Queen's Ambulance Medal for Distinguished Service awarded to Yorkshire Ambulance Manager

Trevor Baldwin, Head of Service Development (Emergency Operations Centre) at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, has been awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Medal for Distinguished Service (QAM) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.

Trevor is one of the longest-serving and most respected members of staff, not just within the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, but across the UK.

He has held many roles and is currently a senior manager within the Trust’s Emergency Operations Centre where 999 calls are handled.

He became one of the first UK paramedics in the mid-1980s, setting high standards and inspiring others to follow suit. He was very generous with his time and knowledge to support less experienced colleagues and this led to Trevor becoming one of Yorkshire’s first paramedic clinical trainers.

After identifying the opportunities of a new dispatch system from the USA, known as Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System (AMPDS), Trevor played an integral role in the implementation and training of the system which delivered pre-ambulance arrival clinical advice in the UK. It was, and remains, the most significant improvement for ambulance services, and meant staff could respond to 999 calls in clinically-prioritised order which has subsequently saved countless lives. In recognition of this, he became an internationally-recognised Fellow of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

He has also overseen Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s retention of its AMPDS ‘Centre of Excellence’ accreditation for the last 12 years, a feat not matched by any other UK ambulance service.

In addition, Trevor has led the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and was Gold Commander during numerous challenging incidents, including extensive flooding in December 2015. Under his leadership there was unwavering commitment to overcome the difficulties faced, keep staff safe and provide uncompromised patient care.

He has also remained a respected advisor to national groups which implemented the Ambulance Response Programme in 2017.

Rod Barnes, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “This is a great honour which recognises Trevor’s valued contribution to ambulance dispatch protocols and many years of dedicated service to the people of Yorkshire.  It also makes him part of a very small, hand-picked group of ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, outstanding ability, merit and conduct in their roles.

“His 40 years of exemplary service is in itself worthy of recognition, but Trevor is much more than that – he stands out because of his unique achievements and motivation to continually innovate and improve patient care.

“Trevor’s operational and managerial expertise is well respected and he is a very popular character around our service and in ambulance trusts across the country. On behalf of Yorkshire Ambulance Service I would like to thank him for all he has done and continues to do. He should be very proud of this fantastic achievement.”

Trevor will be presented with his medal at Buckingham Palace in 2020.

Other recipients of the Queen’s Ambulance Medal in the New Year’s Honours List are Thomas Bailey, Paramedic at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Joanne Rees-Thomas, Non-Emergency Patient Transport Service General Manager at the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, and Nicholas Richards-Ozzati, Emergency Medical Technician at the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust.