A BIG-HEARTED former ambulance technician battling long Covid serves hot food to ambulance crews outside a city hospital to say a thank you to the people he says are 'family'.

Colin Beesley serves hot soup and hot pies to ambulance crews outside A&E at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester every week to keep up their morale.

Despite hobbling on crutches after suffering a broken hip two months ago, suffering osteoarthritis in both knees and getting out of breath due to long Covid, he has only missed one Friday in a year and a half.

Worcester News: FOOD: Colin Beesley with paramedics outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital.FOOD: Colin Beesley with paramedics outside Worcestershire Royal Hospital. (Image: Colin Beesley)

For the past 18 months, he has been going every Friday night to the A&E department at 8.15pm, giving hot and cold food including hot pies, rolls, and sandwiches, cakes and doughnuts.

He has also been providing hot homemade soup to the ambulance crews, the hospital A&E staff, and, when possible, to the patients waiting in the ambulances.

 

The 67-year-old of St John's, Worcester, said: "In that time I've missed one week due to my hip replacement. I had to help as these guys do such a marvellous job - and I don't think they get a good enough press. This is my way of saying thank you to them. I do it because the ambulance crews are my family."

RECOMMENDED READING: 'Critical incident' at Worcestershire Royal Hospital A&E

RECOMMENDED READING: Worcestershire Royal Hospital's new A&E department now open

Mr Beesely joined what was then known as Hereford and Worcester ambulance service and worked out of Worcester and Evesham Stations on the frontline 999 vehicles.

He said: "I left to work in Cyprus, as a paramedic for a very large private hospital in Paphos.

"I returned to the UK and went to South Central Ambulance Service. 2020 whilst on duty, I contracted Covid 19, and was emergency admitted to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

Worcester News: HUNGRY: Food being handed out to paramedicsHUNGRY: Food being handed out to paramedics (Image: Colin Beesley)

"I spent eight weeks there on the specialised Covid unit. Due to then having the long Covid interstitial lung decease, I had to retire from service having worked in the patient care vocation for 18 years.

"I have now also got severe osteoarthritis in both knees, requiring the use of walking aids, and eight weeks ago had to have a total left hip replacement due to a bad fall."