Scottish Ambulance Service staff to receive King's Birthday Honours

THREE Scottish Ambulance Service staff members have been awarded prestigious accolades in the King’s Birthday Honours.

Sarah Stevenson, of Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, is the recipient of King’s Ambulance Service Medal (KAM). Anne Cadman, of Dalry, North Ayrshire, has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and Keith Jensen, of Aberdeen, has received an Officer of the Order of the British (OBE).

Sarah joined the Service is 2005 and became SAS’s Risk Manager in 2008, a position she had held since. Throughout the past two decades, she has embedded vital risk management arrangements and recently been instrumental in developing an internal programme (InPhase) across the Service for the reporting and management of adverse events, feedback and risks to ensure ongoing patient and staff safety.

Sarah said: “I was completely shocked and very honoured. I think it’s crucial that support staff are recognised for the work they do as they enable and support the frontline to deliver services for our patients. I’d like to thank Systems Administrator Jackie MacKay, who supports me and the wider service on a daily basis in not only InPhase but also the wider risk management agenda.”

Anne currently works as Business Support Administrator for SAS’s ScotSTAR Service, which provides specialist care to seriously ill babies, children and adults across Scotland using specialist response vehicles, ambulances, helicopters and planes.

She said: “I was totally shocked and couldn’t believe that anyone would think I was worthy of such an honour.  In my mind, I do the job I’m paid to do to the very best of my ability. Working for ScotSTAR has made me very proud to be part of a service whose staff work tirelessly to ensure their patients get the best possible treatment available.

Keith Jensen, Area Service Manager for South and West Aberdeenshire, first joined the Service in June 1994, starting out as an ambulance care assistant. He has been instrumental in leading multiple teams in the North region, including being at the forefront of the Service’s response to Covid, and has been invaluable in his support to the SAS Wildcat Cardiac Responders.

He said: “I feel truly honoured and humbled to receive this accolade but I’m just one of many ambulance personnel, both employed and voluntary, and I feel I’m sharing this honour with them all.” 

Deputy Chief Executive Paul Bassett said: “I’d like to extend a huge congratulations to Sarah, Keith and Anne for their thoroughly deserved accolades. Sarah has worked tirelessly to embed robust and effective risk management arrangements and her passionate, energetic and infectious approach to risk has resulted in many staff and patient improvements.  

“Anne has played a crucial role in the development of the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) and wider ScotSTAR services and has always gone above and beyond to ensure their smooth running, working diligently through the initial set up of the team and through two subsequent base moves as EMRS became part of ScotSTAR. Keith is a tremendous ambassador for the entire Grampian area and his charity work and involvement with the SAS Wildcat Responders has been invaluable to the community.”