Paul Watts sadly died while on a volunteering shift at Peterborough City Hospital in November 2023, just weeks after giving CPR in the same location as his death.

Paul had been volunteering for 10 years at Peterborough City Hospital and at the Cancer Wellbeing Service at the time of his death.

The much-loved volunteer sadly died while on shift in November 2023 after he collapsed in Peterborough City Hospital's main entrance.

His death came a few weeks after he'd performed CPR on a patient he spotted in difficulty at the same location.

Paul noticed that the elderly man wasn't breathing, so commenced CPR before alerting colleagues to put the cardiac arrest call out.

The volunteer was then nominated for the Outstanding Achievement Award for Volunteer of the Month by Helen Gillies, a Critical Care Outreach Practitioner.

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Helen said: "It is well known that early identification and commencing CPR quickly is a vital part of the success of CPR and Paul's actions were very quick.

"As a volunteer, Paul showed an immense amount of courage and quick thinking to commence CPR. 

"This is something that is not an easy decision to make even as a medical professional."

At a special get-together for Paul's family at Peterborough City Hospital, he was honoured with the posthumous award.

It was attended by Paul's widow, Jet, their daughter Clare, and volunteers and colleagues.

Jet said: "If Paul was here, he would have been very proud, but would have said that he was only doing what he had to do."

Carol North, Trust Head of Volunteering, paid tribute to Paul: "Paul was one of the few volunteers that contributed hundreds of hours when we needed it most.

"We remember Paul as a cheeky chap who always looked ahead, helped wherever he could; always with a sense of humour and loads of heart.

"The team misses him greatly.”

Donations in Paul's memory have already raised £500 for the Cancer Wellbeing Service.