Meet the team: Sonia Guille

Meet the Team: Sonia Guille

Congratulations to Paramedic Station Officer Sonia Guille who this week celebrates 30 years with Guernsey’s ambulance service.

After working as auxiliary nurse and in the hospitality industry Sonia joined Ambulance and Rescue in 1994. She initially started with the patient transport service before becoming an Emergency Medical Technician and then qualifying as Guernsey’s first female paramedic.

Sonia is now one of our Team Leaders, which involves leading and managing a team of staff, supervising the daily operations and ensuring the smooth running of the service. Sonia also responds as an Incident Officer to serious accidents and major incidents, ensuring that the service standards are met and overseeing the joint working and interoperability with  other emergency services.

Sonia said: “Although my role is of a supervisory nature, I still regularly practice as Paramedic which is still the best part of my job and the reason for joining the service. There is a real sense of satisfaction when you are able to help patients when they are feeling at their worst. The feeling of  making a difference to someone’s life and making people feel better is rather gratifying and special.”

Sonia added “I like the fact that no day is the same, the work we do is unpredictable in nature and were faced with different situations on a daily basis. I have been really lucky and had many opportunities to work in Sark providing medical cover over the years. This has been one of the many highlights of my job. I also had the privilege and honour to represent Guernsey’s ambulance service at the Remembrance Sunday parade in London in November 2022, which was an experience I will never forget.”

During the past 30 years Sonia has seen many changes, clinicians now need to be more skilled in managing long term conditions, treat patients with complex conditions and a range of urgent care presentations in the community, and assist people with acute presentations of mental health

Paramedics have become more autonomous in providing care in the community. Advances in prehospital care mean also the amount of medical drugs and clinical skills available have also increased dramatically.