Brian Taylor, part of the ambulance welfare support team at North East Ambulance Service Unified Solutions (NEASUS), has been given a bronze award as ‘Operational Support Worker of the Year, at the ‘Our Health Heroes Awards’ for his phenomenal support to ambulance crews across theNorth East of England.
The ‘Our Health Heroes Awards’ took place on Thursday 22 May 2025, in London, where health and care workers came together to celebrate individuals for outstanding service or exceptional contribution.
Brian supports hundreds of staff responding to patients in the region every day across 3,230 square miles of the North East.
NEAS is home to 3,400 staff and operates around 190 double crewed vehicles, 212 patient transport vehicles and 48 emergency response cars, used by the services urgent and emergency care and patient transport teams.
Brian joined NEASUS three years ago, in 2022, starting in the equipment team. NEASUS maintains the ambulance fleet, the equipment inside and the cleaning of all those vehicles.
A former business owner, Brian joined NEAS and hasn’t looked back. The service he provides has been almost entirely built and designed by himself. His unique role provides welfare support to our crews across the North East; on a shift pattern that covers weekdays and weekends. An average day to Brian is different to many others in the organisation.
As a keen car enthusiast, Brian safely refurbished a decommissioned ‘incident support unit’ vehicle to carry stocks of medical supplies, allowing our crews to restock their vehicle without having to go back to their station. In addition to restocking, Brian’s ‘welfare support unit’ offers light refreshments to the crews too.
Brian added, “The welfare support that I offer is brilliant, it puts a smile on everybody’s face.
“The crews appreciate the care and the thought that there is somebody there for them, to offer a resupply, drink, snack, or just a chat. I listen to them, and provide that few minutes of relief during, what can be, a tense shift.
“I enjoy seeing the faces of the crews when they see me, knowing that they appreciate my role. Money isn’t why I do it, it’s seeing those smiles, every day, from everybody.”
Graham Tebbutt, managing director of NEASUS, explained, “Brian’s role is incredibly varied; he can be found making and having a cuppa with a PTS crew at Darlington in the morning and then helping a crew restock at Durham in the afternoon.
“Brian helps keep all vehicles stocked with consumables that they might otherwise need to return to a hub station. This creates a reduction in downtime and an increase in patient-facing time.
“The service offers light refreshments, clinical consumables, and medical equipment to our crews who are out on the road.”
The ‘Our Health Heroes Awards’ recognise and honour the hard work carried out daily by thousands of healthcare support staff in roles vital to the provision of patient care. Brian was nominated for his “unwavering dedication and outstanding contribution to healthcare” and has been awarded the bronze award.
Stephen Segasby, chief operating officer at NEAS, concluded: “Brian’s role is very important to the welfare and wellbeing of our crews, whilst on the road
“Every day, our colleagues respond to a variety of jobs, often under tense and stressful situations. A quick chat, or refreshment with Brian is enough to put a smile on their faces and help ease them.
“We are very proud of Brian and we’re happy to see that he has been shortlisted for this award.
“On behalf of our crews, thank you Brian.”