East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) technician, Kuldip Singh Bhamrah has been named in the New Year’s Honours List to receive the prestigious Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal for Distinguished Service.
The medal, presented at Buckingham Palace in London, recognises ambulance personnel who have shown exceptional devotion to duty, outstanding ability, merit and conduct in their role.
Kuldip is one of only two ambulance colleagues from the UK ambulance services to receive the award this year. When told about the news, he said: “I was so overwhelmed and proud when I first heard that I was going to be a recipient of this award. It was completely unexpected. It still hasn’t quite sunk in”.
Kuldip has been serving the people of Leicestershire and Rutland for 36 years. He began his ambulance career as a member of the non-urgent Patient Transport Service in 1981 based at the then Welford Road Ambulance Station. In 1982 Kuldip successfully trained and qualified as a technician and has responded to thousands of 999 calls, receiving many commendations from the public for his professional and compassionate conduct.
Kuldip is a much loved and respected member of the EMAS team, known for his humour, generosity and listening ear. He said: “My colleagues at EMAS, both past and present, have become my second family. It’s all down to their love and support that I am where I am today”.
As an ambulance technician Kuldip works alongside an emergency care assistant or paramedic to respond to 999 calls. He is required to make clinical decisions and is the lead clinician if crewed up with an emergency care assistant, providing patients with potentially life-saving care at the scene and getting patients to hospital if further treatment is required.
Working shifts and in all weathers; Kuldip deals with a range of different people and situations.
When Kuldip is not responding to 999 calls, he works with his local community raising awareness about the ambulance service, teaching emergency first aid skills, fundraising through using his singing talents and highlighting careers within the service. Kuldip explained: “As a British Sikh, doing what I consider to be the best the job in the world, I am passionate about raising awareness of the many different roles in the ambulance service within the Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. I especially want to encourage young people within the BAME communities to consider, what I believe to be an incredibly rewarding profession”.
Commenting on his achievement Mark Gregory, EMAS General Manager for Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “Kuldip is an asset to our service. I am proud to have him as part of my team. His dedication to EMAS, as well as his passion for community engagement work is a source of inspiration.”
Kuldip has also received recognition when he was awarded the EMAS Chief Executive’s Commendation for his actions whilst on holiday in London. He was first on the scene at a cardiac arrest in a public place and even after colleagues from London Ambulance Service arrived, Kuldip remained on scene and provided assistance.