The most recent recipients of the prestigious Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal for Distinguished Service were announced in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this morning (Saturday 13th June 2015).
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. Today’s two recipients for England include:
- Mr Bryan Ward, a paramedic with 34 years’ service who is Head of Education and Standards at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Bryan received the QAM for his, “services to ambulance training and education where he has had a significant influence on the learning and education of all clinical and non-clinical staff in the service. He has led the development of the qualification framework for paramedics in the service and has been instrumental in the introduction of career pathways for non-clinical staff to enable them to become qualified.”
- Frederick Lawrence, a paramedic with 37 years’ service who is Paramedic Manager at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Frederick received the QAM for his, “tireless work training and influencing many of the paramedics working in Greater Manchester today. He continues to support new staff in many roles within his ambulance service using his vast experience to inform and influence the next generation of healthcare professionals.”
The two recipients are 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.
Martin Flaherty OBE, Managing Director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) said:
We are extremely proud to see the latest group of high quality ambulance professionals recognised for their hard work with the awarding of this prestigious Medal. It underlines the fact that the commitment shown by ambulance staff now has the same level of Royal recognition as other members of the emergency services, most notably fire and police.”
Elsewhere, Garry Fraser, General Manager of Scottish Ambulance Service was the Scottish recipient while Gordon Roberts, Head of Service at Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust received the QAM in Wales.
The QAM was introduced in 2012 and the number of nominations 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.
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.
