News: News

Bereaved mum wins 999 control room award

A MOTHER whose teenage son was stabbed to death has won an award for her bravery in taking a stand against knife crime.

Amanda Cassidy has made a film for London Ambulance Service urging youngsters to stop carrying knives.

The 54-year-old started working as a 999 call handler for the service after her eldest son Greg was killed.

She said: “After that I needed something more from my life. I needed to do something to make a difference; and the job we do – we save people’s lives.”

When Amanda started in the call centre 15 years ago, calls to stabbings were scarce. Now she says they are a daily occurrence.

London Ambulance Service’s public education team is showing the film in schools to try to persuade children not to carry knives.

Crewmates reach 28 year milestone

DURING 28 years as crewmates two ambulance staff have saved dozens of lives, delivered more than 40 babies and survived several animal attacks.

Steve Redburn from Sidcup and Tony West from Croydon joined London Ambulance Service in 1986 and 1987 respectively before becoming crewmates in 1990. 

Twin paramedics retire after almost three decades caring for Londoners

‘Miracle worker’ twin paramedics are retiring this week after a combined 56 years of saving lives.

London Ambulance Service’s Mark and Chris McCarthy, 57, have worked their last shift from Friern Barnet station, after treating thousands of patients during their 28-year careers.

Child saves mum’s life by calling 999

A CHILD dialled 999 to get an ambulance after seeing her mum abandon an emergency call because she was too ill to ask for help.

Keisha Moore, 44, tried to phone London Ambulance Service after collapsing at home in pain but was unable to breathe – let alone talk.

Life is sweet thanks to Honey!

A dog who saved the life of her owner is being celebrated by London Ambulance Service on Love Your Pet Day.

18 “control room heroes” nominated for awards recognising their lifesaving work

A record number of our control room team have been nominated in awards recognising their life-saving and life-changing work.

On Monday we celebrated the 18 members of the team who received a Control Room Award 2019 nomination at a thank you event where they were joined by family and colleagues.

London Ambulance Service and businesses partner up to save lives

A campaign aims to see thousands of Londoners learn lifesaving skills, as the country’s busiest ambulance service trains volunteers in businesses and organisations to pass these skills on.

London Ambulance Service appoints trauma surgeon and GP to its board

London Ambulance Service has announced the appointment of two prominent London clinicians to its Trust board as non-executive directors.  

Professor Karim Brohi and Dr Mark Spencer take up their posts on 1 March.

December was busiest month on record for London Ambulance Service

Latest figures reveal that December 2018 was London Ambulance Service’s busiest month on record.

Frontline ambulance crews in the capital treated almost 101,000 patients – around 7,000 more than the monthly average for last year.

On Australia Day we salute our Australian workforce as we prepare to recruit more Aussie lifesavers

The UK’s biggest ambulance service is marking Australia Day, 26 January, by celebrating the Australians working in its team, as it prepares to hire more medics from Down Under.  

Nearly 25 per cent of London Ambulance Service paramedics are Australian.

We thank some of our longest serving staff and celebrate their more than 500 years’ service

The Service today brought together 17 current and former members of staff who between them have given nearly 550 years of service to the NHS.

London Ambulance Service’s Pauline Cranmer awarded Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal

London Ambulance Service’s Pauline Cranmer has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal.

London Ambulance Service’s Director of Operations, Paul Woodrow awarded OBE in Queen’s New Year’s Honours List

London Ambulance Service’s Director of Operations, Paul Woodrow, has today been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for 2019.

National Elf Service – ambulance medics deliver presents to sick children on Christmas Day

This Christmas hundreds of sick children who are spending the festive period in hospital and care will be delivered presents from kind-hearted London Ambulance Service teams.

Daughter following in parents’ life-saving footsteps after helping save teen crash victim

A teenager from Coulsdon is following in her parents’ footsteps to become a life-saver, after being inspired by her Mum and Dad’s actions in saving a teen crash victim’s life.

Amelia Wilkie, 19, is training to be an Emergency Ambulance Crew with London Ambulance Service.

Amelia was inspired to emulate her parents after she came across a serious road traffic collision outside the family home.

London Ambulance Service wins Ambulance Trust of the Year at Health Business Awards

London Ambulance Service has won the Ambulance Trust of the Year award as part of the Health Business Awards which recognise excellence in the provision of NHS facilities.

You’re all heart: Londoners helping to save lives

Two thirds of people in cardiac arrest in London were given CPR by a passer-by or a relative last year.

An audit by London Ambulance Service has found that members of the public gave life-saving cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to nearly 2,500 people in the capital.

HRH Prince Charles launches pioneering mental health car at London Ambulance Service

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE CHARLES visited London Ambulance Service today to meet frontline crews, call handlers and those working behind the scenes to respond to 999 and NHS 111 calls across the capital. 

We reveal encouraging new first aid stats and urge people to mark Restart a Heart Day by learning how to save a life

London Ambulance Service is encouraging people to learn how to perform basic lifesaving skills for Restart a Heart Day.

The global day of action on Tuesday 16 October is aiming to encourage as many people as possible to learn skills such as cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use a defibrillator.

World Mental Health Day 2018 – providing patients with the right care to meet and support their needs

On World Mental Health Day 2018, Carly Lynch – our Mental Health Lead – discusses the important work we are doing to help support mental health patients across London.