Trustee Election Candidate Statements

President Candidates 

 Jon Price 

I am honoured to stand for re-election as President of the College of Paramedics. Since assuming this role in 2023, I have worked diligently to foster a culture of open and transparent leadership at the board level—one where every voice is valued, and every opinion matters. My commitment to ensuring that our board remains connected to all elements of the organisation has been unwavering, and I have actively engaged with membership councils, staff, and stakeholders to ensure that our leadership remains both visible and accessible. 

Over the past term, the College has undergone significant change, and I have had the privilege of overseeing the induction and integration of new trustees, ensuring they are well-supported as they join us in shaping the College’s future. We have strengthened our understanding of organisational risks, learning valuable lessons from other charities to enhance our resilience and governance. Under the guidance of the board, we have successfully addressed and turned around a financial deficit, putting the College on a more sustainable footing for the future. 

One of the most critical pieces of work currently underway is the development of our next organisational strategy. This strategy will set the direction of the College for the next decade, ensuring that we continue to evolve in a way that best serves our members and the paramedic profession. It is vital that we remain forward-thinking and innovative, and I am committed to leading this work to completion with a clear focus on strengthening the College’s influence, impact, and sustainability. 

A key strategic goal remains our ongoing progress towards Royal College status. We have already taken significant steps in this direction, including understanding and embedding the implications of our Royal Charter and appointment of our first Royal Patron. These milestones bring us closer to achieving the recognition our professional body deserves, and I am dedicated to maintaining the momentum needed to realise this vision. 

My leadership experience and abilities have now been tested and proven in my role as President. I have demonstrated a commitment to strengthening the organisation, enhancing its culture, and upholding the highest standards of governance, professional representation, and accountability. I have upheld the Nolan Principles of Public Life—integrity, honesty, objectivity, accountability, openness, leadership, and selflessness—ensuring that our College operates with the highest ethical standards. 

Upholding professional standards within the paramedic profession remains a core priority. As President, I have worked to ensure that the College continues to advocate for excellence in practice, education, and professional development. Should I be re-elected, I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the College is in a stronger position than when I took on this role. 

Looking ahead to a second term, I aim to focus on better external representation of the College from its president and more effective stakeholder management. The paramedic profession is evolving rapidly, and it is crucial that we engage proactively with key stakeholders, including government bodies, healthcare organisations, and educational institutions. Strengthening these relationships will ensure that the College has a stronger voice in shaping the future of paramedic practice, workforce development, and policy-making. By enhancing my external engagement, I can assist in securing greater recognition for our members and the critical role they play in healthcare delivery. Additionally, building and maintaining strong relationships with our partners, regulators, and professional bodies will allow us to better advocate for the interests of paramedics and ensure that our profession is adequately represented at every level. I am committed to improving communication, fostering collaboration, and positioning the College as a trusted and influential voice in healthcare and emergency services, complementing the valuable relationships that staff and the executive team have spent years developing. I believe I can further support and amplify this work during a second term of office, building upon, and assisting the Chief Executive in her efforts in this space, building on efforts already established in stakeholder engagement, which are already mature.  

The College of Paramedics plays a vital role in shaping the future of our profession. With your support, I am eager to continue leading with integrity, passion, and dedication, ensuring that we grow, evolve, and achieve the recognition that paramedics deserve. I look forward to the opportunity to serve once again and to continue building a College that supports and represents all its members. 

Vice President (Honorary Secretary)  Candidates 

 Kerry Robertshaw   

I have been incredible fortunate to have undertaken the trustee role as vice president of the college for the last two years.  It has been a fantastic opportunity to develop my awareness of how the college of paramedics operates, the role and responsibility of being a charity trustee and the wider function the board plays in strategy development. 

The vice president has an important role in supporting the smooth running of the board of trustees and developing the board development agenda, a process where board congregates to develop their awareness of organisational delivery and processes around risk, membership, strategy and finance. I am pleased to highlight that over the last two years we have concentrated on supporting new trustees with an induction process to increase their awareness of the responsibilities associated with their post ensuring they are welcomed and supported as part of undertaking the role. 

Furthermore, a strong emphasis has been on engagement across the UK, and as a keen Welsh voice for the profession, was thrilled to be able to facilitate board travelling across the nations, including Wales. I am a keen advocated for multigenerational, diverse boards and have worked hard to foster a culture of collaboration and inclusivity with those I work with. Alongside the president we have aimed to develop a psychologically safe compassionately led environment so we can ensure our collective duties and commitments are fulfilled. If re-elected I would continue to work to ensure robust and transparent governance systems are in place, to ensure accountability and that the work of the college is effective, responsible and ethical. 

A key role of board is oversight of the strategy, conscious that the existing strategy was drawing to a close during my current term, I collaborated with several staff within the college to deliver workshops with the employed and volunteer arms of the organisation to ensure we were aligned in our purpose as we moved forwards, this was an excellent opportunity to meet the wider team and gain wider understand of everyone’s role and voice within the college. This has been further enhanced by attending the team together sessions where I have been impressed by the continuous strives to support the profession, and that is evident in several areas including research, education and clinical development. 

I am a keen advocate for the clinical work being developed through the college and sit on the Primary and Urgent Care specialist Interest group (PUCSIG) for the Devolved Nations, supporting progress in areas of clinical development with the Head of Clinical Development- Primary & Urgent Care. I also link closely with the Policy & Public Affairs Manager to ensure Wales related items are progressed and have represented the college on a national level on some of these workstreams. Whilst supporting the Honorary Treasurer to deliver the Finance, Risk and Assurance meetings for the college, I also find it imperative to regularly communicate with the Head of Governance to ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place to future proof and continue to develop the college, alongside regular catch ups with the Chair of council, CEO and president to enable an easy channel of frequent communication.   

My current role as Consultant Paramedic for Urgent Care within the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAST) has given me a wonderful toolkit from working in a senior leadership role, from managing budgets, chairing meetings, managing people and teams, and leading transformational change. I thoroughly enjoy the focus on developing the Urgent Community Response Service within my ambulance service as have seen the emergence of Advanced Practice, Palliative Care, Falls, Frailty and Remote consultation. Supporting the development of this work is challenging, rewarding, progressive and supports the college’s ethos around professional development for the paramedics of the future. 

As a result of my passion for the profession and experience in my current roles, I have been asked to speak at several events for the college including our National Conference, Prescribing and Primary Care conference and the international roundtable of community paramedicine (IRCP), as well as visiting several university students across the UK, to emphasis the role the college has in supporting their professional development. Developing regional, national and international links has been an important way to unite the profession and as the reputation of the college becomes increasingly elevated through charter status, royal patronage and clinical developments, the role of the trustee becomes ever more imperative to ensure oversight and governance is in place. 

I am continually amazed by the progress of the profession over such a short time span, educationally transforming from ICHD, HeDip and into BSc qualified paramedics. This has allowed academic progress into other areas such as MSc, Prescribing qualifications and PhD status. Recognising that this is thanks in part to the recognition and integrity of the college, which is driven by its staff and solid leadership.  

Working at a senior leadership level and undertaking the role currently whilst also raising a young family has affirmed my ability to manage priorities, embrace responsibility and lead change. My employer has, and will continue to support me with the time and resource I need to be most effective in this position if re-elected. 

It has been a pleasure to be part of the journey over the last two years and if re-elected I am committed to supporting the ongoing growth and development of the College of Paramedics, and I would be privileged to contribute my skills, experience, and expertise to the board. Thank you for considering my application. 

Candidate for Trustee (Clinical Development)  

Mary-Jane Emery  

I have been delighted to serve a term as Trustee (Clinical Development) with the College, seeing the passion and talent the team puts into advancing our profession and looking after the wellbeing of us as individuals. 

Standing for a second term is a carefully considered decision, based upon the needs of the College, my personal and professional development to continue to meet these needs, and my ability to dedicate the time and attention to this vital role. 

Below sets out how I believe I can support the Board’s wider role, in addition to the specific Clinical Development portfolio. 

The College is at a critical juncture, creating its next strategy across 2025. This will require analysis of strategic achievements of the last 6 years, recognising the dynamism required to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on delivering the strategy. Priorities which remain current issues in the profession will need to be moved forward, alongside ambitious new commitments. This is complicated by an uncertain NHS landscape, with reform of arms length bodies, a new government, 10 year plan and well documented financial pressures. 

As a Consultant Paramedic in a large Ambulance Trust, I work within the Strategy and Transformation team to combine my clinical leadership skills with strategic vision and implementation. I have led the creation of a long term strategy to reduce health inequalities. I will bring this expertise into the role of Trustee at a crucial time for the College. 

Key to success of any Organisation, and profession, is healthy culture, embodied by all individuals. Sadly, we know there are cultural issues within our wider profession, evidenced by sexual safety incidents, workforce race inequity and disability inequity issues. I will unapologetically champion the improvement of these issues to ensure the College is at the forefront of improving the experience of current and future paramedics, as well as our patients. 

I have a strong background in Quality, Governance, Risk and Assurance, and as the role of Trustee is to ensure the College meets its charitable objectives and operates within legislation, the ability to provide a critical friend function is key. Ensuring the College continues to operate effectively, continues to raise the profile of Paramedics and continues to provide value for its members is, and will continue to be, the guiding principles of the decisions I make. 

 

As we set out our future vision, clinical development opportunities are vital for a number of reasons; the career satisfaction and progression opportunities for our people, the continued advancement of our progression into non traditional roles and to continue to provide excellent care for our patients. 

I will work with the heads of clinical development to ensure that that the clinical development programmes are holistic; 

-including navigating the specific, differing challenges across the devolved nations 

-is reflective, proportionate and representative of the variety of clinical environments in which paramedics practice 

-develops not only individual clinicians but also raises the wider system acknowledgement of the skills paramedics bring, so we can innovate into more areas 

I will bring rounded knowledge of a range of clinical roles in differing environments, through my clinical, leadership and supervisory experiences of remote clinical assessment and traditional ambulance response role, interoperability specialist incident response, and advanced practice in urgent care centres experience.  

I underpin this experience with academic practice, including an MSc Advanced Clinical Practice and service transformational qualifications sure as Agile project management and Quality Service Improvement and Redesign practitioner. 

I hope to be considered for a second term as Trustee (Clinical Development) and I am excited and passionate for the future of the College, along with determination to continue to support its growth.