Mark is an ANP and the operational lead for the Children's Acute Transport Service. He has been with the CATS team for longer than most people can remember and is a fixture of the team who is often taken for granted. The work he does is second nature to him, professional and seamless. He makes it appear easy and often does not get the credit he deserves.

He is an advocate for the service as a whole, each team member, and the patients we serve. Mark seemingly never takes a day off; he is usually present in the office and is the go-to person for nurses, ANPs, consultants, fellows, and the ambulance team for any questions or concerns, big or small. If a tricky question comes up, the response usually is "go ask Mark". He maintains the CATS database and keeps us on track for our Key Performance Indicators, famously saying, "Well, I was just having a look at the database," even from home or while on holiday.

He can provide guidance on clinical management, as well as troubleshoot equipment or recommend a local place to eat. He truly has each team member's best interest at heart and supports each of us in our careers as well as our personal lives. Crucially, Mark is the person who often organises complicated flight transfers of critically ill children. He is the contact both for usual CATS referrals and for teams across England who need help organising a flight. He knows how the system works and uses contacts he has built over the years to efficiently do what is best for patients. The number of hours spent on each of these transports is high, and the paperwork is lengthy, yet Mark prioritises finding the right combination of team, equipment, and vehicles for these children. He does this while working with multiple hospitals, finance teams, and sometimes international embassies to ensure the transports can be completed smoothly.

Recently, he coordinated the repatriation of a child who had become critically ill while at Heathrow back to their home country. We have had excellent feedback from the parents about how important it was to go home. They have found it incredibly meaningful for them and their child to be able to continue their illness journey and rehabilitation in their home language and with their social support system around them. As if his day-to-day contributions and dedication aren't enough, in his spare time, he volunteers for international medical aid programmes and travels to remote areas with disease outbreaks, putting his own life at risk to help those in need.