The last two decades have brought enormous change to healthcare, the NHS, and the way ambulance services care for patients.
Since North East Ambulance Service was formed in 2006, advances in medicine, technology and digital innovation have transformed the way care is delivered. At the same time, the service has responded to national challenges, changing patient needs, and some of the most significant moments in NHS history.
This timeline highlights some of the key milestones that have shaped healthcare over the last 20 years, alongside developments that have influenced the way we work and care for our communities today.
Explore the timeline below to see how far healthcare has come since 2006.
2006
1 July: NEAS formed
Formed by the merging of Tees, Durham and Northumbria ambulance services as part of national ambulance restructuring
1 July: England competed in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The same day NEAS as formed, England were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup in the quarterfinals by Portugal as they lost on Penalties. Football is deeply tied to British national identity and media culture. This world cup was held in Germany and Italy won.
1 July: Nelly Furtado takes #1
Man Eater by Nelly Furtado was number one that day
Other notable events from that year
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Nintendo Wii launched
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Daniel Craig became James Bond
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Pluto lost its planet status
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Devil Wears Prada and Cars both came out at the cinema
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Leona Lewis won the XFactor
2007
June: Gordon Brown becomes prime minister
Prior to taking over the role from Tony Blair, Mr Brown had been the longest-serving chancellor in modern British history
June: The first iPhone was released
2008
September: 2008 Financial Crisis
The global banking collapse severely affected the UK economy. Major banks such as RBS required government bailouts, unemployment rose, and austerity policies shaped politics for years afterward.
2009
January: Barack Obama becomes president
He became the 44th president and the first African-American president
2010
March: HART and Russell House
Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) introduced in response to the 2005 London bombings and new base in Hebburn opens
May: New prime minister
After a hung parliament in the 2010 General Election, David Cameron formed a coalition government between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats - the first UK coalition since World War II.
August: 111 service
NEAS pilots the new NHS 111 service, providing a new non-emergency phone number for people needing medical care
2011
April: Royal Wedding
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey became a major global media event watched by millions worldwide.
June: NHS Pathways system is introduced
A new triage software to help manage emergency and non-emergency medical calls
2012
February: Diamond Jubilee
The UK celebrated 60 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II with nationwide parties, parades, and royal events.
July-August: London 2012 Olympic Games
The 2012 Summer Olympics were celebrated as a huge success, boosting national pride and regenerating East London through major infrastructure investment. Team GB finished in 3rd place, with the United States taking top nation. This was one of Britain’s greatest Olympic performances ever.
August: Siri launches
2013
February: NHS111
NEAS awarded the contract for the new NHS 111 service following the successful pilot
April: NHS changes
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 came into force – a major restructure, which created Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and opened NHS to more competition.
July: Wimbledon win
Andy Murray became the first British men’s singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936.
July: Same sex marriage legalised
Same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales, representing a major shift in British social policy and LGBTQ+ rights.
2014
September: 34th Great North Run – millionth finisher
The Great North Run became the world’s biggest half marathon and celebrated its millionth finisher in 2014, helped by elite athletes like Mo Farah.
October: Yvonne Ormston becomes NEAS chief executive
November: Amazon’s Alexa is launched
2015
2016
April: New paramedic science degree course launches in Sunderland
NEAS teamed up to offer the course with Sunderland University in a bid to help address the national paramedic shortage
April: National Living Wage Introduced
Announced by Chancellor George Osborne in the Budget, but it was introduced on 1st April 2016. This was a real pay rise for low earners, and it changed political conversation.
June: Brexit Referendum
The UK voted to leave the European Union. Many North East communities voted strongly for Leave, making the region politically significant in the Brexit story
July: Theresa may becomes prime minister
September: International paramedics answer the call to help us
Paramedics from Poland were recruited in response to national shortage of paramedics
2017
January: Donald Trump becomes president
He was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States
April: Barnard Castle quad station opens
The building – shared with fire, police and mountain rescue – was the first of its kind in the country
July: NHS changes
Launch of new Ambulance Response Standards to improve clinical responses to patients
2018
May: IUCCAS launches at NEAS
The integrated urgent care clinical assessment service (IUCCAS) is introduced as part of the new NHS 111 contract, bringing more clinical specialities intro the emergency operations centre
May: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get married
A modern multicultural royal wedding. Meghan Markle became one of the first people of mixed Black heritage to marry into the British royal family. This had a global cultural impact and was a symbol of a changing monarchy.
October: Winter House opens
Winter House opens at Wynyard Park in Billingham to house the additional clinicians and to create an additional call centre base
November: The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act became law
For the first time, attacking a member of the emergency services became a specific offence, carrying longer jail terms for anyone found guilty
2019
July: Boris Johnson becomes prime minister
September: Helen Ray becomes NEAS chief executive
2020
January: Left Europe
March: Covid declared a pandemic
The pandemic led to lockdowns, school closures, economic disruption, and lasting changes to healthcare, work, and politics across the UK.
April: Video technology launched
September: NEAS launches Positive Action project
Following a grant from NHS Charities Together, the purpose of the project was to promote the services and support available from the ambulance service, as well as career opportunities, to people from ethnic minority and faith communities
2021
January: Covid vaccination clinics begin
Teams from NEAS provided crucial support at the first vaccination clinics, held at the Centre for Life in Newcastle.
We also held our own vaccine clinics
January: Joe Biden becomes 46th president
April: The Education Centre opens its doors
The service invested £500,000 into the new centre to bring all staff education, including driver training, apprenticeship training, core and statutory education and digital training, as well as commercial training, under one roof for the first time.
May: NEASUS opens new workshop in Blaydon
NEASUS – the subsidiary fleet arm of the North East Ambulance Service - has opened a new workshop in Blaydon in order to expand its offer and reinvest profits into frontline care
June: Body worn cameras rolled out across NEAS
September: NEAS launches first internal paramedic apprenticeship programme
We teamed up with Teesside University
October: Newcastle United Modern Era Begins
Newcastle United F.C. underwent major change following a Saudi-backed takeover, later returning to the Champions League and becoming central again to North East culture.
December: BBC Ambulance starts filming
2022
February: Russia invades Ukraine
June: Huge expansion of CFR scheme thanks to funding from NHS Charities Together
The funding allowed us to create 24 more community first responder schemes in areas identified of being most in need – increasing our numbers by 23%
July: International Paramedics Day
The first International Paramedics Day held to recognise the profession
July: NHS changes
Integrated care boards (ICBs) were established as part of the Health and Care Act 2022 in a bid to localise decision making for healthcare, replacing Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
July: England Women Win UEFA Euro 2022
England’s women's football team, the England women's national football team, won UEFA Euro 2022, transforming the profile of women’s football in Britain.
September: Liz Truss becomes prime minister
Having only served her country for just over six weeks, she became the shortest-serving prime minister in British History
September: Death of Queen Elizabeth II
The death of Queen Elizabeth II after 70 years on the throne marked the end of a major era in British history. Several NEAS colleagues went down to London for the funeral to provide mutual aid
October: Series 10 of BBC Ambulance – features NEAS – hits our screens
October: Rishi Sunak becomes prime minister
2023
Positive Action Project expands to work with disabled people and people with long-term conditions
To date, the project has reached more than 10,000 people
May: Coronation of King Charles III
King Charles III was crowned in the first British coronation ceremony in 70 years at Westminster Abbey.
May: ChatGPT launches
July: Independent review report is released
Dame Marianne Griffith published her report following an independent review of our service as a result of issues found in our coronial processes
2024
June: D-Day 80 Commemorations
The UK marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day with ceremonies involving veterans, world leaders, and members of the Royal Family.
July: First cohort of internal paramedics graduate
July: New tri-station opens in Hebburn
The station – shared with police and fire – was the first of its kind to be completely carbon neutral
July: Kier Starmer becomes prime minister
Keir Starmer assumed office as Prime Minister following a landslide victory for the Labour Party in the general election
2025
January: Donald Trump re-elected
He was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States
March: We start testing electric vehicles
June: Kev Scollay becomes NEAS chief executive
August: Women's Rugby World Cup
This was hosted in England and was a major UK sporting event. England won the tournament, which got a lot of attention. This world cup increased TV coverage of women’s football, cricket and rugby. Big events like these demonstrate the requirement for multi-agency coordination and enhanced emergency planning.
2026
April: We launched our first electric car for clinical team leaders
May: We begin trialling our first electric patient transport vehicles