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 11th June 2016).
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 Alan Baranowski, a paramedic with 43 years’ service who is Associate Director Operations (Patient Transport Service) at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
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Chris Sims QAM Carl Edward Keeble, a community paramedic with 20 years’ service at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
- In Wales, the QAM was awarded to Chris Sims, Head of Service, Resilience and Specialist Operations, and Richard Lee, Head of Clinical Services, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.
- In addition, Jonathan Beausire, Chief Ambulance Officer at Guernsey Ambulance Service with 29 years’ service was also honoured with the QAM.
- In Northern Ireland, John Wright, Assistant director of Operations, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSC Trust, was similarly recognised.
The 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:
“The QAM is a prestigious award that honours the hard work and dedication of some very special ambulance professionals.
As an organisation we are rightly proud of anybody who goes that extra mile to contribute towards the development and progression of the ambulance service and praise the achievements of this year’s winners.”
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.