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11
Jan
Harrogate doctor awarded rare medal in New Year Honours
A highly respected Harrogate clinician has been awarded the King's Ambulance Medal in the New Year Honours.
Dr Alison Walker is a consultant in emergency medicine and clinical lead for emergency preparedness, resilience and response at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust (HDFT), and has been recognised for three decades of dedication to emergency care and the ambulance service.
The King’s Ambulance Medal is only awarded to a maximum of four people per year in England, and is on a par with the King’s Police Medal and the King’s Fire Service Medal in the New Year and Birthday Honours lists.
As well as her role at HDFT, Dr Walker is currently chair of the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee, which sets the clinical guidelines for all UK ambulance services. She also responds as a BASICS (British Association for Immediate Care) emergency doctor providing advanced, hospital-level care at the scene of serious 999 emergencies.
Dr Walker graduated in dentistry in June 1987 and in medicine in June 1995. She started teaching student paramedics in 1996. She has held senior medical leadership roles across multiple ambulance services, including medical director positions at West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Dr Walker was a recipient of a prestigious medal from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in 2022 for her work strengthening links between emergency medicine and the ambulance services, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2024, Alison was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Science by Coventry University for her contribution to the enhancement of pre-hospital care across the West Midlands and the country.
Dr Walker said:
I am absolutely delighted with the award, if slightly taken aback that I have been nominated when so many people in the ambulance service work so hard, day in, day out.
I still love treating patients and seeing that, as a team, the difference we can make to patient’s lives on what is probably the worst day of their life. Equally, I am also incredibly proud of the work I have done with colleagues behind the scenes developing the paramedic profession and know that our work has helped to save countless lives.
Dr Jacqueline Andrews, HDFT’s executive medical director, said:
Alison’s award is a fitting tribute for her long and successful career in the NHS. In all of her patient-facing and clinical leadership roles she has shown an unwavering commitment to improving the experiences of patients and colleagues. We are delighted she has been recognised for her dedication to her work in this way.
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