Committed QHB Sterile Services colleagues recognised for working 'tirelessly' to support UHDB
The Sterile Services team based at Queen's Hospital Burton has been recognised for its commitment, hard work, and compassion - consistently going above and beyond to help colleagues across the hospital to continue to deliver services to patients, particularly during especially high-pressure periods, including throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sterile Services consist of a large decontamination unit, where all instruments (such as needle-holders, dissecting forceps, and scissors) that are used in clinics and theatres for treatment are sent to the team for a range of different cleaning processes - making sure items are safe for future use.
The team have been working beyond normal hours continuously, offering an extended service in order to support the reduction of waiting lists both at QHB and across the Trust, as well as playing a vital role in ensuring patient and staff safety throughout Covid-19. Their continued dedication has seen them recognised by Chief Executive, Stephen Posey, who has presented them with his CEO Monthly Making a Difference Award.
During the pandemic, with the volume of operations reduced due to the prioritisation of emergencies, the team were keen to support the Trust in other ways whilst still using their expertise in de-contamination, and in doing so, set up the first PPE Hub across the organisation.
This PPE Hub involved the receipt, cleaning, and re-issuing of vital PPE resources. It soon expanded and developed to include a reusable goggle hub, the production of new PPE equipment with recycled materials that would otherwise have been disposed of (such as surgical hoods made from disposable wrapping), and taking on work typically performed by domestic teams to help them support colleagues in other much-needed areas. In addition, Sterile Services staff collected the belongings of patients who had sadly died in our care and supported the safe delivery of them to their family and friends, working with the Bereavement Office to do so.
The team did this all while maintaining their substantive, vital work in cleaning equipment used directly to treat those at the Trust.
Wendy Kirk, Sterile Services Production Manager (and De-Contamination Lead for our Queen's Hospital Burton, Sir Robert Peel and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital sites), said: "The job we do is 'unseen' by many, but even those who are more familiar with what we do only know the tip of the iceberg. My team is so skilled and the stakes are so high, there can never be 'half-measures' and we only ever work to the absolute best of our ability.
"The pandemic was challenging at times but incredibly rewarding. The team I lead is absolutely fantastic and we all played a massive part during a very difficult period for the NHS.
"During that time everybody was affected in one way or another, and some of us lost a family member - but when the 'chips are down', we all pull together like one big family and support each other. We feel such a huge personal and professional sense of duty to do the work we do. We knew that we'd have to adapt to support our patients and communities, and to be able to achieve what we did feels incredible."
UHDB's CEO, Stephen Posey, was so impressed by the team's work during recent years, that he chose them as the latest recipients of his CEO Award, taking in a tour of the area to find out more about the processes and protocols undertaken to ensure equipment is clean and safe for clinical teams to use.
Stephen was delighted to present the team with the award, saying: "The team, while often unseen, provides an integral support service enabling clinical colleagues to provide exceptional care to our patients.
"Throughout the pandemic, everyone adapted their services to support the needs of the Trust and the team epitomises going above and beyond. At an unprecedented time, the entire team stepped up and worked extraordinarily hard to ensure care provided at our sites was as safe and clean as possible. Not only this, they demonstrated immense compassion when working directly with families who had lost loved ones due to Covid-19.
"This team may work 'behind the scenes' but their crucial support service has an enormous positive impact on the front lines of our hospitals and beyond. Congratulations, team."