Long-serving ambulance staff honoured for 325 years of combined service

In an event at The Old Nene Golf & Country Club, Ramsey, on Monday 22 June, 12 staff from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) were recognised for their outstanding dedication. Neill Moloney, Chief Executive of EEAST, presented the awards.

Among those to receive awards were Glenn Carrington, Mark Wade and Philip Cooke, who each were recognised for an incredible 40 years’ service to the ambulance service. Glenn and Mark were also recognised for 40 years’ service to the NHS.

Neill Moloney said: “It was an honour to recognise the incredible dedication and service of our colleagues in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Together, they represent over 300 years of commitment to patient care, compassion, and professionalism.

“Every year we recognise the extraordinary service of so many individuals in the ambulance service, who each play a vital role in keeping our communities safe and supported. On behalf of the Trust and the NHS, I want to thank them for their outstanding contribution.”

Mark Wade has worked on the frontline as paramedic, leading operational service delivery in Cambridgeshire, and as a senior manager where he currently works in finance. After the presentation Mark said he was immensely proud to have had a career in the Trust.

Mark said: “I joined Cambridgeshire Ambulance Service in 1980. Peterborough was a growing city and there were just 30 ambulance technicians covering the city and surrounding towns and villages. The initial training was fairly basic and I was proud to undertake extended training which led to the paramedic qualification, I was among the first paramedics in the country.

“The complexity of calls which can be managed in the pre-hospital setting has developed, leading to a profession which is increasingly challenging and rewarding.”

Former army medic Glenn Carrington started with EEAST as a patient transport driver before becoming an emergency medical technician and then a paramedic. He said he couldn’t believe he had completed 40 years’ service: "I have really enjoyed it and I believe that I have achieved a lot. “I was the first black paramedic in the east of England and one of the first in England, so I am really pleased that I have paved the way for others to follow.”

This year is also the 20th anniversary of the formation of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. On 1 July 2006, the region’s three ambulance services – Essex, East Anglia, and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire – formally merged to create one ambulance service for the whole region.