Praise for life-saving Patient Transport Service crew

A non-emergency ambulance crew has been hailed as “marvellous” for stepping in to save the life of a man who had collapsed in the street in Keighley.

Megan Jordan and Andrew Beverley, who work for Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s Patient Transport Service (PTS), were heading to Airedale Hospital for their meal break when they were flagged down to help Raymond Berry.

Ordinarily, their job involves taking people to their healthcare appointments, but without a second thought they grabbed the first aid bag and automated external defibrillator (AED) and assessed the 72-year-old – he had a very faint pulse but was not breathing.

They started CPR and applied the AED, while advising the member of the public to call 999 and continued with their life-saving efforts until an emergency ambulance crew arrived to take Mr Berry to Airedale Hospital.

Just 48 hours later the team were informed that Mr Berry had woken up and was in a stable condition.

Megan said: “We were in the right place at the right time, with outstanding teamwork and the first aid skills from me and my crew mate Andrew we were able to help. I feel truly privileged to have helped a member of the public in their hour of need, to give him another opportunity of life felt amazing. I’m delighted he has made a good recovery.”

Mr Berry, who lives in Steeton, near Keighley, had just popped to his local shop to get some bread when he collapsed on 23 February 2024.

“I can’t remember anything about the incident until I woke up in hospital four days later,” said Mr Berry. “When I found out what had happened, I thought the couple who had stopped were marvellous. I feel very fortunate that they were passing and able to help.”

Mr Berry served in the RAF for 34 years, during which time he worked as a first responder on search and rescue helicopters and helped to develop the Medical Emergency Response Team, which transported thousands of casualties from the battlefields of Afghanistan to hospital in a Chinook helicopter over a 10-year period.

“Having used CPR many times over the years, I know how important it is for people to learn this skill, and it’s equally as important that they know where their local defibrillator is in the event of an emergency,” said Mr Berry.

Steve Smalley, Service Delivery Manager for PTS at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of Megan and Andrew; they did a fantastic job and their fast intervention, I believe, saved Mr Berry’s life. This incident reinforces how our PTS staff are far more than just drivers, they really do make a difference to patients’ lives day in, day out. Whilst emergencies such as this aren’t part of their regular day-to-day work, it’s great to see our PTS staff using their skills to help a person in need.”