Some of the heroes who work tirelessly to offer outstanding patient care, mentor our future paramedics and offer exceptional support to our staff have been recognised at South Western Ambulance Service’s staff and volunteer award ceremonies. 

The annual awards acknowledge those staff who have gone above and beyond their remit and deserve extra recognition. They also offer the chance to appreciate the dedication of service to the Trust by some of our longest serving members of staff.

For the first time our team of Community First Responders, who volunteer their time to deliver immediate life-saving care in their communities joined our regular staff to enjoy the celebrations.

Chief Executive of the Trust, Ken Wenman said:  “Whether they are working on the front line, or supporting our paramedics behind the scenes, our staff and volunteers do fantastic work every day. 

“These award ceremonies, however, are our way of saying thank you to those who have gone above and beyond their remit to deliver outstanding patient care and to those who have shown exceptional dedication to their role, the Trust and those they care for through their long service. 

“Everyone who received an award at one of our divisional ceremonies should quite rightly be commended but there are a few people who really do deserve to be singled out for praise.  

“Reaching the 40 year milestone in any job is an impressive feat but to do so in a front line role, dealing with life threatening situations day in, day out is a remarkable personal achievement. 

“The bravery and in some cases ingenuity of our crews has also been recognised. Using medical equipment to rescue a drowning patient is not something our crews would have rehearsed but one of our teams in Stroud did just that, showing their dedication to patient care in truly adverse conditions. 

“On some occasions our crews are faced with the harrowing task of treating their own friends and colleagues but despite this traumatic situation their true professionalism always shines through. 

“Working in an emergency service it can be difficult to take the time to appreciate the incredible work these people do but these awards are an opportunity to show our staff that their commitment, professionalism and bravery does not go unnoticed.” 

The Trust’s Chairman, Tony Fox, said: “These ceremonies showcase the amazing professionalism at South Western Ambulance Service and rightly recognise the work our staff do to ensure patients across the South West receive exceptional care. 

“It is also great to see our dedicated Community First Responders are now an integral part of these awards, showing our staff and volunteers working together to support to care for our communities. 

“I would particularly like to highlight the work of two members of the public whose defibrillator training by the Trust enabled them to literally save the life of their colleague. It is fitting they were recognised for their swift actions and shows collaboration at its best.” 

Awards accepted on the night included Chief Executive Commendations, long service awards, Mentor of the Year and Employee of the Year.