The College of Paramedics is delighted to announce that our Chief Executive, Tracy Nicholls, has been awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to the paramedic profession.
Tracy has been Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics since December 2019 and a paramedic since 1998.
Commenting on her award, Tracy said: “I was honestly so shocked when I was told about this and I don’t think it will ever fully sink in. But I feel absolutely honoured and privileged to be nominated, let alone recognised in this way.
“However, these accolades are rarely about just one person and as our profession faces such difficult times it is imperative that I recognise the magnificent paramedic role models, mentors and colleagues who have supported and empowered me to this point. I would like to dedicate this to every paramedic, particularly in these challenging times.”
Tracy began her career in 1995 at Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance Service, now part of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) where she worked on patient transport services before progressing to the role of technician and then paramedic.
In 2001, she was promoted to station manager at Luton before heading up the service’s Training and Education Department in 2004 where her warm and effective style of leadership quickly became evident.
Over the next decade, Tracy’s career journey saw her hold down a number of important roles within EEAST including Acting Head of Quality Governance and Head of Clinical Quality. In 2018, she was appointed Director of Clinical Quality and Improvement at EEAST, becoming the first female paramedic to serve on any ambulance service board in a clinical role in the country.
Throughout Tracy’s professional working life, she has been an active and dedicated member of the College of Paramedics. Her desire to promote and strengthen the paramedic profession across the UK made her a natural choice to become the organisation’s new Chief Executive in 2019. Since then, she has managed to propel the College of Paramedics to even greater heights, despite years of turbulence within the healthcare system, brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under her stewardship, the College of Paramedics has grown exponentially and now has more than 21,000 members. Since becoming Chief Executive, Tracy has helped raise the profile of the organisation through her regular media appearances where she advocates for members on a wide variety of subjects. She was instrumental in overseeing the College’s new governance structure with the formation of Congress and the Paramedic and Student Councils and has introduced a number of mental health and wellbeing initiatives for members, recognising that the long hours, staff shortages and mental demands of the job can place an enormous burden on paramedics and ambulance workers. In addition, she has been the driving force as the College seeks to gain Royal Charter status.
President of the College of Paramedics, Dr John Martin, said: “Tracy has embodied all the best of what it means to be a paramedic since she started in 1998: kind, caring and compassionate. She has undertaken multiple roles in her time, including being an excellent educator and mentor to many who have joined the profession, including me. In recent years, as Tracy has taken on leadership of the College she has been a beacon for developing the paramedic profession even further. This award is richly deserved.”