Role: Paramedic Practioner Team Leader
Born and bred in the seaside town of Eastbourne in East Sussex, Steph Meech came from a services family, with her father being a Firefighter and her grandfather being a member of the RAF. She knew that was where she belonged, but wanted to be in the RAF and then the Marines, an avenue that she did explore, but found it was not for her. When chatting to some paramedics around the Marines base, she decided that is what she wanted to be, but it would be another 10 years before this would be the case, after applying and being told, that it was not possible this time.
In 2002, after starting a family and working in different jobs, Steph’s chat to a neighbour who was a paramedic, convinced her to apply again and this time she got in.
For 13 years while working as a paramedic, Steph hid her true self, close friends and family knew that she was a woman, but at work she would pretend. Until she was outed at work, although not her choice this was the start of her being able to be her authentic self. The Ambulance Service were extremely supportive and Steph’s story has inspired so many and helped other trans people to be who they are.
The Ambulance Service have, like a lot of the NHS, been through a challenging time in recent years, with the Covid Pandemic and wait times increasing, but they are also one of the services that suffer from quite a lot of abuse. Steph faces quite a lot of backlash, but she believes through education that things can change.
Steph is now a Paramedic Practioner Team Leader (Specialist Paramedic Urgent and Emergency Care) for East Sussex Ambulance Service.
