Canvey ECP retires after 30 years in service

Nigel Davies pulled on his green uniform for the final time last week after a 30-year career in the ambulance service.

Last Wednesday (13^th May) colleagues threw a farewell party for Nigel – who retired having devoted more than half his life to the service in Essex.

The 58-year-old has worked at Canvey station for all but the first year of his 30 years and four months’ service.

Nigel said: “I have really enjoyed being in the ambulance service. You make a big difference to people’s lives. The colleagues that you work with are a big part of the job. I have made some great friends.”

A former mechanic for the Ford Motor Company, Nigel began working in patient transport services in Basildon and soon after moved to Canvey Island after training as an ambulanceman. He qualified as a paramedic in the mid-90s and then 10 years later took his clinical skills to the next level, becoming an emergency care practitioner (ECP).

The keen angler and motorcycle enthusiast, who currently lives on Canvey Island with wife Teresa, now plans to move closer to family in Suffolk.

He said: “I’ll be able to get in the garden and go fishing. I’ve got a 1965 Royal Enfield Crusader which I rebuilt from a box of bits. Hopefully I’ll be riding around the country lanes in Suffolk occasionally.”

Chris Allen, Duty Locality Officer in Southend, said: “Nigel is a well-respected and well-liked member of staff. He’s one of the old boys and with him leaving we’re losing a lot of experience.”

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh attended Nigel’s farewell gathering. He said: “Nigel has been an excellent and loyal emergency care practitioner and he will be sadly missed in Essex. I wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.”

Published 21st May 2015
Photo credit: Sarah Wayte