A WELL-KNOWN boss at the region's ambulance service has died suddenly at his home Norfolk home.Archie Morson, general manager of clinical operations for the East of England Ambulance Service, passed away last Thursday, August 6.

A WELL-KNOWN boss at the region's ambulance service has died suddenly at his home Norfolk home.

Archie Morson, general manager of clinical operations for the East of England Ambulance Service, passed away last Thursday, August 6.

The 48-year-old collapsed at home, suffered a heart attack and was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Hayden Newton, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Trust said: 'We are all saddened to hear of Archie's death. He was a long standing, popular and valued member of our team who will be greatly missed, and made a significant contribution to this trust, in particular through the care he provided to our patients.

'Condolences on behalf of the trust have been conveyed to his family and that they are very much in our thoughts.'

Mr Morson joined the Norfolk Ambulance Service on January 2 1984 working from Lowestoft Ambulance Station. He gained the friendship and respect of colleagues both within and outside of the trust through his work in paramedic clinical training, pre-hospital emergency care, pioneering pre-hospital thrombolysis and his expert clinical knowledge and leadership.

Simon Gray, executive director of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, said: 'Archie Morson also played an instrumental role in the launch of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, the charity which operates an air ambulance service across the four counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

'He was involved right from the charity's creation in 2001 at a time when it operated just one aircraft one day a week across Norfolk and Suffolk.

'He played a key role in the development of the charity which now flies two aircraft across the four counties, seven days a week. 'His key contribution was in the development and maintenance of a set of clinical standards so high that they have now been emulated by many other clinical organisations.

'Of course, he also flew aboard Anglia One countless times and, in so doing, helped many hundreds of people at their time of greatest need.'

Mr Morton was married to Liz and had two children.