Local ambulance man retires after 37 years service

Gary Davies, an Ambulance Technician at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust's (SCAS) Milton Keynes Resource Centre has retired after 37 years service to the local community.

Vicky Holliday, SCAS Area Manager said: 'Gary has given a fantastic service to the people of Milton Keynes for the last 37 years. His dedication and skills have undoubtedly made a difference to many people's lives. Gary will be greatly missed by all his colleagues and we wish him all the very best for his well deserved retirement.'

Gary began his career with the ambulance service back in 1975 when it was not unheard of for an ambulance to be used by staff to transport bedding plants, cookers, a Christmas tree for the station, or even a moped, in addition to conveying patients!

Gary recalls two of his earliest experiences of working for the local ambulance service:

'One day I had an accident and was knocked off my moped on the way to work. An ambulance was called. The crew loaded myself and my injured moped into the ambulance and dropped my moped off at my home en route to taking me to A&E in Northampton. Thankfully neither myself nor the moped was badly damaged!'

'On another occasion during the potato shortage I was driving an 8-seater Patient Transport bus picking up patients in the Bletchley area and taking them to their hospital out patient appointments in Oxford. I told them I could get them half a hundred weight of spuds for a fiver. We stopped at a farm on the way back and left the farmer with a broad grin on his face with 9 half hundred weight sacks of potatoes and myself together with 8 very happy patients in the vehicle.'

Gary remembers a time when treating patients was simply a case of First Aid and away to hospital. Today's ambulance service personnel are still as highly regarded as they ever were, but are now highly trained clinicians providing a rapid response to medical emergencies and mobile healthcare around the clock throughout the year of a standard their predecessors could only have dreamed of.

Commenting on his 37 years working for the local ambulance service Gary Davies said: 'It's been a great career and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I've got a real buzz out of helping the public and from being part of a great team. I would especially like to thank my last crewmate Sue Amoroso for her support over the last twelve months and wish everyone I know at SCAS every success for the future.'

Gary, who will be working transporting patients to and from out patient appointments for North Chiltern Ambulance Service in his retirement will be missed by colleagues throughout the Trust, especially those in Milton Keynes who have become accustomed to his support and sense of humour and to arriving on station on Christmas Day to find Gary cooking a festive fry up for them all. Gary says he'll be calling in for a cuppa throughout the year and that he'll be back on station on Christmas Day just to cook breakfast!

Last word goes to Milton Keynes Paramedic 'Digger' Graves who spoke for all who knew Gary in writing the following poem for him:

'So you've done your last red call No more from your bed to crawl
No more sirens or blue lights No more trauma or pub fights
For tomorrow you can rest Knowing you gave of your best
May your retirement be bliss Though you we all will miss.'

For more information, or to arrange an interview please contact James Keating-Wilkes on 07901 008515 or email james.wilkes@scas.nhs.uk

Published 9 February 2012