Ambulance staff recognised in Queen’s New Year’s Honours

Two members of staff at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) have been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list.

Wayne Darch (pictured right), SWASFT Head of Operations EPRR and Specialist Practice, has been awarded an MBE for services to the Emergency Services and the Covid-19 (coronavirus) response. 

He said: “I am completely overwhelmed to receive such an honour. This has only been made possible by having such a supportive family and a great team around me within the trust who help
me achieve the best for our communities.” 

Dr Phil Cowburn (pictured below), SWASFT Acute Care Medical Director, has been honoured with an MBE for services to pre-hospital care particularly during the Covid-19 response. 

Dr Cowburn, who lives in Gloucestershire, is also a consultant in emergency medicine with Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW). 

He jointly led a new project to help relieve pressure on the region’s hospitals during the first wave of Covid-19. The initiative, which was piloted in April 2020, involved safely moving critically ill and injured patients between intensive care units. 

He also created a trauma and resuscitation advice line for SWASFT to enable colleagues to be able to speak with an appropriate clinician while responding to trauma patients. 

He also helped colleagues to develop their careers by rolling-out training, resources and best practice.

Dr Cowburn said: “I am truly humbled by this recognition. To me this is not really a personal accolade; it is a celebration of the great teams I work with. None of the great achievements could have succeeded without the superb group of colleagues I have the pleasure of working alongside.

"The passion and enthusiasm to deliver excellent patient care is so embedded within GWAAC and SWASFT, particularly the critical care teams and Hazardous Area Response Teams. The progress in improving paramedic practice immense within this region is exemplary.

“This year has put immense pressures on the entire NHS, but the collaboration between colleagues in the air ambulances, NHS ambulance service and hospitals have maintained high quality care and developed services that will continue for the future. Working together we can achieve so much.”