Page 26 - Community Health magazine - issue 38

Are you ready to care?

We are compassionate, aspirational, responsive and excellent.

That’s us all over. How about you?
From pulling pints to patient care

Born and bred in Thanet, 23-year- roles at a new stroke rehabilitation
old Saffery is now part of the ward centre. I went to the open day, where I
therapy team at the new Westbrook was interviewed and offered the job. I
House Stroke Rehabilitation Centre worked with a physiotherapist and an
in Margate. occupational therapist during training
Saffery had studied health and to understand every aspect of therapy.
social care to BTec level and had some “All of us help the patients with their
experience of private care work during therapy goals, so it’s important we feel
Covid, but in 2022 was pulling pints in confident to support the plans drawn
local pubs. up by the senior clinicians. It also means
Saffery said: “There was a lack of job patients don’t ‘sit around’ all day and wait
security in bar work, but also a lack of for therapy, it’s built into their routine.
passion from me. I felt I needed to re- “I really get to know my patients well
evaluate my life and my career. and enjoy the professional responsibility.
“In January, a friend told me about “I’m proud of my job.”

‘It’s good to be home’ New roles for caring clinicians

Alex Lane, 45, from Lympne, was working Stuart Watts and Lisa Ralf are part of a new wave of clinicians providing specialist
as one of our healthcare assistants three nursing care in east Kent.
years ago, when he made the decision to Lisa, a specialist diabetes nurses for Thanet and south Kent coast, is transforming
head back to university and pursue his how we work with patients living with diabetes in the community, providing annual
dream of a nursing degree. treatment reviews for complex patients, prescribing and deprescribing and training
“After I graduated in 2022, I worked care home staff.
at the Royal London in Whitechapel as Stuart specialises in end-of-life care in Thanet. He has pioneered new ways of working
a scrub nurse. But something inside was with the local hospice, GPs and South East Coast Amblance Service to make sure people
saying this is not for you, you miss the nearing the end of
camaraderie of community, being there their lives can do so in
for the patients. comfort and without
“I thought I would work in major pain, keeping them
trauma or theatre, but it was my mum at home if possible.
who reminded me how much I had Stuart prescribes,
enjoyed working in community, as a upskills more junior
healthcare assistant. You can make a real team members and
connection with patients and their carers. leads the care of
So, I decided to come back to KCHFT.” patients with
Alex found a role with the Acute complex conditions.
Response Team in Ashford
and will soon be taking Want to find out more about
up a new position in
community nursing. the innovative careers we offer?
“It doesn’t feel
like I’ve even been
away. It feels
good to be
home,” he said.

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