Shropshire medics honoured at ambulance service awards
A Shropshire teacher and the flying medics based at Cosford were honoured at a prestigious ambulance service awards ceremony at the House of Lords.
The Ambulance Service Institute Awards are for people in the service who have performed above and beyond the call of duty in their dedication to saving lives.
Craig Singleton, who is from Gnosall, in Staffordshire, but teaches at Oldbury Wells School in Bridgnorth, landed an award for his work as a Community First Responder
He had been nominated over an incident in Gnosall involving an 18 month-old child who had been attacked at home by the family dog, a Staffordshire bull terrier.
West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Chris Kowalik said: "The dog had suddenly attacked the child and torn the right side of his face.
"Craig, as the local CFR, was first on scene and commenced treating the child with oxygen before the ambulance arrived.
"Craig continued to assist the crew then left the scene and the patient in the safe hands of the ambulance crew.
"The crew was impressed by Craig's actions and his assistance at what was a very difficult situation and asked for him to be nominated for an award for his calm and swift actions."
Craig said of his award: "I feel slightly embarrassed about it. It could have been anybody who turned out."
Also among the awards at the ceremony were the helicopter medics at Cosford who won the Air Ambulance Team of the Year Award.
Graham Cannell and David Kelly of Bond Aviation and crew members Fay Mason and Dr David Balthazar shared the award with James Benson and Ian Walley of the Midlands Air Ambulance from Staffordshire.
The crews were honoured for an incident they both attended to help a worker trapped in a 20ft-long tunnel under a potato sorting machine.
Lord Ian McColl, who presented the awards, told the winners: "It must have been absolutely horrendous, some of the situations you have had to deal with.
"We are just so grateful that you risk your lives to do all these wonderful things.
"Greater love hath no man who gives his life for another, or risks doing so."
West Midlands Ambulance Service also received the Patient Transport Service Award on the night thanks to the work of Alex Leston and Louise Orsmby.
They work from University Hospital Birmingham and were honoured for their actions at a road traffic collision involving a female pedestrian and a large goods vehicle in Moseley, Birmingham, in November, 2013.h
