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Meet the Team

Our team bring advanced critical care to some of the most seriously unwell and injured people in our region

Across Norfolk, when a 999 call involves life-threatening illness or injury, the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) team steps in to provide advanced critical care at the scene. Our volunteer doctors, paramedics and specialist clinicians work alongside the East of England Ambulance Service, bringing hospital-level expertise directly to people in urgent need.

Responding by road to everything from serious collisions and farming incidents to cardiac arrests and medical emergencies in remote areas, the team delivers rapid, skilled intervention when every second matters.

Here are the dedicated professionals behind Norfolk’s emergency medical charity – the people who give their time and expertise to help save lives.

Senior Leadership Team

Chris Neil

Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Critical Care and Chairman for NARS

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Carl Smith

Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Critical Care

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Ryan Warwick

Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Critical Care

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Jamie Crawford

Doctor and Medical Director for NARS

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Karen Smithson

First Responder for NARS

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Steve Maddams

First Responder for NARS

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Rose Jackson-Nichols

Fundraising and Events Manager

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Rebecca Baker

Finance Manager

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IMPACT AND OPERATIONS TEAM

Steve Snow

Operations Assistant

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Diane Clarke

Business Support Administration

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Contact Us

Email enquiries@nars.org.uk

Phone 07395483247

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Copyright © 2024 Norfolk Accident Rescue Service | Charity number: 261666
Website by KLWD

Chris Neil

Chris is the dedicated Chairman for NARS, where he combines frontline clinical expertise with strategic leadership to drive the charity’s lifesaving work. As a Critical Care Paramedic, Chris has extensive experience in high-pressure emergency operations – a perspective that grounds his leadership in real-world practice. Under his guidance, NARS continues to expand its impact across Norfolk, recruiting and supporting volunteers, enhancing clinical standards, and fostering close working relationships with regional health services. Chris is highly respected both for his clinical skill and for his unwavering commitment to the service’s mission: delivering critical care when and where it’s needed most.

Carl Smith

Carl is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner and part of the Senior Leadership Team at NARS, where he’s proudly volunteered for the over a decade. Carl responds as an advanced paramedic both on shift and also on call from home, responding to serious incidents which require urgent and critical care.

In addition to this, Carl works part-time for the East of England Ambulance Service in the same advanced role, as well as being a dedicated on-call firefighter for 28 years. With nearly 30 years in the ambulance service, he can safely say there is no other job quite like it!

Carl is also the Head of Clinical Development for Emergency and Critical Care for the Royal College of Paramedics which covers the whole UK.

In his spare time (of which there is little!), you’ll often find him enjoying a ride out on his BMW RT1250 motorbike.

Ryan Warwick

Ryan is a Critical Care Paramedic with NARS, bringing a wealth of front-line experience to his volunteer role. He holds specialist paramedic qualifications (CCP/ECP) and is deeply committed to delivering advanced pre-hospital care across Norfolk.

Ryan has been part of many high-stakes missions, including responding to serious road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests, and complex emergencies. In recognition of his clinical excellence and dedication, he was named alongside Chris Neil at the EEAST Stars of the East awards. His expertise means he’s regularly first on scene, stabilising patients with critical interventions – from sedation to enhanced pain relief.

Through his work with NARS, Ryan plays a vital role in bridging the gap between voluntary emergency response and NHS care, helping to save lives when every second counts.

Jamie Crawford

Dr Jamie Crawford is a dedicated healthcare professional and leader in prehospital medicine. He serves as the Medical Director of the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS) and Honorary Associate Professor at UEA Medical School. He is the founder of the East of England Prehospital Surgical Skills Course, a pioneering program designed to enhance emergency surgical capabilities in the field.

Alongside his prehospital work, Jamie is a GP Partner, working three days a week at the UEA Medical Centre in Norfolk. His commitment to advancing clinical education and patient care has made him a respected figure in both primary care and emergency medicine.

Outside of his professional life, Jamie is married and a proud parent of two children, balancing his family life with his passion for improving healthcare delivery.

Karen Smithson

Karen is a dedicated member of the NARS Senior Leadership Team, where she brings a unique blend of operational savvy and frontline compassion. As a long-time First Responder with NARS, she has responded to critical emergencies across Norfolk, supporting the charity’s mission to deliver advanced pre-hospital care.

Beyond her volunteer medical role, Karen is the Event Operations Director at TRO. Her combined leadership and events experience have brought huge value to NARS, helping to engage our community and grow support for the charity.

Steve Maddams

Steve is a First Responder with 10 years’ experience, attending over 10,000 taskings and more than 700 cardiac arrests. He has been a part of the NARS Senior Leadership Team for five years.

Steve is an energy brand specialist working for a global media company with 20+ years in publishing and eight years in the energy sector creating a supply chain publication in 2018, which is now recognised across Europe. He is also skilled in business management, global energy development, stakeholder engagement, and specialist marketing & communications.  

Rose Jackson-Nichols

Rose is a seasoned events manager with a background in building partnerships and creating unique event experiences in the corporate sector. NARS is her first move into the charity world, utilising her previous experience to secure future funding and deliver flagship events throughout the year.

When she’s not busy at our HQ in Dereham, Rose regularly attends Norfolk events to raise awareness of the charity and secure future funds. She has built a strong network over her career, and hopes to use this to continue driving support for NARS.

In her spare time, Rose enjoys travelling and is kept busy by her two badly behaved pet Greyhounds.

Rebecca Baker

Rebecca has been Treasurer and Finance Lead at NARS for ten years as part of the Senior Leadership team. She is a qualified management accountant and governance professional, working full time for a manufacturing company in Norwich.

She is incredibly passionate about NARS and the life-saving work delivered by the team.

In her own time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her three grown up children. She also enjoys long countryside walks in Norfolk, especially if there’s a large glass of wine at the end of them!

Steve Snow

Steve joined NARS in June 2024 on a part time basis, following his retirement from the ambulance service in 2018. His work is vital to the charity, ensuring our medical equipment and fleet of rapid response vehicles are kept well stocked and in top condition.

Outside of his work with NARS, Steve enjoys spending time with his two rescue dogs and pursuing his hobby of photography – mainly landscape and wildlife.

Diane Clarke

Diane is a highly valued member of the team and keeps everything ticking along here at NARS. No two days are the same, and her work ensures our volunteers can continue doing what they do best: saving lives.

When she’s not keeping NARS in ship shape, Diane enjoys keeping active at the gym as well as spending time with her family.