Dad's the spirit: How a paramedic father inspired Helen’s 25-year service
A whopping 11,765 years of combined NHS service was celebrated at our long service awards.
Picking up certificates to mark their NHS milestones were 180 colleagues with incredible tales of what inspired them to join the NHS and stay for so long.
These included Helen Horsley, now a clinical lead at Sevenoaks Urgent Care Centre, who was celebrating 25 years at KCHFT. Helen shared the story of her father’s ground-breaking service, as one of the first cohort of paramedics in the UK.
Helen said: “My dad was in the first cohort of cardiac-trained paramedics in the country trained by Dr Chamberlain in Brighton. If it wasn’t for him, and the five other people on his course, we wouldn’t have paramedics today.
“He received an award for saving a man from drowning in the sea in Brighton when he was newly qualified in the 1960s. Our favourite bit was that he had to continue his shift in his soggy uniform!
“For me, my best memory was the first time I delivered a baby when I was out on the road. It was the scariest job but definitely the most rewarding.”
Helen was among 180 KCHFT colleagues celebrated at the special awards afternoon to recognise long service achievements, ranging from 15 to 45 years.
More than 900 colleagues at KCHFT were recognised this year for five-year milestones ranging up to 45 years’ in the NHS.
Caroline Knott, a former bladder and bowel nurse who now works as a clinical safety officer and digital transformation lead reflected on the trauma that led her to start in the NHS.
“I was just 15 and my boyfriend died after choking. His mother just didn’t know what to do, she didn’t act fast enough and he died.
“I remember thinking to myself – ‘I never want to be that person. I want to know what to do and I want to save people’s lives.’”
Ward sister Caroline Smith began nursing on her 18th birthday and has worked across many healthcare settings during her 45-year career, with a planned retirement next year.
“Starting as a nurse was a great birthday present,” she laughed. “And at such a key time in my life.
“I have worked in so many exciting places – a new trauma ward at Pembury, Maidstone Hospital when it first opened and then later in life in the community at Westview Community Hospital.
“I am very patient orientated – making a difference is the best thing about being a nurse. When that person thanks you for what you’ve done for them is just worth so much.”
Mick: 'I'm still standing!'
Mick Standing was celebrating 45 years of continuous service as an engineer, currently working in dentistry.
“When I first left school I was waiting to go and work in the RAF and someone found me an apprenticeship in the NHS. I was really good at making and fixing things.
“At first, I couldn’t understand how being good with my hands would translate to healthcare but there are so many machines and pieces of technology that need services and maintenance.”
Mairead McCormick, Chief Executive at KCHFT, encouraged colleagues attending the event to share their experiences of people who had influenced their NHS careers.
She said: “The long service awards are a time to reflect on our career experiences and the important role our colleagues play in our communities. Talking positively about our own experiences is a powerful way to encourage the next generation to join us.”
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