Trust stalwart retires after more than 20 years with the ambulance service

A member of staff who has served with South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) for more than 22 years is set to retire on Friday August 31st.

Mike Gray joined what was then known as the Somerset Ambulance Service on January 8th 1990, having originally started his working life as a mechanic. He has also been a retained fire fighter based at Wells - leaving in 1997 after 21 years.

It was whilst working with the fire service that Mike decided he wanted to help people in a much more direct capacity and his interest in the ambulance service was first ignited.

Initially Mike was stationed at Shepton Mallet in Somerset and when he first joined there were no paramedics on front line ambulances. However, that all changed a year later and Mike was soon trained and became the fourth paramedic working out of Shepton Mallet Station.

Next in line for Mike was the opportunity to work with the newly established Rapid Response Vehicles. He was one of one of the first members of the ambulance service to man these new vehicles.

Mike has also been involved in a number of other notable schemes including The British Heart Foundation Heart Start Scheme, the Somerset Fire Break, the annual Emergency Services 999 day at the Royal Bath and West Show and assisted in the design and build of a prototype ECP Mercedes Vito mobile treatment vehicle.

Throughout his time with the Trust Mike has continued to demonstrate his willingness to take on new challenges and in October 2002 he became the Community Paramedic for Wells and the surrounding area. In this role he was working solely from home using a fully kitted Rapid Response Vehicle.
Whilst working out of Wells he was able to set up the Wells Community Responder Group and also spent a lot of his own time in local schools promoting the ambulance service.

A few years later another new role appeared on the horizon - that of Emergency Care Practitioner (ECP). Mike was again given the opportunity to enhance his skill base and was successful in being one of the first cohorts to achieve the ECP qualification, a role that he has continued to work at up until his impending retirement.

Derek McCullough, SWASFT Operational Locality Manager for East Somerset, paid tribute to Mike and said: "At the end of August the Trust will be saying a fond farewell to ECP Mike Gray from the ECP Mendip Team in Somerset.

"Mike has achieved over 22 years of service and has worked in a variety of roles including being a Community Paramedic based in the city of Wells and more recently with the Mendip ECP team based out of Shepton Mallet.

"Mike's close working relationship with the local fire and rescue service as well as community responder teams, means that he has come into contact with many people who have gone on to provide patient care themselves.

"Clearly this has made a difference in several local communities as has his own contribution to first responding."