Working in partnership with Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), KSS has been heavily involved in successfully lobbying the Government for Air Ambulance emergency first responders to be included in the allocation of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medals.
Prior to this campaign, Air Ambulance emergency first responders were excluded if they did not hold an NHS contract of employment.
As part of the lobbying activity to extend the award eligibility to Air Ambulance clinicians and pilots, we wrote to Tracey Crouch, MP for Chatham and Aylesford who rallied support from 25 MPs across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Together they signed a joint letter to the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
David Welch, our CEO said, “This is fantastic news and means that members of Team KSS, who have all been emergency responders for over five years, will be awarded the prestigious Platinum Jubilee Medals. This is a great honour and I look forward to presenting the medals during the coming weeks.”
“It would not have been possible for any Air Ambulance emergency responders to receive these awards without the incredible support from Tracey Crouch who believed that “our flying heroes deserve recognition like other public services and charities. A huge thank you to Tracey Crouch and all our local MPs across Kent, Surrey and Sussex for their involvement in the campaign to extend the original criteria for these medals.”
Simmy Akhtar, AAUK CEO said: “We would like to thank all MPs and colleagues who have supported us in securing an amendment to the criteria which in effect means that an NHS employment contract for healthcare emergency first responders is not a necessity to receive a Platinum Jubilee Medal. We are absolutely delighted for our colleagues across the UK.”
We would like to join AAUK in thanking the Department of Health and Social Care for supporting inclusion of all emergency responders. The criteria now includes both NHS ambulance staff and staff responding on behalf of charitable helicopter emergency medical services, provided the service is accessed via a 999 call. Congratulations to everyone who will now receive this medal.
