A PARAMEDIC has received a prestigious award from West Midlands Ambulance Service after reuniting a missing man with dementia with his family on New Year’s Eve.
Stuart Grennan, who is based in Bromsgrove, and his colleague were called to reports of a crash in Droitwich.
But when they got there, they found it was not a collision but a 70-year-old man whose car had ran out of petrol.
He was confused and showing signs of someone suffering with dementia.
The paramedic and his colleague questioned him sensitively to find out the man was en route to London and found out he was missing from his Cornwall home.
They radioed back to their control room where operators contacted Devon and Cornwall Police who confirmed he was missing.
The pair took him to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and he was reunited hours later with his grateful family.
The incident saw the paramedic receive a Chief Officer’s Commendation at WMAS’ Long Service and Excellence Awards, sponsored by Celesio UK and Zoll UK Ltd.
They were held at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull last Thursday (March 12).
They were presented by Paul Sabapathy CBE, the Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands who handed them out on behalf of HM The Queen.
He said: “We call the ambulance service when we are absolutely desperate.
“People are distressed and stressed out of their minds when they call you and you come there and deal with it and assure them and make sure that they are looked after.
“On behalf of Her Majesty, The Queen, on behalf of all the citizens here in the West Midlands, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for what you do because you do a fantastic job.”
Chief executive Anthony Marsh added it was right for staff to take time out of busy schedules to reflect on the great things employees, volunteers and colleagues from the other emergency services do.
