A Stornoway ambulance paramedic is the first winner of a new national awards scheme that recognises improvements in patient care and safety.
Elma MacLeod, who has worked with the Scottish Ambulance Service for 22 years on Lewis, has won the Scottish Ambulance Service Chairman’s Patient Safety Award in its inaugural year.
Elma was recognised for the commitment and dedication that she has shown in developing new clinical pathways for patients in the Western Isles.
In addition to undertaking her shifts as a paramedic she worked closely with clinicians at NHS Western Isles and the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Glasgow to develop protocols for cardiac patients so that they can be quickly transferred to specialist care by helicopter. This also involved retraining colleagues in the new approach. Elma undertook much of this work in her own time.
David Garbutt, Chairman of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "Elma is an inspirational paramedic and an outstanding role model. She was nominated by her colleagues for this award in recognition of her commitment to doing the best we possibly can for our patients. Her work is an excellent example of how different areas of the community and the NHS can work together to improve access to specialist clinical care."
Stornoway paramedic wins national patient safety award
4 March 2015
David Garbutt and Elma Macleod