A SENIOR member of the Welsh Ambulance service met Welsh sporting royalty when he picked up a top honour at Buckingham Palace.

Nigel Rees, of Ystradgynlais, had travelled to London to collect his Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal from Prince Charles – and had a chance encounter with Wales manager Chris Coleman.

The former Crystal Palace defender, who led Wales to the semi-finals of the Euro 2016 tournament, was at the other palace collecting his OBE.

Nigel and the Wales manager were both recognised in the New Year’s Honours for exemplary service and exceptional devotion to duty.

And Nigel, who introduced himself to the Welsh boss after their meeting with the Prince of Wales, revealed the man praised for leading Wales to football glory was full of admiration for the NHS.

“Chris Coleman was on his own in the corner so I went over and had a chat with him for about half an hour. He was lovely,” said Nigel who began his career as a cadet with the Powys Ambulance Service.

Nigel said Coleman praised paramedics who came to his aid after a 2001 car crash that all but ended his playing career but led him into management that included spells in Spain and Greece before becoming Wales manager in 2012.

“He’d been involved in a road accident before and he said the ambulance service were amazing.

“He’s lived round the world and he said until you go elsewhere to live you don’t realise how important the NHS is and

how good we’ve got it in this country.”

After joining the then Powys Ambulance Service in 1989 Nigel progressed to Patient Care Services and then became an Emergency Medical Technician, working at various locations across South Powys.

He returned to his home of Ystradgynlais as a paramedic in 1993 and was Powys’ first Advanced Paramedic Practitioner. He is now based in Cardiff as the Welsh Ambulance Trust’s head of research and innovation and is also working towards his PhD.

He attended the ceremony with his wife Rebecca, son Lloyd and daughter Ffion.

Modest Nigel said: “To be honest I felt as though I was representing my colleagues more than anything. It was nice to be recognised for helping to develop paramedic practice.

“Prince Charles was really nice and he said congratulations to me in Welsh. He asked me how long I’d been with the service for, what roles I’ve been in and about some of the trials we’re doing.

“I told him that research was flourishing and he said it was even better to hear that it’s happening in Wales. It’s a good example of education paying off. I’ve worked hard at education right throughout my career.”

Nigel has been instrumental in the recent success of the trust in winning two prestigious Research for Patient and Public Benefit grants.

Tracy Myhill, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “We are delighted that Nigel has been recognised for his sterling contribution to the service, particularly in driving forward improvements in clinical care for patients in Wales through his commitment to research and innovation. He is a highly deserving recipient of the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal and we are pleased that

he and his family enjoyed a memorable day.”