King's Birthday Honour for BASICS Essex Chairman and Co-Founder Paul Gates

A man whose dedication has helped shape pre-hospital emergency care across the United Kingdom has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in The King's Birthday Honours List 2026.

Paul Gates, current Vice-Chair of the British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) and Co-Founder and Chairman of BASICS Essex, has received the honour in recognition of more than two decades of service to healthcare, clinical education, organisational development and Pre-Hospital Critical Care.

The award particularly recognises Paul's longstanding commitment to the British Association for Immediate Care, the national organisation supporting doctors, paramedics and other healthcare professionals who provide immediate and enhanced/critical care to critically ill and injured patients before they reach hospital.

Paul aged 56, from Rayleigh Essex, first joined BASICS in 2004, and undertook the Association’s  Advanced  Pre-Hospital Care Course before successfully sitting the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care through the Royal College of Surgeons in 2005, balancing his studies alongside his professional commitments. He was one of the few paramedics to pass this prestigious exam first time in its early years.

His passion for improving patient care quickly extended beyond frontline clinical practice. While serving as Director of Operations for Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Paul became actively involved with SWIFT Medics, the BASICS scheme in Wiltshire while simultaneously supporting the national organisation as an instructor, delivering specialist education and training to clinicians working within pre-hospital care. Paul played a major role in clinical education, helping deliver pre-hospital care training to more than 500 healthcare professionals during the early years of his involvement with BASICS. 

In 2009, Paul returned to Essex, where he became involved with the county's two existing BASICS schemes. Recognising opportunities to improve efficiency and strengthen services, he helped lead the merger of the organisations, co-founding BEARS (BASICS Essex Ambulance and Rescue Service) in 2010. The merger created a stronger and more sustainable model for delivering enhanced pre-hospital care across Essex, while supporting volunteer clinicians responding to the county's most serious medical emergencies.

His leadership and organisational expertise were recognised nationally in 2013 when he was elected as a Trustee of the British Association for Immediate Care. He subsequently served as Honorary Secretary before becoming Chair of the organisation between 2019 and 2023. During this period, Paul oversaw one of the most significant transformations in the organisation's history.

Between 2020 and 2021, he completed the major charity corporate restructure which saw the previous charity and BASICS Trading Ltd and BASICS Education dissolved and replaced with a single charitable company limited by guarantee – the modern British Association for Immediate Care. The changes strengthened governance, improved efficiency and positioned the organisation for future growth.

At the same time, Paul commissioned a review of the educational programmes and professional development opportunities for BASICS' 1,200 members nationwide, helping ensure clinicians could continue developing their skills while the organisation successfully navigated the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work saw the contents of the courses modernised,  enabling the organisation to meet the modern needs of pre-hospital care. Stepping down as Chair in 2023 and moving into the role of Vice-Chair, Paul continues to play a key role in supporting the organisation's leadership, providing guidance, challenge and strategic oversight while balancing additional roles and family life.

Today, BASICS supports approximately 1,200 members across the UK, including around 400 active volunteer responders operating through 33 immediate care schemes. These volunteers provide pre-hospital critical care in their own time, often attending some of the most critically ill and seriously injured patients in their communities.

Alongside his national voluntary commitments and the continued leadership of BASICS Essex, Paul continues to serve as Deputy Chief Paramedic at the East of England Ambulance Service, where he oversees clinical practice and patient safety and experience as well as professional standards across one of the largest ambulance service regions in the country.

Reflecting on the honour, Paul said:

"I am both delighted and honoured to receive this award, but this recognition is not about one individual. It reflects the dedication of the volunteer doctors, paramedics and other healthcare professionals who give their own time to deliver pre-hospital critical care to patients when they need it most.

"Across the UK, BASICS supports 33 immediate care charities and around 400 active volunteer responders who regularly leave their families, workplaces and personal commitments to help save lives.

"I hope this award helps shine a light on the incredible work carried out by volunteers across the country, much of which goes unseen and unrecognised. It is their commitment to improving patient outcomes that truly deserves to be celebrated."

BASICS Essex, which Paul co-founded in 2010, remains one of the county's leading pre-hospital emergency care charities. In 2025 alone, its volunteer clinicians responded to more than 350 critical incidents across Essex, providing advanced medical care alongside statutory emergency services. 

Paul's British Empire Medal serves as recognition not only of his own dedication, but of a lifetime spent supporting better patient outcomes, developing healthcare professionals and strengthening the organisations that help save lives across the UK every day.