Rye doctor honoured by the Queen

Dr Chishick, of Rye Medical Centre, was presented with the medal by Lord Lieutenant for East Sussex Peter Field, at a ceremony in Burwash earlier this month.

It was in recognition of 20 years working as a volunteer for SIMCAS, (South East Coast Immediate Medical Care Scheme), responding to accidents and medical emergencies.

Dr. Chishick, from Winchelsea, joined SIMCAS in 1992 and has attended an average of 80 incidents a year ranging from a major pile-up on the M20 to rescuing a toddler stuck under boulders on the beach in Hastings, from home-births to heart attacks and from kite-surfers off the beach in Camber to a helicopter crash.

He is on-call for South East Coast Ambulance Service whenever he is available and is often mobilised at the same time as the ambulance paramedics.

Before coming to Rye he worked in the Trauma Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford and he has been a GP in Rye since 1984.

He was a medical officer in the Royal Naval Reserve from 1977 to 1999 and experienced Air-Sea Rescue in the early 1990’s at Portland and Culdrose Naval Air Stations.

Three other doctors from East Sussex and two nurse responders from Kent also received the medal.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal is awarded to the emergency services and armed forces personnel to honour the Queen’s 60th year on the throne. BASICS (the British Association for Immediate Care) is a charity that works across the UK to provide immediate medical care at the site of accidents.

SIMCAS is the BASICS-affiliated charity that provides emergency doctors and nurses to incidents across Surrey, Sussex and Kent, responding to 931 calls in 2011. It was founded in 1988.

Their experienced volunteers are equipped and supported by charitable donations and they support the land and air ambulance services by providing specialised skills, drugs and support.

SIMCAS volunteers also provide medical expertise to major local events including Lewes Bonfire celebrations and the Brighton Marathon.

Volunteers receiving the medal have to have been in active, continuous front-line service for at least 5 years.