South Devon paramedic among winners of 75th anniversary NHS photography awards

Joe Cartwright, who works for South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Foundation Trust, was announced as a winner in a national competition, run by NHS England in partnership with Fujifilm, which saw hundreds of the health service’s staff and volunteers from across the country enter photographs that told their unique stories of what the NHS means to them.
Joe's winning picture of an ambulance battling snowy conditions as the Beast from the East hit the UK, is now among all 75 short-listed images on display in an exhibition ‘Our NHS at 75’ at the FujiFilm House of Photography in Covent Garden, London, and opened to public viewing from yesterday (Wednesday, July 5), exactly 75 years to the day that the NHS was established.
The five winners' images will also be displayed at the NHS 75th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey yesterday. The list of winning photographers boasts a senior pharmacist, a research nurse and a paramedic. Joe won the 'Our Environment' category.
The competition saw hundreds of eye-catching images submitted, representing the full gambit of life across the NHS, with the winners selected by a six-strong judging panel.
The winners include a portrait of a nurse at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital who has been looking after patients for 47 years. Nurse Emmanuel Espiritu took the image, entitled ‘Dedication’, to take the prize for the 'Our People' category and depicts a nurse affectionally named ‘Mother Obe’ who is renowned for sharing almost half a century of expertise as a mentor to new nurses.
Amanda Pritchard, NHS chief executive, said: “This competition has provided the perfect opportunity for our incredible staff and volunteers to give a snapshot of life in the NHS, 75 years on from its inception – and we were amazed by the hundreds of brilliant, thought-provoking, and inspiring entries from NHS colleagues across the country.
“I want to offer my personal congratulations to the winners and everyone that took part – as we mark 75 years of the health service, your images will provide fantastic insight into life in our remarkable NHS throughout the exhibition.”