Ambulance staff send Christmas cheer “from the faces behind the masks”

NHS ambulance staff have starred in a video to send Christmas wishes “from the faces behind the masks”.

The video features Worthing Ambulance Station workers taking off their masks to reveal the smiles beneath.

Professional dancer-turned-paramedic David Sneddon-Plumb put the piece together and even sang the vocals.

He told the PA news agency: “These masks became a huge part of our lives and we thought why not show the faces behind the masks?

“We are the people behind the masks, we are helping out with a smile, but we are all people who have got lives outside of work.”

The music video – a more sombre piece than last year’s viral Christmas jingle – features scenes with parents and children decorating their trees.

It opens with a solitary healthcare worker getting out of her ambulance during a call out.

Mr Sneddon-Plumb, 35, who lives in Worthing, West Sussex, told PA that the need to wear masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) makes forming a bond with patients harder.

“It’s all about expression, emotion, compassion. So when you are trying to empathise with somebody, the only thing they can see is your eyes,” he said.

“It’s just very difficult to get those emotions across.”

Mr Sneddon-Plumb and his colleagues have worked tirelessly through the coronavirus pandemic, and their community has meant the world to them.

“We care and we are always thinking about our community or our patients,” he added.

He says the video – filmed in a Covid-secure way – was an effort to show their community the faces behind the masks.

So far it has amassed around 20,000 views on social media.

It follows previous videos from the West Sussex ambulance station.

In April this year, the station came together in a clip featuring smiling staff, sirens, clapping, a mountain of donated Easter eggs and a dog dressed as a paramedic, to say thank you to the public for their support.

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We’re really proud all the staff from Worthing Ambulance Station involved in the making of this video, especially David and his singing talents.

“It brings a little bit of festive cheer at this difficult time and reminds everyone there is a friendly and dedicated face behind each mask.

“We wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas.”