North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) marks its 20th anniversary this week, celebrating a transformation described as 'staggering' by its chief executive. The service as it exists today came into being on July 1, 2006, after the existing service serving the North East merged with the Tees division of what was then the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
Staff Reflections on Two Decades of Change
Among those to share their memories was Andrew Hodge, now NEAS director of paramedicine, who joined the organisation in 1995. He recalled the limited training and scope of practice when he first qualified: 'We were trained over six weeks to be an ambulance technician and a further 12 weeks to be a paramedic. We were focused on cannulation, intubation, life-saving drugs, cardiac arrest and trauma and I can remember taking every patient to hospital and not thinking once about why I’d taken them in.'
Hodge highlighted the shift to community care, noting that many patients who were once taken to hospital would now be managed at home. Looking ahead, he said the service will need 'more diagnostics and innovations in technology and workforce to continue to meet the needs of the communities we serve.'
Mother-Daughter Duo and Long-Serving Staff
Sheila McLachlan and her daughter Amy Coatesworth both work for NEAS. Sheila emphasised: 'Every patient matters. Treat people how you’d want your own family to be treated.' Nicola Aberdeen, who has held five different roles over 26 years, said she has 'found courage in difficult situations and faced new challenges with an open mind.'
Louise McKay, who joined NEAS in 2005, noted the increasing number of women in frontline roles. She said: 'Being able to help someone on one of their worst days is an honour and a privilege.'
Chief Executive: 'Staggering' Progress
NEAS Chief Executive Kev Scollay said: 'The progress that has been made in the last 20 years is staggering, particularly in regard to technology, equipment and the clinical skills of our workforce. The ambulance service has transformed from a traditionally 'transport-only' model into a multi-skilled organisation sitting at the heart of the NHS system, delivering highly skilled clinical care within the community and over the telephone.'
He added that the anniversary provides an opportunity to celebrate staff and volunteers, and comes as the service prepares to launch a new strategy to respond to community needs over the coming years.
Key Statistics: Demand and Response Times
In 2006, NEAS handled 362,000 emergency calls. In the last year, the service managed almost 1.5 million 999 or 111 calls and took 298,000 people to hospital. For the most critical 'C1' 999 calls, there were 40,444 calls responded to in an average time of six minutes and 17 seconds.
