Salman, named on the King’s New Year Honours list, was handed his medal by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at the ceremony.

The King’s Ambulance Medal (KAM) is a prestigious and highly regarded award recognising exceptional service and contributions within the field of ambulance and pre-hospital care. Established to honour the dedication and selflessness of those who go above and beyond in providing life-saving care and support during emergencies, the medal is a symbol of the highest standards of excellence in the ambulance service.

Salman says it’s an incredible honour to receive his award. “I started in the ambulance service in 1997 with the aim of helping the community around me. It is humbling to think what I have done in my career has brought me here.

“I was incredibly proud to invite my family to the palace with me, and it’s a day I will never forget.

“In the moment I spent with the Princess, she expressed an interest in how we were going to help our communities through the winter, and it was a pleasure to discuss that with her.”

“I am still motivated to inspire further change within the trust: not only in how we operate but also how we influence the health outcomes of our patients and communities.”

Salman has given more than 25 years of service to the ambulance service, initially training as a paramedic, a registration he still holds today. From 2007 to 2015, Salman assumed the role of Head of Service Development. His work focused on preventing death from drug use among marginalised communities in Greater Manchester.

Furthermore, Salman demonstrated exceptional leadership during two major incidents in Cumbria. The first of these incidents involved responding to the tragic shootings that unfolded in and around Whitehaven in 2010. Subsequently, he played a critical role in managing the fallout from the major flooding that engulfed towns in Cumbria, including Cockermouth, Appleby, Keswick, and Kendal, necessitating a mass evacuation and the establishment of comprehensive support systems for hundreds of displaced members of the public.

He joined the board of directors in 2016 as director of strategy and planning. Last year, he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive and most recently took on the interim role of Chief Operating Officer.

He has been a trailblazer in improving equality, diversity and inclusion within the trust. He supported the induction of the Race Equality Network in 2021. He also serves as the Chair of the trust’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, in which he has been driving improvements in patient experiences and staff engagement.

NWAS Chief Executive Daren Mochrie QAM said, “Salman’s achievements within the trust and the wider ambulance sector mean he thoroughly deserves this honour. He is an exceptional leader and has driven real change, and I know there is more to come. I am pleased he enjoyed his day at the ceremony, and I’m incredibly proud of his accomplishment.”