Wigan paramedics remembered with dedicated ambulances after Covid-19 deaths

Two Wigan paramedics who died from coronavirus have had ambulances unveiled in their honour.

Peter Millington a paramedic who worked in Wigan and as a capacity manager in the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) regional operations centre, died in March this year.

While Stuart Monk, a paramedic also based in Wigan, died last spring.

Phil Rennie, a Patient Transport Service Care Assistant based in Oldham, who died of Covid-19 last summer, has also been honoured.

As a lasting tribute to their memory, two emergency ambulances and a patient transport ambulance have been inscribed with their names along with ‘Forever in our hearts’.

The vehicles will be operational and helping those within the same communities each of the men previously served for many years.

The two emergency ambulances will be out on the roads of Wigan and the patient transport ambulance will be travelling around the roads of Oldham.

The family of Mr Millington said: “We are so overwhelmed and grateful for this amazing gesture from the North West Ambulance Service.

“We are very proud of our dad and everything he achieved during the 34 years he worked for the NHS. The ambulance is an incredible tribute to the time he served as a paramedic and all the hard work he contributed to the service.

“We will forever be thankful for the acknowledgment of his dedication to the NHS and I know he would be incredibly proud to have an ambulance named after him and to know that he is still able to help people.”

Mr Millington was given a guard of honour following his death.

Ambulance staff turned out in force and their emergency vehicles had their blue lights flashing as Mr Millington’s cortege passed through the 999 station on Robin Park Road on its way to his funeral.

Members of the public joined NHS staff to stand in silent tribute to the Gidlow 58-year-old who diedafter seven weeks battling the virus.

Steve Hynes, deputy director of operations at NWAS who organised the memorial on the vehicles, said: “Stuart, Phil and Peter will be remembered for caring for those at their most vulnerable and in need. Whilst they are sadly no longer with us, our memories of these three outstanding colleagues will remain.

“This is why we wanted to do something that gives their friends and colleagues a way to remember them but also to give others within the communities they served a chance to find out who they are by dedicating these vehicles to each of them.

He added: “This is our small way of us saying thank you to their professionalism, dedication and service.”

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