure the ongoing guidance and support of newcomers, which helps to build a workforce of skilled and talented employees in the Trust.

Yvonne continues, “As a frontline emergency service amidst great change within the NHS, we know how vital it is to ensure our workforce are leading the field with current skills and a vision for the future which helps us to sustain a service that is fit for purpose and provides the very best service we can for patients.”

 The service covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region, employing more than 2,600 staff and serving a population of 2.7 million people.  The Trust handles all NHS111 and 999 calls for the region, operates patient transport and ambulance response services, delivers training for communities and commercial audiences and provides medical support cover at events.