Time to nominate our heroes

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) holds an annual awards ceremony to recognise outstanding contributions of its employees and volunteers.

The Beyond the Call of Duty Awards, sponsored by Newcastle law firm Ward Hadaway, allow the opportunity to publicly recognise and celebrate the achievements of its more than 2,500 staff, with 12 categories including Team of the Year, Student of the Year, Outstanding Senior Manager and the Public Nomination vote.

The deadline for entries is July 31, with the awards ceremony taking place in November at Newcastle Race Course.

Last year’s local heroes included Bernie Wells, from Morpeth, winner of the Emergency Care Award after making a significant contribution towards improving end-of-life care.

NEAS chief executive Yvonne Ormston said: “Working for an emergency service regularly means putting others first at the expense of personal and family lives both on the front line and in a supporting role. This is our chance to reward just a handful of those who provide amazing care, skill and dedication to patients every day.

“The public vote is a very special category as it comes directly from our patients and those we serve every day. We want to make sure we leave no stone unturned in seeking out ambulance staff who have made a difference. That’s why we want the public to contact us with their stories of anyone that they believe has gone that extra mile.”

To nominate someone, visit https://www.neas.nhs.uk/staff-awards/staff-awards.aspx