North East Ambulance recognised nationally for wellbeing and inclusion excellence

Two colleagues from North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) are celebrating dual national awards for their exceptional leadership at this year’s Ambulance Leadership Forum (ALF) Awards on 10 March, hosted by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) to honour individuals who go above and beyond to improve ambulance services. 

Judith Grieves and Pauline Hogarth have each been recognised nationally for their outstanding work in advancing wellbeing, inclusion and support for colleagues across the ambulance sector, helping create a stronger workforce and better outcomes for patients. 

Serving 2.7 million people across a 3,230 square mile region, NEAS operates 999, NHS 111 and patient transport services supported by a fleet of more than 300 emergency and patient transport vehicles and a workforce of over 3,700 staff. 

Kev Scollay, chief executive at NEAS said: “Judith and Pauline embody the very best of North East Ambulance Service. Their passion, leadership and commitment to creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace have made a real and measurable difference for our people.” 

Judith received the ‘Outstanding Champion of Employee Wellbeing’ award in recognition of her leadership in expanding neurodiversity support, securing specialist funding and delivering major wellbeing improvements across NEAS. 

She said: "I’m really proud to receive this award, but it reflects a collective effort to support staff wellbeing across the organisation. It’s great to see the hard work in this area being recognised.

"Our staff do an incredibly demanding job, and sometimes small, reasonable adjustments can make a significant difference to someone’s working life, particularly for neurodivergent colleagues. The Neurodiversity Wellbeing Project focuses on early intervention and support within someone’s role, helping people to flourish at work and feel able to perform at their best."

Pauline received the ‘Excellence in Diversity’ award for her influential work on national neurodiversity initiatives, including workshops that led to a new ambulance sector pledge. 

She said: "I'm very honoured to be recognised for my work supporting staff who live with neurodivergent conditions. I know first hand how life can feel in spaces were there is no understanding and how much that weight is lifted when we create emotionally safe environments that can happily accommodate someone's needs.

"We all deserve to come to work and thrive so we can go on to be our best. If my work locally and nationally can provide that support to others, that is amazing. It's an honour to do what I do and support colleagues who make such a difference in peoples life is a privilege."

Together, Judith and Pauline have delivered meaningful improvements for colleagues locally and nationally, including: 

• Strengthening disability and neurodiversity support through leadership roles within Able@NEAS and the National Ambulance Disability Network. 
• Expanding specialist neurodiversity education and resources, including securing £46,000 to introduce neurodiversity coaches and enhance wellbeing support for colleagues. 
• Leading improvements to workplace inclusion and staff wellbeing, including advancing reasonable adjustments and ensuring colleague voices shape key organisational decisions. 
• Coproducing national neurodiversity awareness workshops that led to the development of a landmark national neurodiversity pledge for the ambulance sector. 
• Supporting colleagues across the country through partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions to improve Access to Work guidance. 

Kev added: “We are incredibly proud to see their work recognised on a national stage and grateful for the positive impact they continue to have on our patients, colleagues, our organisation and the wider ambulance sector.” 

Read more about the ALF Awards on the AACE website here: https://aace.org.uk/alf-event/alf-2026/