I started my career in the NHS in 1992 as a receptionist at Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital. 27 years and 8 Trust names later, I am a facilities team leader with responsibility for soft facilities services across 5 sites. I'm also the Trust's Patient Affairs Lead.
The services I manage include catering, cleaning, housekeeping, portering and administration. I was elected as staff governor for support staff in 2016 and since then I have learned a phenomenal amount about the internal workings of the Trust. And I'm still learning!
The constituency for Support Staff relates to everyone who is non-clinical, so I represent colleagues across corporate and operational services including Facilities, Estates, Finance, Procurement, Governance, Health and Safety, HR, and Development, for example.
Clinical practice is at the heart of our organisation but its delivery is facilitated by our many support service teams.
In my role as support staff governor, I ensure that the Trust Board considers the potential impact on support staff of any decisions they make. I'll continue to raise awareness of the value of our support staff make and their contribution to the fantastic care the Trust delivers.
