Staff and volunteers with long service to the NHS were celebrated at a special event on 10 September, a fitting tribute to the year that the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday. The annual Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) long service awards are an opportunity to recognise the fantastic dedication of staff and volunteers.
This year, 108 staff and 23 volunteers were celebrated, having clocked up an impressive 3,300 years of service within the NHS. The awards ceremony, held at Abbey Pumping Station in Leicester, celebrated staff who have worked for the NHS for 25, 30 or 40 years. Volunteers were also recognized for their 5, 10 and 15 years of service to LPT. In welcoming staff to the event, chief executive Dr Peter Miller thanked the staff and volunteers: “Your contribution to the NHS and patient care has helped to improve thousands of lives, supporting people when they were at their most vulnerable. Today we applaud your dedication, commitment and resilience.”
The awards were presented by Trust Chair, Cathy Ellis, alongside Chief Executive, Dr Peter Miller. Speaking at the event, Cathy Ellis thanked staff and volunteers, not only on behalf of the Trust, but also on behalf of LPT’s patients and service users, for their loyalty and dedication. She said: “The NHS relies on your commitment to the highest standards of care all day, every day. You all deliver that and so much more, making a huge difference to people’s lives.”
The trust recognized an impressive 40 years of service given by several members of staff in attendance. One of these was Jenny Hollier, who started working as a nursing auxiliary in March 1978 at Market Harborough Cottage Hospital, before moving on to work in the community for 12 years, moving to work at St Luke’s Hospital when it opened in 2006.
A special recognition was also awarded to Lynne Hartwell, bank research nurse at LPT. Lynne has worked for the NHS for over 50 years, first as a general nurse and then a midwife, before moving on to establish the travelling families’ health visiting service as we know it today. Lynne retired for a short while, but soon returned as a bank member of staff in the research team.
The annual Long Service awards are just one of the ways LPT recognises the care and commitment shown by its staff and volunteers. Our monthly Valued Star award celebrates those who have gone ‘above and beyond’ in bringing to life our core values of trust, integrity, compassion and respect. Nominations can be made by colleagues or service users at www.leicspart.nhs.uk/valuedstars. In addition, our annual ‘Celebrating Excellence’ awards acknowledge a huge range of achievements across our 5,600- strong workforce. These will be held in Spring 2019.
For volunteering opportunities please visit www.leicspart.nhs.uk/volunteering