Staff at the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) joined colleagues from across the NHS at a service at Westminster Abbey to mark the NHS’s 75th birthday.  

Terry Hicks, head of operations for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Zoe Martindale, Philip Bygrave, and Chaplain Tony Mills all made the journey to attend the service on Wednesday, July 5. 

The event, which was attended by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and senior political leaders, started with a procession of the George Cross, which was presented to the NHS in 2022 by the Queen. 

The cross was carried by nurse May Parsons, who administered the world’s first covid vaccine. May was joined by Kyle Dean-Curtis, 17, St John Ambulance cadet of the year, and Enid Richmond, 91, who worked for the NHS at the time it launched. 

Zoe Martindale is an improvement manager for the emergency operations centre which handles incoming 999 emergency calls.

She said: “I felt extremely honoured and privileged to be invited to attend the service to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the NHS at Westminster Abbey. It was a really moving experience and I felt lucky and honoured to have been picked to attend”, 

“Attending the service gave me an opportunity to reflect on the past 15 years that I have spent working for the Trust, and although it’s not always been easy, I’m still so incredibly proud and grateful to wear my uniform and I look forward to what the future holds for all of us here within the EOC and across EEAST.”   

Philip Bygrave is a Make Ready Group lead for King’s Lynn and Peterborough, which prepares ambulances and other vehicles ready for deployment.

He said: “Attending the service on behalf of EEAST was a great honour and it was humbling to be with so many people who have dedicated so much to the NHS.

"I have worked in the ambulance service for 23 years and was in patient-facing roles before joining the Make Ready Service at EEAST in 2020. Knowing that you are making a difference to patients’ lives is extremely rewarding and makes you feel proud to work in the NHS.”