Government says thank you

Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, has officially recognised the efforts of St John Ambulance volunteers during the recent flooding disaster.

Rt Hon Alan Johnson, MP, apologised for no MP's being able to attend the special thank you evening at NHQ last month and thanked the dedicated volunteers for all their hard work

His letter, which was addressed to Harry Dymond, Acting Chief Commissioner, Operations, said: 'I am sorry that no Minister was available to attend the reception you held on 9 August however, I would like to convey my appreciation, and that of my Ministerial colleagues, for the work your organisation undertook in supporting the efforts of health service staff responding to the recent flooding crisis across the UK.

'My colleagues and I were very much impressed by the reports we received on the professionalism and dedication demonstrated by the volunteers from St John Ambulance, and noted the spirit and co-operation and common purpose that was evident in the multi-agency response to the crisis.

'I know that the situation placed considerable demands on local resources, and your volunteers' efforts served to reinforce the tenet that nobody stands alone in such situations due to the wide network of support available across the regions.

'Please circulate this message as widely as possible to your volunteers, and convey my thanks and the government's appreciation for the magnificent response in the face of such difficult circumstances.'