Colleagues from the North East Ambulance Service have been shortlisted for the National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Events (NAFESE) Covenant & Services Awards 2025.
The ceremony will be hosted by the National Armed Forces & Emergency Services Events (NAFESE) team at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland on Thursday 3 July, and celebrate the best of armed forces and emergency services professionals and their contributions to their respective fields of work.
The North East Ambulance Service covers 3,200 square miles across the North East and employs more than 3,200 staff, serving a population of 2.7 million people. In 2024/25, the service answered over 1.4 million 999 and 111 calls from across the region. It’s frontline crews transported over 288,000 patients to hospital and treated over 139,000 patients at home, and it’s health advisors and clinicians treated over 139,700 patients over the phone.
Among those shortlisted are NEAS paramedic Josh Plumpton and ambulance support practitioner Martin McKie, who were both nominated for the Most Outstanding NHS/Healthcare (in Association with Training in Care) Award. Both began their careers in the armed forces before joining the ambulance service.
Pallion-based paramedic Josh Plumpton joined the service in 2019 following a 13-year-long career with the Coldstream Guards in the Household Division. He joined the service as an ambulance support practitioner and graduated as part of the service’s very first paramedic apprenticeship cohort last summer.
Swalwell-based ambulance support practitioner Martin McKie joined the service in 2022 as a health advisor following a decorated career in the British Army. During his time in the armed forces, he was a member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers armoured infantry unit (known as the Desert Rats), working primarily as a Warrior Gunner and an Assault Pioneer. Prior to this, he was also part of the Territorial Army and the Army Cadets as a child.
NEAS assistant director of people and development, Karen Gardner, is responsible for overseeing the careers of the service’s veterans and serving military colleagues. She said: “Veterans play a valuable role in our service, taking the skills they have gained from their armed forces careers to make a difference in our patients lives.
“Both Josh and Martin are prime examples of this and embody all of the values of our service that makes them incredible frontline colleagues who are more than deserving of this shortlist.”
The ambulance service also received a nomination for the Most Outstanding Public Sector Award. This award recognises organisations for their commitment to supporting the careers and wellbeing of their colleagues, including armed forces veterans.
The service, which employs over 400 veterans and currently serving military of staff, is one of only 222 NHS trusts and independent organisations across the country to be recognised as a Veteran Aware employer. NEAS signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2020 and since then, the service has worked its way up through the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS) accreditation process before successfully being awarded the Gold employer award.
Karen continues: “Congratulations Josh and Martin – we’re wishing you the best of luck! Thank you for your service.”