David Beckham treats paramedic and patient to tea

David Beckham treated a London Ambulance Service paramedic and her patient to a tea and coffee in central London yesterday (Monday 1 February).

Senior Paramedic Catherine Maynard who works with the Cycle Response Unit was called to an elderly gentleman who had fallen in the street when she spotted the former Manchester United and England midfielder near Endsleigh Street.

Catherine said: “I was waiting with my patient for an ambulance to transfer him to hospital and although I was keeping him warm it was very cold outside.

“All of a sudden, I looked up and saw someone who looked like David Beckham walking past us. He said hello and got in his car. I said to the man I was treating, ‘I think that was David Beckham’. Ten minutes later, he came back with a cup of coffee for me and a tea for the patient.

“We were both very amused, and flattered. It was awful cycling around in the cold today and I couldn’t believe it when he came back with some hot drinks – I was so chuffed.”

David was also kind enough to pose for a picture with Catherine which was tweeted from the official London Ambulance Service Twitter account, @Ldn_Ambulance.

Thank you David Beckham for buying a tea and coffee for Cycle Paramedic Catherine and her patient #buyitlikebeckham pic.twitter.com/IFvnwuGSJI

— London Ambulance (@Ldn_Ambulance) February 1, 2016

Openhouse Products

Some of our eagle-eyed customers have also pointed out that Catherine is also featuring Openhouse Panniers on her bicycle. These are designed to carry emergency medical kits, our front cycle panniers are essential kit for any cycle response unit.

@OHProducts awesome pannier bags! Beckham gets the teas in! — charlie romeo (@LASCRU1) February 1, 2016

Previous experiences
This experience couldn’t be more different than this time last year for Catherine – almost a year ago today when Catherine and her crewmate were assaulted by two separate patients within two days.

James Macky, 50, of Quainton Street spat and swore at Catherine before assaulting her and wedging himself underneath the ambulance before police were able to arrest him.

He pleaded guilty to five charges of assault and criminal damage and was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison at Hendon Magistrates Court on 19th January last year.

Less than 24 hours after the first attack, on Saturday (17 January) Catherine and her colleague were assaulted again on a call near Cromwell Hospital in Kensington at 7pm.

At the time Catherine said: “I’d only been assaulted once in five years and then I’m assaulted twice in one weekend. It’s frustrating that we are sympathetic to so many people, and then we’re treated like this.”

Respect
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “Fortunately David respects the Service’s hard-working paramedics and even a gesture as small as buying a cup of coffee makes our crews feel appreciated.”