Vital work of ambulance service highlighted as part of BBC NHS Day
The hard work of North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) colleagues was featured as part of the BBC’s NHS Day on 22 January.
NHS Day featured across the BBC nationally, with reporters across the country visiting a range of NHS services.
Health correspondent Sharon Barbour was invited into NEAS on two consecutive days in preparation for the day. The first day saw her following Gateshead patient transport service crew Steven Moore and Anthony White on a patient journey to the Freeman Hospital, before heading to the trust's headquarters in Newburn to interview PTS service delivery manager, Claire Glister, and Stu Holliday, head of emergency preparedness, resilience and response.
The second day saw her following Hartlepool crew James Atkinson and Nathan Pattison on the first half of their day shift.
The package - which featured throughout the day on the BBC - highlighted how NEAS colleagues manage rising demand, respond to the most urgent calls, and work closely with hospital partners to ensure patient safety, all the while maintaining high-quality care under sustained pressure.
Mark Cotton, assistant director of communications at NEAS, said: "Being featured on the BBC’s NHS Day was an invaluable opportunity to show the public the extraordinary efforts our colleagues make every day. We are proud of the professionalism, compassion and resilience demonstrated by staff across the service, and it’s important that their work is recognised on such a significant national platform.
"Working proactively with media partners is a really important part of my team's work, ensuring the work of our hard-working colleagues remains visible, understood, and valued across the North East."