Hartlepool duo among award recipients as Princess Anne visits North East to recognise outstanding ambulance staff

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne visited the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) station in Hebburn to give out the medals and recognise the outstanding contribution of 14 frontline ambulance staff, who between them have more than 285 years of service.

Princess Anne rewarded the ambulance service workers with the Queen’s Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct.

During the visit, Princess Anne met with ambulance staff, toured the station, and witnessed a demonstration of a response to a terrorist incident from the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART).

Among the recipients of the Queen’s Medal For Long Service and Good Conduct was Terry Short, who joined Durham Ambulance Station in 1996 as in patient transport before progressing onto emergency care.

He said: “One of my most memorable moments was being the first NEAS paramedic to give a thrombolytic drug, Tenecteplase, to a heart attack patient. I was nervous but the outcome was life-saving – you can’t get a better feeling.

“NEAS has given me the opportunity to be able to help a great deal of patients over the past 25 years. I will be forever grateful and hope I have done the service proud in return.”

Alongside Terry was fellow Hartlepool ambulance worker, Marcus Curtis, who joined Cumbria Ambulance Service in 1999 before joining what was then Tees, East and North Yorkshire Service in 2003.

Now working as a clinical care manager, Marcus supports frontline staff in Hartlepool Peterlee, Ryhope, Seaham, and Fishburn.

He said: “I’ve always been proud to use my skills, training and experience to help people when they need it the most.”

The Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is designed for emergency ambulance staff who have worked on the frontline for more than 20 years.

NEAS Chief Executive Helen Ray said: “I’m so very proud of the contribution all our teams have made to keep the North East public safe and today we especially recognise the huge contribution that our HART and 111 colleagues have made.”

The Lord-Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Mrs Susan Winfield, said: “Every year it gives me great pleasure to meet the men and women who have given so much to our region over their years of service to present them with their Queen’s Medal.”

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. The Hartlepool Mail has been in town since 1877, and your support means we can continue telling your stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe.