Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management celebrated National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day trust wide on Wednesday 21 June.
National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day celebrates the essential work of all E&F professions in the delivery of health and social care to people across the UK.
Our estates and facilities staff keep our building and facilities running smoothly, ensure our sites are clean and tidy and help patients get where they need to be, when they need to be.
Whether our staff are on the front-line or behind-the-scenes, they all play an essential role in our patients’ journeys.
Hear from some of our estates and facilities staff about their roles at NHFM:
Rob Wilkes, Porter at Blyth Community Hospital
What do you like about your job?
I like the variety of my job, dealing with people, meeting new people and having conversations with them. Every day is different.
I like making a difference to patients. There are a lot of elderly people here at Blyth Hospital. They really appreciate what we do and it’s lovely.
Why do you think recognising National Healthcare E&F Day is important?
It feels nice to be appreciated. Without our roles the hospitals could not run.
I like the variety of my job, dealing with people, meeting new people and having conversations with them. Every day is different.
I like making a difference to patients. There are a lot of elderly people here at Blyth Hospital. They really appreciate what we do and it’s lovely.
Why do you think recognising National Healthcare E&F Day is important?
It feels nice to be appreciated. Without our roles the hospitals could not run. A lot of people don’t understand what we do behind the scenes, they don’t know things like who takes the rubbish out, or how the post gets delivered, so anything that helps people better understand our roles is great.
Helen Astley, domestic assistant at Hexham General Hospital
What do you like about your job?
I love my job as a Domestic Assistant. Without us the hospital could not operate, we keep infection down and standards high for the patients and staff who work here.
People tell me I do a marvellous job and say thank you for keeping the hospital clean. It makes me feel really proud and I get great job satisfaction from it. Doing this job keeps you fit and keeps you young.
Darren Tully, multi-skills craftsperson, Haltwhistle Hospital
What do you like about your job?
I feel rewarded when people appreciate the effort, we put in to keep everything working and looking great. I really enjoy being able to provide a service and make a difference to the local community.
How does your job role impact patients and staff?
Keeping the hospital estate well maintained is crucial in order to provide a safe and welcoming environment for patients to come and receive the care they need, and for staff to be able to do their jobs.
Jonathan Duran, catering assistant at North Tyneside General Hospital
What do you like about your job?
I love working in catering. I love the company here. My team mates are like a second family to me
I love serving food to patients, staff and visitors and providing a good service to them. Food is so important in keeping people healthy and happy. We keep everything going and never give up.
Trust wide celebrations
Asides from celebrating our fantastic estates and facilities staff, we also had a great day at our sites promoting the careers available within NHFM including domestic and catering assistants, porters, estates officers, machinists and many more.
We also had a visit from Louise English, Strategic Head of Estates for NHS England who joined our celebrations at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Cramlington. Louise spent time with our estates and facilities staff and also had a chance to see a demo of our new robotic floor cleaner.
