Mr Keith Thrower, Mr Derek Cartwright and Mr Kenny McFadzean have been announced recipients of the prestigious Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal (QAM) in the New Year’s Honours List.
The Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal (QAM) honours a very small, select group of ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, outstanding ability, merit and conduct in their roles within NHS Ambulance Services. The award was introduced lin 2011 and was warmly welcomed by ambulance services because it finally ensured that the dedication of ambulance staff now has the same level of Royal recognition as other members of the emergency services.
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) is responsible for co-ordinating the nominations of QAMs in England, with nominations coming from within Trusts and being seconded by their Trust Chief Executives before being sent for consideration for final nomination by the AACE Board. Today’s recipients are:
- Mr Keith Thrower, Emergency Care Assistant, East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, who received his award after 50 years of service and described a professional who “has dedicated his working life, beyond that of most normal careers, to the health and wellbeing of the people of the area.”
- Mr Derek Cartwright, Director of Operations, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, described as “a leader by example, whose mantra is keeping the patient at the heart of everything he does.”
- Mr Kenny McFadzean, Head of Service for the Scottish Ambulance Service South West Division, who has “led several significant national projects including the program to reduce on-call working in rural stations, creating safer staff working and improved ambulance cover for local communities.”
Each of the recipients is now entitled to place the letters QAM after their names, on occasions when the use of such letters is customary. In accordance with custom, the medals will be formally presented at an Investiture Ceremony later in the year.
The citation for Mr Thrower noted:
“Keith Thrower has been a frontline member of the ambulance service for over 50 years. Currently based in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, Keith has carried out a number of roles in the service. Known affectionately to colleagues as ‘Percy’ he has been a team leader, and station administrator as well as a frontline responder.
When the role of Technician Team Leader became obsolete Keith reverted back to Technician, still maintaining a frontline role and still using his skill as a station administrator despite no longer attracting a wage for that role.
When Keith reached the age of 65 he retired from the service only to come back as an Emergency Care Assistant, a role that gave him lesser administrative responsibilities and status, but was equally as important to the public, and there he has remained to this day.
The EMAS GMB colleague observed “I was learning how to be the best Ambulance person I could by simply being in his presence, watching how Keith dealt with the patient, the public, with family members and other colleagues’’.
EMAS are extremely proud of him, and his achievement.”
The citation for Mr Cartwright noted:
“From 1986, Derek has risen from a junior level of the service to his current post of Director of Operations, to which he been seconded since 2012. The post has required him to operate in a strategic position with sustained performance that ensures the people of the North West receive the highest standard of care.
This post would normally attract a higher grade manager, and Derek has been instrumental in working with the NDOG Group and has chaired or partaken in committes that have shaped and improved practice on a national level, including the NHS response to firearms incidents and reviewing coding a sets for ambulance responses.
It goes on to note that “His support was invaluable in the aftermath of the Derek Bird shootings, giving many hours of his time to support ambulance staff affected by the traumatic events of that day”
He is also a Strategic Commander taking the lead when coordinating responses including events such as the Dale Creegan firearms incidents and was a Strategic Commander at the Cumbria floods.”
The citation for Mr McFadzean noted:
In 27 years with the Service, Kenny has excelled in a number of different operational roles as his career progressed from Ambulance Care Assistant to his position today as a senior operational manager in Dumfries and Galloway.
As a Paramedic Training Officer, Kenny was responsible for staff skills development across a wide area of geography, always working flexibly to meet operational demands and adapting training to suit the local environment.
He progressed to Area Service Manager, where he was responsible for leading service delivery and ensuring systems and processes to meet the needs of staff and patients. During this time he developed innovative local initiatives with key partners in Police, Fire, the wider NHS and the Council. Many of these programs have been rolled out nationally.
Kenny led several significant national projects, such as the program to reduce on call working in rural stations, creating safer working for staff and improved ambulance cover for local communities.
More recently Kenny managed the highly complex project to introduce new working hours, incorporating rest breaks for staff.
About the QAM
The number of nominations for a QAM in any one year may never exceed ten and includes up to four Medals for England, up to two Medals for Wales, up to two Medals for Scotland, up to one Medal for Northern Ireland and up to one Medal for the Channel Islands. For more information on the QAM click here.
Also recognised with an OBE in the New Honours List was Mrs Pauline Jean Howie, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, for Services to NHS Scotland and to the Scottish Ambulance Service.
