A member of the nursing team from Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital got to meet the prime minister at a Downing Street reception to mark the NHS’s 75 birthday.
Kayleanne Payne represented the NHS across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland at the event.
She started working as a healthcare support worker at the hospital eight years ago. Since then she has completed a nursing degree through the Open University, and is about to qualify as a registered nurse.
Kayleanne said: “The PM was really happy I had done the top up course and said that he wants to fund more staff to progress this way in the NHS.
“It was a really nice afternoon and I’m very grateful for the experience because I know it was once in a lifetime. It was a surprise to be nominated and even more to get invited. I met some really nice people from all over the country who work in the NHS.”
Kayleanne had no care experience when she started at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital. She said: “I really liked it, I really enjoyed it.
“The opportunity came up for further training. It was hard work, you definitely need to be focussed and have your mind set on the end goal. You will get there in the end if that’s what you want to do.
“Working in a community hospital is exciting, it’s hard work, and I work with really nice people. You get a good general knowledge of patients with a lot of different backgrounds and different conditions as opposed to more specialist wards.”
*Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust is currently recruiting for more staff to work at Hinckley and Bosworth and its other community hospitals. For details, go to: https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/jobs/what-we-offer/community-hospital-recruitment-2023/ .