Richard Ward

Biography

Richard is the head of the Centre of Excellence in Paramedic Practice, working within the Institute of Health’s senior leadership team.

Richard’s role is to provide leadership to and management of the Centre for Excellence in Paramedic Practice, in support of the University’s and Institute’s strategic objectives and significant delivery of a large educational portfolio with a significant apprenticeship agenda. He provides leadership and management to Institute staff and has operational responsibility for all paramedic education and contracts and stakeholder engagement with NHS Ambulance Trusts across England. He works in partnership with the Director of AHP to ensure alignment of the Centre’s financial and strategic contribution to the wider AHP Provision.

Richard is the lead investigator for the ambulance #LEAD study which aims to understand staff’s perceptions and experiences of leadership, and the type of leaders they need to support them in a post covid world.

Previously he has worked as a Paramedic with the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. He has worked on double crewed ambulances and solo response vehicles. Within SECAmb, he progressed to the role of Clinical Team Leader, managing a team of frontline staff while carrying out Operational Commander (Bronze) duties. Richard then moved into the Trust's Education Department prior to working at the University of Greenwich for 5 years.

At the University of Greenwich, Richard was a Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science, and amongst other things, he worked with practice-based learning modules and projects, alongside pioneering student support mechanisms. Richard was also an external examiner at Edge Hill University for 3 years.

Richard then moved into a Principal Lecturer role at the University of Cumbria prior to being appointed as the Head of the Centre of Excellence in Paramedic Practice.

Qualifications and memberships

MSc Advanced Practice 

PGCert in Higher Education

Level 7 Mentorship Module

BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science 

College of Paramedics Full Member 

HCPC Paramedic PA 33237

Senior Fellow with Advance HE 

Academic and research interests

Richard is interested in leadership, culture, curriculumn design, quality assurance and student engagement and support within the Higher Edication sector. He is also interested in equality, diversity and inclusion in Higher Education and the Ambulance Service. 

Richard's clinical interests involve trauma and resuscitation.

Richard is the lead investigator for the ambulance #LEAD study that is ongoing.  

Publications

Hodgett, R. and Ward, R., 2020. Are cervical collars effective and safe in prehospital spinal cord injury management?. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 12(2), pp.67-78.

Ward, R., Berlin, J., Jennings, K. and Newton, P., 2018. Paramedics' perceptions and experiences of pelvic injuries in prehospital situations. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 10(11), pp.468-476.

Ward, R., 2016. Paramedic and student midwives' experiences of interprofessional learning. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 8(9), p.470.

Recent external roles

Recently Richard has worked as a bank Specialist Clinician for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust and as a bank Vaccinator for Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richard also undertakes clinical reviews for class professional publishing and is a parent governor for a local infants school. 

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