Uniformed Hero nominee – Colin Oliver

Uniformed Hero nominee – Colin Oliver

An ambulance technician has been honoured for stepping in to stop a man who was damaging the A&E Department at Queens Hospital in Burton.

West Midlands Ambulance Service employee Colin Oliver, who is based at Lichfield Hub, took action when the patient got off his bed in the resuscitation area and started causing damage and potentially putting both hospital and ambulance staff as well as other patients at risk.

The incident, which happened in September 2025, happened just after Colin had brought in his patient. As he was about to start preparing for his next patient he heard a disturbance and quickly realised that a patient was smashing the A&E doors with an oxygen bottle. Not only was it causing damage to the doors but there was a real risk of it breaking the pressurised cylinder.

The man was held from behind before both collapsed onto the floor where Colin assisted in the restraint, which allowed other staff in the A&E Department to restrain the patient. Police attended and arrested the man.

Wendy Hands, Senior Operations Manager at the Lichfield Ambulance Hub, said: “We are all extremely proud and deeply grateful for the quick-thinking actions of Oliver on the day in question. His bravery and decisiveness prevented serious harm to staff and patients within the department and also averted further damage to the hospital itself.

“Despite knowing the potential risk of injury to himself, given that the patient was armed, Oliver acted selflessly and with unwavering commitment to the safety of others. His courage and dedication are truly commendable, and I am incredibly proud to have him as part of our team at the Lichfield Hub.”

Colin Oliver has been nominated in the Uniformed Hero category of the Your Heroes Awards.