Long service and special achievements celebrated at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust awards

Staff, volunteers and members of the public gathered at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking on the evening of Thursday, October 6 for the awards, which primarily covered the Trust’s Surrey and West Sussex region.

Queen’s Medals for Long Service and Good Conduct were presented by Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey, Michael Hayman MBE, who attended as The King’s representative, while staff were also presented with awards for 20, 30 and an amazing 40 years’ NHS service. SECAmb’s volunteer community first responders were recognised for ten years’ service.

Chief Executive Commendations were presented across a number of categories including Exceeding Expectations, Demonstrating Compassion and Respect and Leadership.

A public commendation was awarded to a group of work colleagues from Titan Garden Buildings in Ripley for their quick thinking and actions in coming to the aid of their colleague who cut his hand off with an electric saw earlier this year.

SECAmb interim chief executive Siobhan Melia said: “I was delighted to join a Trust awards ceremony for the first time since I joined SECAmb in the summer.

“It was an honour to celebrate the long service of so many dedicated members of staff and volunteers and I was extremely impressed by the variety of nominations for commendations we received.

“They represent just a small fraction of the amazing work and care which takes place across our region day-in, day-out.”

The second and third of SECAmb’s award ceremonies take place this Thursday, (October 13) and next Thursday (October 20) in Kent and Sussex respectively.

Full details of all long service and commendation award winners from Sussex can be found below

Queen’s Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct

Sean Agate, paramedic, Gatwick

Karen Bell, paramedic, Gatwick

David Boult, ambulance technician, Worthing

Justine Cobby, ambulance technician, Gatwick

Richard Crabb, critical care paramedic, Worthing

Matthew Day, ambulance technician, Worthing

Richard Dixon, operational team leader, Tangmere

Mark Durham, critical care paramedic, Worthing

Geraldine Foley, clinical supervisor, EOC West, (Crawley)

Vicky Jago, ambulance paramedic, Gatwick

Sonia Latham, paramedic practitioner, Tangmere

Vikki Lewis, paramedic, EOC West (Crawley)/Chertsey

Jo Littlewood, ambulance technician, Gatwick

Neil Martin, paramedic, Worthing

Brendan McQuillan, ambulance technician, Worthing

Tara Ollman, paramedic practitioner, Worthing

Geoffrey Pelling, paramedic, Brighton

David Phillips, advanced ambulance technician, Worthing

John Pollard, ambulance technician, Worthing

Dorien Rapley-Hawkins, urgent care paramedic, EOC West (Crawley)/Chertsey

Gary Roberts, operational team leader, Gatwick

Ian Stringer, HART paramedic, Gatwick

Adam Webster, ambulance technician, Tangmere

20 Years’ NHS Service

Michelle Allen, resource dispatcher, West EOC, (Crawley)

Brian Croney, IT supply manager, Crawley HQ

James Fox, head of IT service delivery, Crawley HQ

Rebecca Garratt, dispatch team leader, West EOC, (Crawley)

Suzanne Phillips, operating unit administrator, Worthing

Angela Rayner, head of wellbeing (retired), Crawley HQ

June Tingey, ambulance technician, Brighton

30 Years’ NHS Service

Richard Brandon, critical care paramedic, Gatwick

Cheryl Laflain, paramedic, Gatwick

Steve Lovelock, paramedic practitioner, Gatwick

Keith Middleton, paramedic, Gatwick

Rebecca Perry, 111 paramedic CAS clinical navigator, Crawley

Ten Year’s Voluntary Service

Mathew Smith, community first responder, Mid Sussex

Chief Executive Commendations

Exceeding Expectations:

Steve Leggatt, paramedic, Tangmere Operating Unit – for his brave actions, putting his own safety at risk, to protect his colleagues and patients when a man approached an A&E department with a knife. Without hesitation, Steve took quick and decisive action to protect others by directing them to safety and instructing crews to lock themselves in their ambulances and press their man-down buttons. Prior to that, Steve had confronted the man and managed to get him away from the ambulance bay.

His quick thinking ensured that the man was prevented from entering the hospital where he could have potentially caused further harm. Steve remained with the man until the police, who were in the department at the time of the incident dealing with another matter, were able to take over and disarm him.

Leadership

Penny Green, operating unit Manager, call handling, emergency operations centre, West (Crawley) – for her inclusive approach which ensured a colleague’s religious beliefs were accommodated within the busy 999 emergency operating centre environment. Penny took the time to make necessary adjustments which means her shifts do not impact on her worship.