Brighton and Hove ambulance staff recognised at awards ceremony

Five ambulance service staff from Brighton and Hove were recognised at an awards ceremony.

One of the five picked up two awards as South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust held its annual awards ceremony.

The awards are given to staff for long service, clinical excellence, going beyond the call of duty, patient care and leadership.

Critical care paramedic Emma Relf and emergency care support worker Ed Coleridge were among four staff who saved the life of a 16-month-old boy.

The Brighton pair were given an award for clinical excellence for the treatment they gave the toddler after he suffered a cardiac arrest in Brighton.

They gave the child two shocks with a defibrillator as well as adrenaline and fluids.

The boy went on to be transferred to a London hospital where he was fitted with a pacemaker.

Mr Coleridge also picked up an award for bravery for his part in going to the rescue of Richie Powell, who was electrocuted on the roof of a substation in Spring Gardens, Brighton.

He worked alongside critical care paramedic Gerry Davis, from Brighton, and Georgina Keating, a paramedic from Haywards Heath.

They were honoured for going above and beyond the call of duty.

As they waited for the electricity to be turned off, the man disappeared from sight.

Then a large explosion was seen and members of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told the ambulance crew that the patient on the roof was alight.

They were treating the patient’s serious burns after being told that the electricity supply had been switched off.

But after 20 minutes they were told that there was a risk that the power to the roof may not have been fully isolated.

Despite the risk to their own safety the team stayed on the roof to continue treating the patient.

Two staff from the patient transport service in Hove won awards for outstanding patient care.

Ade Ansell and Dave Croucher were nominated for the treatment they provided to a man at the roadside.

They were on a normal patient transport shift when they came across a woman frantically waving her arms. They stopped to see if they could help.

It became apparent that the man had collapsed and had no pulse. They immediately started trying to resuscitate the man – the first time that they had had to do this.

Mr Ansell performed chest compressions while Mr Croucher oxygenated the patient.

Within a few minutes, the man started breathing again.

Shortly afterwards critical care paramedic Paul Windsor arrived. He described the pair as “the crucial first link in the patient’s chain of survival”.

Mr Windsor used a defibrillator while Mr Ansell and Mr Croucher continued with CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation or heart-lung resuscitation).

The result was spontaneous circulation and breathing.

The patient transport service team continued to help, transferring the patient into an ambulance.

A couple of days later they visited the patient in hospital and he went on to make a good recovery.

Ambulance trust chief executive Paul Sutton said: “I was delighted to share in the success of every award winner.

“The dedication and clinical skill demonstrated by those who were presented long-service awards and commendations shows the commitment and talent that exists.

“It was an honour to be joined by past members of the ambulance service. Their combined length of service is truly humbling.

“It was also fantastic that we recognised the efforts of members of the public. Such actions before the arrival of ambulance service clinicians are absolutely vital.”

The awards ceremony was held at Woodlands Park Hotel in Cobham, Surrey, on Thursday 28 February.