NWAS annual staff awards

The Courage Award presented to Tom Goodwin, Rebecca Barron and Mohammed Ali by Bob Williams (CEO)

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Courage, dedication and partnership were celebrated at the North West Ambulance Service’s (NWAS) annual Going the Extra Mile (GEM) Awards, as staff and volunteers were honoured for going above and beyond in their roles.

Around 200 staff members and guests attended the ceremony held at Ribby Hall Village in Lancashire on Thursday 3 March, which was hosted by BBC North West Tonight presenter Annabel Tiffin.

The evening was an opportunity for staff, volunteers and other emergency service and health partners from across the region to cheer on their fellow team members shortlisted in the 14 different award categories. Each nominee was put forward for an award by their own colleagues and there were special commendation awards from the Trust’s chairman and chief executive.

The award for Frontline Staff Member of the Year Paramedic Emergency Service was presented to paramedic Kate Mitten. Kate had just started her maternity leave and was due to give birth at any time when she received a knock on the door from her neighbour asking for help as his wife was in the bath and not breathing. Kate rushed over and with the help of the husband lifted the patient from the bath and commenced CPR and managed to revive the patient before the ambulance crew arrived. The patient went on to make a full recovery and Kate gave birth to a girl four days later.

The Courage Award was presented to Tom Goodwin, Rebecca Barron and Mohammed Ali for an incident they responded to in September in which a male had fallen 40 feet from a building into a shallow river. The crew descended a 40 metre, 45 degree concrete slope, with a 10 foot drop from a ledge to reach the patient and managed to pull him out of the water and treat him for significant injuries. The actions by the crew were incredibly brave and likely saved the patient’s life.

Dan Smith, Consultant Paramedic for Greater Manchester, was recipient of the Chief Executive’s Care and Compassion award. Dan was a very popular winner, being described as a true inspiration and as “a born leader who drives clinical leadership and clinical quality and always makes the time for everyone, regardless of what else is going on”.

Wyn Dignan, Chairman of NWAS said: “These awards are a fantastic way to recognise and thank our truly heroic and enthusiastic staff who regularly go that extra mile. I am always impressed by the quality and inspiring actions of the nominees and this year was no exception, making it especially difficult to decide who should receive the award, as they are all so deserving.

“Being a winner, finalist, or receiving a nomination is a tremendous achievement and highlights the outstanding work that is taking place within NWAS every day. Many congratulations to everyone.”

The event was funded entirely by sponsors; Virgin Media Business, Physio Control, Kudray Consulting, MIS Emergency Systems, Flexicare, Manchester United Football Club and Continuous Data Print Management.