Public nominations invited for ambulance service staff who go ‘Beyond the Call of Duty’

Members of the public are being invited to nominate ambulance service staff for going above and beyond to help them.

​Every year, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (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 staff who have been with the ambulance service for 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years.

Members of the public have until 31 July to make a nomination.  To nominate someone, please visit www.neas.nhs.uk  and fill in the online nomination form.

​NEAS covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region.  It employs more than 2,500 staff and serves a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region. In 2015/16 the service answered 1.160 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 295,855 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged 19,949 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged 85,021 patients at home. 

​This year’s event will take place at the Hardwick Hall Hotel on 20 October and is sponsored overall by Ward Hadaway, along with Ortus, 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.

“Last year there was a total of 300 staff members nominated, of which only  16 were publically nominated. So, 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’.”

2016 public nomination winner  Alan Jobson was nominated by Newcastle City Council for the development and delivery of an overdose awareness course for staff, drug users and their carers.

Alan produced and delivered training, which meant that Newcastle City Council continued to invest in various programmes and projects with the Trust.

Last year Trevor Ulph and Alan McKay, fondly known as Gateshead 2 crew, also received the highly commended public nomination award. Nominated by a patient who has used the Patient Transport Service for over a year, Denise Cuthbertson has mobility problems and nominated the pair for always arriving on time to collect her to go to and from appointments.

She described the two as incredibly patient and supportive and nominated them because she wanted to pass on her gratitude to them for being so understanding. She said, ‘It’s like having a friend. It is really nice to see someone different to talk to. I look forward to being transported to my appointments. It is the only time I get a ride out. All crews are great but I have found the Gateshead Crew 2 are the best.”

Nicola Richardson, partner in the healthcare team at law firm Ward Hadaway, says, “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.”

-ENDS-