Dedicated healthcare professionals with a combined service of more than 720 years have been recognised at a special ceremony last week.
The NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) held a special event at the Wolverhampton Civic Centre on Thursday 11 July to celebrate its long serving staff members.
30 members of staff who have dedicated 20, 30 and 40 years to the NHS were honoured at the ceremony for their long and loyal service in the NHS.
Among those rewarded was Sarah Quinton, Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, who received an award for 40 years NHS service. Sarah joined the NHS in 1983 at the age of 17 and hasn’t looked back since.
Sarah said: “I joined the NHS in October 1983 to undertake the Ophthalmic Nursing Diploma at the Birmingham & Midland Eye Hospital. I completed this and then started my Registered General Nurse training at East Birmingham Hospital in May 1985, qualifying in 1988. I had always wanted to be a teacher, but my mom was a nurse and so I decided to follow in her footsteps instead. She had also started her career by doing her Ophthalmic Nursing Diploma at the Birmingham Eye Hospital.
“Since then, I’ve had various roles in nursing but have spent a large part of my career in critical care. I have held a number of roles from ICU Sister, Nurse Recruitment Manager, Lead Nurse, Head of Nursing and Nurse Consultant. I am also a qualified Advanced Critical Care Practitioner (ACCP) and hold an Associate Membership of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine.
“I am very proud to have spent all my working career in the NHS. There have been many challenges, but it has also been extremely rewarding. I have met and made many friends in the NHS and have many happy memories.”
Also receiving an award for 40 years-service was Sharon George, Designated Nurse for Children and Young People in Care - Dudley Place. Sharon started her career in the NHS in 1983 when she applied for nurse training at Dudley Guest Hospital and has worked in the Black Country ever since.
She said: “I have only ever worked roles in the Dudley area since I qualified as a nurse. I was a staff nurse at Wordsley Hospital on the gynaecology ward for 14 years before I became a school nurse working at several schools in the Dudley borough. In 2011 I joined the safeguarding team working as a specialist nurse for children in care and have been in my current position as designated lead since 2017.
“So much has changed since I first became a nurse. As I recall, there were only two or three computers in the School of Nursing, and I only ever remember using them once towards the end of my training. Now, my work is mainly sat in front of a computer!
“I feel so proud to have worked for the NHS for 40 years. It has been a privilege to have had a role working with our children in care in Dudley, and I’ve met some amazing children and young people. It has been great to work with colleagues from other agencies, such as social care and education, to support our children.”
Mark Axcell, Chief Executive Officer for the NHS Black Country ICB, said: “Marking 20, 30 or 40 years of service within the NHS is an amazing achievement and one that should be celebrated.
"Our long service awards gave us the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to our remarkable colleagues who have given decades of service to the NHS and celebrate the amazing work our teams do together on a daily basis.
“Our staff are our greatest asset and I’d like to thank all our long-serving colleagues for their commitment to the NHS.”
