Colby Bridgman, who is now 6, Colby, was accompanied by his mum and nanny, as he received the Chief Officer’s Commendation award from Mark Mapp at the Ambulance Station, on the Rohais.Colby Bridgman, who is now 6, Colby, was accompanied by his mum and nanny, as he received the Chief Officer’s Commendation award from Mark Mapp at the Ambulance Station, on the Rohais.
During the 999 call Colby remained calm, providing the JESCC call-taker with vital information, including his name, address and postcode, as well as details of what had happened to his mum. Colby can be heard saying “mummy fell and she can’t really breath properly….and is closing her eyes”. While the ambulance was dispatched Colby kept checking on his mum, then while the call-taker stayed on the line Colby was asked to get a neighbour for help. Later in the call Colby can be heard saying “I can hear the ambulance.”
The ambulance crew praised Colby, saying: “Colby was amazing. He was calm, helpful and so grown up at a time that must have been really frightening for him. Colby was able to answer all our questions, and provide us with lots of really valuable details which helped us to understand what had happened to his mum. He was so polite and kind and even gave us one of his special stones to thank us for looking after his mum. Well done Colby you’re an awesome young man.”
Mr Mapp said: “Knowing what to do in an emergency is a life skill and that is why as the ambulance service — and as part of St John — we teach people of all ages what to do in a medical emergency and how to give life-saving first aid. One of the most important things is recognising that someone is unwell and calling 999 for help. And that is exactly what Colby did when his mum experienced a medical emergency. Because his family had spoken to him about how to call an ambulance and how to call 999 – Colby knew exactly what to do.
During the call, Colby remained calm and answered all the questions he was asked, which ensured an emergency ambulance was quickly dispatched to the house so his mum could get the care and treatment she needed.”
Colby was also presented with a model of an emergency ambulance and given a tour of a real ambulance by the crew which attended the incident in September.
Colby’s mum Jess Payne says she doesn’t remember much about the evening, but she was full of praise for her son. “From what I’ve been told he was really amazing did everything he was asked and he was really brave. It is really good to make children aware of how to phone 999, particularly when no one else is around. It is so important and I’m so glad I did it.”
The JESCC call-taker Liz Arklie also received a Chief Officer’s Recognition of Performance Award for her calm and professional handling of the 999 call.
The pair were called to attend to a visiting French yachtsman who had fallen into the Victoria Marina from his yacht, sustaining a serious leg injury in the middle of the night.
Luckily, the patient had been rescued from the water prior to their arrival. As Robin is of French nationality, he was able to communicate clearly with the casualty and offer him reassurance in his own language.
The transfer of the patient was made difficult due to the low state of tide at the time and dangerous due to the crew working so close to the water.
Between them, and with the assistance of bystanders and harbour staff, Robin and Ben were able to safely secure the casualty and recover him from the marina pontoon to the ambulance, where he was made comfortable and before being transferred to hospital.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: “This was a challenging incident for the ambulance crew, but both Ben and Robin managed situation excellently and ensured the patient received the care, reassurance and treatment they needed, as well as the safe extrication of the casualty under difficult circumstances and another example of the excellent care provided Guernsey’s ambulance crews.”
Guernsey’s Lieutenant Governor has presented four members of the island’s emergency ambulance service with the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal at a special ceremony at Government House.
Paul Philips joined the Service in 2002 and completed his initial training at the Ambulance Training College in Chippenham. Paul has also been a dedicated volunteer crew member of the marine ambulance Flying Christine III since which he joined in 1985 as an engineer. During his ambulance career Paul was involved with all of the rescue areas of the Service and was an instructor for the Inshore Rescue Boats.
Paul continues to be a regular member of the standard party at ceremonial events throughout the year and attended Remembrance Sunday at the London Cenotaph several years ago as part of the Civilian Services Contingent. Paul has many notable achievements from his time with the Service, one of which is when he sailed a car from Guernsey to Sark in 1994 to raise £7,500 in donations for the Flying Christine III.
Paramedic John Atkins has over twenty-four years of experience in healthcare, with over twenty of those as a registered healthcare professional. John joined the ambulance service in 1997 and rose through the ranks to be appointed as Acting Assistant Chief Officer in 2012. John left the Service to take up roles in business continuity and then as the Resuscitation Officer at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. In 2019 John became the Medical Services Manager at the Silverstone motor racing circuit and also their Lead Paramedic. At this time John also worked part time as an operational paramedic with the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. John was an active member of the volunteer section of St John Ambulance Guernsey between June 1991 to July 2005 principally involved in training and youth work.
John has now returned to Guernsey with his family and is again working as a bank paramedic with the Service and has taken up the role of Assistant Training Manager with the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies.
Head of Operations Dean De La Mare joined the ambulance service in 1999, initially with the Patient Transport Service and progressed to become a Paramedic and then a Station Officer in 2007. In 2009 Dean completed the training to become a Paramedic Tutor, regularly teaching first aid to members of the public as well as training ambulance clinicians. Dean regularly parades at ceremonial events on behalf of the Service, including twice attending Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph in London as part of the Civilian Services Contingent. In 2019 he was promoted to Deputy Chief Ambulance Officer and is now Head of Operations for the Service.
His connection to St John dates back to when he was just 8 years old. He later becoming involved in leading the youth sections of the St John charity and in 2015 Dean was appointed as an Officer of the Order of St John.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp joined the service in 1998, and progressed from working on PTS to becoming a Paramedic trainer. Mark was actively involved in all of the rescue activities, as an inshore lifeboat coxswain he faced several dangerous and challenging incidents. In 2005 Mark spent time working with the East Anglian Ambulance Service then on returning to Guernsey, Mark worked as a Bank Paramedic with the Service.
In 2010 Mark transferred to the Nursing Directorate at Health & Social Care and continued to work closely with the ambulance aervice to develop and improve work areas in education, clinical governance and emergency planning. In 2019 Mark returned to full time operations with the ambulance service as a Senior Officer before being promoted to the position of Chief Officer. Mark has responsibility for Guernsey’s ambulance service and works with various governmental agencies to implement a new and sustainable model of service. Mark continues to be a Community First Responder and maintains his paramedic skills operationally.
EMT Tim Hitchin was unable to attend the Government House ceremony, but was presented with his long service award by the Knight Commander of St John Guernsey John Hollis at a seperate event. 
Paramedics Nick Peters and Lorna Bichard and Paramedic Officer Steve Torode recieved the award for their teamwork and the care they provided to a casualty with a serious limb injury in a remote part of Herm Island.
They were presented with their awards by the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey, Lieutenant General Richard Cripwell in a ceremony at Government House.
The crew responded onboard the Flying Christine III marine ambulance following a request from the Herm Community First Responders (CFRs), to a visitor who had fallen on Belvoir hill. 
Following initial assessment and treatment at the scene, the patient was transported, secured in a vacuum mattress, on the Herm Island ‘Gator’ quad bike in preparation for transfer to the marine ambulance. Due to the location and a particularly low tide, the RNLI Inshore Recue Boat was requested to transfer the casualty from Shell Beach to the Flying Christine III.
The ambulance team worked closely with the Herm CFRs and the RNLI crew, resulting in a safe and efficient rescue of the casualty, co-ordinated by Paramedic Officer Steve Torode.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: ”Lorna, Nick and Steve are recognised for their care and compassionate clinical treatment of the casualty as well as their excellent team work, co-ordination and communication with the other agencies involved, which ensured the safe extrication and transfer of the casualty back to St Peter Port.”
The industrial action on the mainland involves members of the Unite, Unison and GMB Unions, whose members are in dispute with their employers, NHS Trusts and the UK Government over pay. Guernsey is not part of the UK and not part of the NHS. The ambulance service in Guernsey is provided by St John on behalf of the States of Guernsey through a grant from the Committee for Health & Social Care (HSC). The grant is a contribution towards the operating costs of the service, with the remaining costs being met in a variety of ways including the subscription scheme. Ambulance clinicians in Guernsey have recently agreed pay terms for 2023 giving the ambulance service, ambulance crews and the States of Guernsey stability and confidence going into the new year. St John Ambulance & Rescue Service has a good relationship and open dialogue with Unite the Union and its members locally.
Guernsey’s Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: “I would like to acknowledge the continuing dedication and hard work of our ambulance crews, including those who regularly return to work during their time off to ensure the service can maintain cover for the island at periods of high demand. For some of the year the service had a number of clinical vacancies, which temporarily put some additional pressure on crews, but working for the ambulance service remains a popular and rewarding career and as a result of a successful recruitment campaign we have attracted a number of local trainees.”
“I would also like to acknowledge realistic expectations of the staff and the union in recognising the challenging economic climate and cost of living crisis, in agreeing pay terms for 2023. We will continue, with our workforce and commissioners, to explore alignment with other healthcare professionals employed by HSC on Agenda for Change terms and conditions.”
Jackie Pattimore, Ashley Matthews and Christina Bacon, who all work for the States of Guernsey have been presented with the Chief Officers Recognition of Performance award for their actions earlier this year when they worked together to save the life of a member of the public who suffered a cardiac arrest while visiting their workplace at Edward T Wheadon House.
Jackie who is a St John volunteer and youth leader with the charity and a first aider in her work place was called to assist a gentleman who had collapsed in the doorway. It soon became apparent that the man was not breathing.
Whilst Jackie’s colleague, Facilities Manager Christina Bacon, called the ambulance and fetched the defibrillator, Jackie commenced CPR assisted by Ashley, who works at the premises as a security guard. Jackie attached the defibrillator and delivered a shock to the casualty.
Together they continued CPR until a Community First Responder and Firefighters from the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service, who co-respond for the Ambulance Service, arrived to assist prior to the arrival of Ambulance clinician’s, who took over the treatment of the patient.
Due to quickly recognising that the patient had stopped breathing, by administering prompt and effective CPR and by delivering an early shock from the AED, the efficient team effort by Jackie, Ashley and Christina resulted in saving the gentleman’s life.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: “When someone collapses, becomes unconscious and stops breathing it is important that someone recognises a cardiac arrest, calls 999, starts CPR and attaches a defibrillator if one if available. These are the first steps in the chain of survival and can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved. Thanks to their training and prompt actions Jackie, Ashley and Christina were able to make a difference when it really matters. I would like to congratulate them on their actions.”
The patient, who has made a good recovery has since been back to visit Jackie, Ashley and Christina to thank them personally for the treatment they gave him in his time of need.
Jackie said: “It means a lot to receive this recognition, but it is also a good feeling to know we made a difference to someone’s life on that day. Although you train for the worst case scenario, you hope you will never have to put those skills into practice. I am so pleased that thanks to the training I have received at St John I was to help in this case and I would really encourage everyone to learn first aid and particularly CPR.”
Guernsey’s St John Emergency Ambulance Service is reminding islanders of the benefits of the Ambulance Subscription Scheme, which provides free ambulance responses, assessment and treatment by qualified clinicians for members for a single annual payment.
Membership of the 2023 scheme for Guernsey residents is £59 for an adult, £27 for a child and £43 for a senior citizen.
Click here for further details https://ambulance.gg/subscription-scheme/
The reminder about the subscription scheme comes as the service announces the ambulance charges for 2023, which will see people without a subscription paying from £420 for each ambulance attendance, plus an additional £81 for a paramedic treatment. (Full list of charges below).
Ambulances in Guernsey are not free, so anyone who isn’t a member of the subscription scheme and who doesn’t have adequate health insurance will be charged for an emergency ambulance call.
The Emergency Ambulance Service in Guernsey is provided by St John on behalf of the States of Guernsey, through a grant from the Committee for Health & Social Care. The grant is a contribution towards the operating costs of the service, with the remaining costs being met in a variety of ways including the subscription scheme.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: “St John has been unable to hold back applying the cost of living increases to our ambulance scheme for 2023. We have seen an unprecedented increase in medical inflation costs. The costs of running vehicles, equipment, medical consumables and insurances have all contributed to an overall increase in the costs of running a safe and effective service.”
St John Ambulance and Rescue board member Marc Farror added “We want to avoid large, step changes in pricing and we can only do this if we apply small annual increases that reflect surges in our operational running costs. We recognise that even the smallest increase can affect household budgets, therefore we have for 2023 introduced the options to pay a subscription in four instalments over four quarters of the year. Joining the subscription scheme provides piece of mind, value for money and avoids a large bill in the unfortunate event of needing an ambulance.”
Renewal emails and letters for existing members are being sent out during November and anyone with an existing direct debit will automatically be renewed and therefore does not need to take any action – unless their details have changed.
Subscription membership covers up to 25 ambulance journeys, including the attendance of an ambulance, assessment and treatment by a qualified clinician at the scene and/or conveyance to hospital for further care if required. The 2023 subscription covers up to 10 non-emergency patient transfers booked in advance by a healthcare professional. It also covers Guernsey residents for the Flying Christine marine ambulance.
A separate Ambulance Subscription is available for residents of Herm at a cost of £86 and residents of Sark can join the scheme for an annual charge of £140 per individual. Visitors from outside the Bailiwick can join the Visitors subscription scheme which costs £59 per individual and covers a 3 month period.
Anyone who is not a member of the Ambulance Subscription Scheme and would like to join for 2023 can sign up online https://subscription.ambulance.gg/
| 2023 Ambulance Subscription Scheme | |
| Type | Cost |
| Adult | £59 |
| Child | £27 |
| OAP | £43 |
| Herm resident | £86 |
| Sark resident | £140 |
| Top-up – for non-emergency patient transport | £37 |
| Visitor (3 months) | £59 |
| 2023 Ambulance charges (without a subscription) | |
| Ambulance charge | £420 |
| Paramedic charge | £81 |
| Flying Christine Herm | £555 |
| Flying Christine Sark | £2077 |
| Flying Christine Alderney | £2778 |
Kelly’s Falls Prevention and Management project aims to provide emergency lifting equipment to Community Services, to improve the efficiencies of patient care and costs and avoiding prolonged issues resultant from long-lie injuries.
The judges were so impressed with Kelly’s idea that it was announced that her runners-up prize of one thousand pounds would be boosted to three thousand pounds in a joint venture between Insurance Corporation, HSC and St John Ambulance Guernsey, meaning a special lifting chair for her project will soon be available within the community.
During her presentation Kelly explained that falls account for a significant proportion of calls to the Guernsey ambulance service. In 2020, 731 people called 999 following a fall, however many of these were non-injured fallers, placing added strain on Emergency Services.
Emergency Medical Technician Nick Davison was highly commended and received very worthy recognition for his proposal “This is MY voice”. The idea was to enable service users the chance to keep their voice when injury diseases, such as MNR, Parkinsons and MS, have the potential to take it away. By recording and preserving the voice digitally, the scheme will future-proof service users ability to help communicate with friends and family later.
Both Kelly and Nick were commended for thinking outside of the ‘999’ emergency ‘box’ and looking for initiatives that are preventative. Their thinking aligns to the HSC Partnership of Purpose and the ambulance service’s future development of urgent and community care and public health.
Guernsey’s Bailiff, Richard McMahon announced the winners of the 2022 Health & Social Care Bursary at a ceremony last week, in the presence of the President of the Committee for Health & Social Care, Deputy Al Brouard. The overall winners were Nicola Cross and Hayley Bearman for their ‘Step Forward’ project, which aims to encourage patients discharged from hospital to be motivated to become more mobile by the use of a pedometer.
The annual Insurance Corporation Health & Social Care Bursary is the only awards scheme in the Bailiwick promoting and celebrating health and wellbeing in the Bailiwick. Each year we invite staff from HSC to submit ideas to improve the health or social care provision in the Bailiwick.
The Insurance Corporation Health and Social Care Bursary was established by Peter Walpole the founder of Insurance Corporation, who realised healthcare employees had lots of innovative ideas but no obvious method of obtaining funding or support to make their concept become a reality.
(Photos by Chris George)
Guernsey’s emergency services held a two-minutes silence at 09:00hrs on Wednesday 19th October to remember their colleagues from the blue light services who have been killed or injured during their work. Representatives from the police, fire, ambulance and coastguard will assemble at 08:50 hrs for a short ceremony, hosted by the Emergency Ambulance Service at the ambulance station on the Rohais.
Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said: “999 Day is an opportunity to reflect on the work and dedication of Guernsey’s blue light services and to thank them for the work they do all year round. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our ambulance crews for the excellent standard of care and compassion they give to our community, often working in challenging circumstances. I would also like to acknowledge our support staff, the Community First Responders and all the other St John volunteers who provide valuable assistance to the Emergency Ambulance Service, as well as the staff at the Joint Emergency Services Control Centre (JESCC) who are the unsung heroes of the blue light services. Their job is extremely diverse and can be extremely challenging, but they make a real difference to lives being saved by giving telephone advice before the arrival of an ambulance.”
Head of Bailiwick Law Enforcement Ruari Hardy said: “It is a privilege to be part of Guernsey’s blue light and Emergency Services and be part of a National 999 day and represent all my colleagues across Bailiwick Law Enforcement. The people of Guernsey should be very proud of those members of our community who put themselves forward to undertake this critical work as part of the wider public service and it is right we acknowledge those who have served and continue to do so.”
Chief Fire Officer, Jon Le Page said: “We welcome this opportunity join together with our fellow emergency service colleagues across the UK in recognising the hard work and dedication to duty of all staff (both paid and voluntary). They all have a common aim, which is to assist and protect members of our communities. Those in my charge at the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service are no different and I am hugely grateful for the way in which they work collaboratively and tirelessly with staff from the other emergency services to make the response to calls for assistance from our community as effective as possible. I am very proud to be able to stand with my colleagues from the other emergency services today, as we observe two minutes’ silence in honour of those who have been killed or injured in the line of their duties across the country.
Harbour Master David Barker added: “I would like to commend all members of the emergency services after what has been another busy year in the Bailiwick. In particular I would like to thank the volunteers who crew our RNLI lifeboats, Channel Islands Air Search aircraft and the Flying Christine marine ambulance, all of whom do a fantastic job, often in very challenging circumstances.”
Emergency Services Day, also known as 999 Day, traditionally takes place on 9th September each year, however, it was postponed this year following the death of Her Majesty The Queen and the date for 2022 was rescheduled out of respect for the King and national mourning.
999 Day provides an opportunity to highlight the work of blue light services, encourage the responsible use of our emergency services and promote career and volunteer opportunities within the sector.
The emergency services are honoured to have the support of His Majesty The King and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The national day also has the support of the Governments of the UK, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
999 Day is also supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the National Fire Chiefs’ Council, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, the NHS and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Emergency Services Day flag will fly from the mast at the Guernsey police headquarters the fire station and the ambulance station.
The announcement comes following a review of ambulance provision and an extensive consultation period involving St John in Guernsey, the States of Alderney and States of Guernsey.
The Alderney ambulance service will operate as an extension of the Guernsey service, under the clinical governance framework and leadership of the St John Emergency Ambulance Service with training and development opportunities aligned to the Guernsey operation.
Recruitment for qualified or trainee ambulance clinicians in Alderney is due to begin immediately with the responsibility moving to St John from the start of 2023. The funding model for the service is based on the States of Alderney bearing the full costs of the operation.
Ian Carter, Chair of Policy and Finance Committee in Alderney said:
“The States of Alderney welcomes Guernsey Ambulance Service as its provider and is excited about the future of the Ambulance Service as we develop a more integrated resilient approach to healthcare services on the island. We would like to express our thanks to our current locum provider and our dedicated volunteers who have worked tirelessly to ensure no break in service over the past year.”
And Boyd Kelly, Chair of General Services Committee in Alderney added:
“This is a positive step in the history of the Ambulance Service and we would like to thank all the agencies involved in developing this solution. Over the last years, we have been indebted to the work of our volunteers in ensuring the continuity of the Ambulance Service.”
Guernsey’s Chief Ambulance Officer Mark Mapp said:
“St John Guernsey has been providing the Emergency Ambulance Service for 85 years, we have supported Alderney for several decades with mutual aid, and now the time is right to extend our assistance and expertise to our sister island. The operating model considers the most cost effective and clinically safe and sustainable approach for Alderney at this moment in time. By moving the operational oversight, management and clinical governance of AAS to Guernsey, Alderney will benefit from the decades of emergency ambulance experience and national professional links that St John has to offer. We look forward to working with the States of Alderney and the local community to deliver a professional ambulance service for the island, we are committed to supporting community growth and resilience, and it is hoped that the majority of operations will be underpinned by on island staff and volunteers.”
Deputy Mark Helyar, Policy & Resources Committee lead on matters relating to Bailiwick relationships, said:
“The commissioning of the St John Emergency Ambulance Service by the States of Alderney represents a further step in our collective efforts to develop a more resilient and sustainable model of care which supports the health and wellbeing of the Alderney community. The States of Guernsey continue to have very positive discussions on the broader future of health and care and it is encouraging to see agreements like this one for the provision of ambulance services being put in place, which will hopefully be reassuring for Alderney residents.”
The States of Alderney would like to thank ID Medical, the private ambulance provider, which has been running the ambulance service in Alderney on a temporary basis. The States of Alderney and the Guernsey’s Emergency Ambulance Service will work together to oversee the transfer of operations from the current provider to ensure a seamless transition for the Alderney community early next year. 
St John Emergency Ambulance Service has a long history of supporting Alderney through a memorandum of understanding as well as through education, training and leadership. In 2019 Guernsey’s ambulance service provided temporary cover at the request of the States of Alderney and has previously covered periods of leave in the island. St John has delivered the ambulance service for Guernsey since 1936 and today provides the service on behalf of the States of Guernsey through a grant from the Committee for Health & Social Care. The St John charity also provides the Flying Christine marine ambulance which has been serving all the islands of the Bailiwick for 70 years.
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