Thank You - Horton staff

We'd like to take a moment to thank some of the teams and individuals at the Horton General Hospital who have been changing their work patterns, expanding their roles and helping the hospital respond to the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis.

Things have had to change in every area of the hospital: here are just a few.

A new eight-bed Critical Care Unit was prepared and ready to receive patients in April 2020, and our Procurement team sourced re-usable gowns, and set up a 'collect and return' service for them.

David Gibbs from Procurement, who works on his own at the Horton, has been busy sourcing cleaning stock, PPE, disposable curtains and alcohol gel to keep everyone safe.

The Horton Porters have agreed new ways of working, providing services to the new CCU and changed Emergency Assessment Unit area, and increasing collections of waste across the whole site. We've been hearing a lot of feedback about our Porters' 'can do' attitude and positive manner, in particular when it comes to supporting colleagues who need to shield during this time.

Housekeeping has also been wonderfully supported by the Porters, who have been cleaning corridors and public areas, and by NHS Professionals who have supplied extra help.

Meanwhile, our Housekeepers Sharon Coleman and Karolina Szulc also stepped up into supervisory roles, and other housekeeping staff changed shifts to cover for colleagues unable to work.

Debbie Pond and Sheena Ebbage, Professional Development Nurses, have provided numerous training sessions to Housekeepers and Porters on how to 'don' and 'doff' PPE safely.

Catering on site is a little different now: cutlery and plates have to be disposable, and food items have to be unpacked before delivery. Patient catering staff have cancelled their leave and changed shifts at short notice, and Carpenter Catering has sent a team in to support the restaurant. Patient menus have been adapted, and hot food is now available via a vending machine on site.

On-site on-call accommodation required for our Anaesthetic teams was swiftly put into place by Cheryl Pain and Housekeeper Edelita De Freitas-Suarez.

Daryl Smith, with the Security team from Mitie, has worked hard to ensure the Horton site is safe. Staff ID badges are now updated remotely, and now all badges, badge clips and parking permits are delivered to staff.

Sarah Hordern, OUH Non-executive Director, says:

"We have been so incredibly lucky, to have a workforce so loyal to the hospital and our patients, so supportive of their colleagues in the wider Trust and the NHS, and so willing to adapt and learn so that we can continue to provide the excellent standard of care that the Horton is known for."

It has been a challenge - and it is not over.

Thank you all for what you do!