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NHS Staff stories

Life on the front line

It's a difficult time for everyone, and we're incredibly proud of how our teams and local communities are meeting the coronavirus challenge. We're sharing good news stories and experiences from those working on the front line. Here are just some of the stories from the front line.

Our Outstanding People book

We’ve created a book as our own unique time capsule, to give a snapshot of what happened to us as a trust from the period when the pandemic first hit in March 2020, and follows our journey through to December 2021.

Read Our Outstanding People booklet (PDF)

Picture of Saskia Millward

Why I decided to stay after my placement and help during the pandemic

Meet Saskia, one of our staff nurses, and find out why she decided to work with us during the COVID-19 pandemic, and why she decided to stay with us once her placement ended.

Read Saskia's story

 


Jenny Hall in PPE

From proactive mental health nursing, to Rapid Response and Treatment

Jenny Hall, a specialist mental health nurse, talks about her brief move to help our Rapid Response and Treatment (RRaT) team during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Read Jenny's story

 


A picture of Dr Biru JhaA picture of Dr Biru Jha

Innovating older people's services to work amid COVID-19 - and beyond

COVID-19 has meant many of our older patients can't see doctors face-to-face, but we're making sure they still get the care they need.

Read Dr Biru Jha's story

 


Student nurse iconAn icon image of a nurse

Amber's experience as a student on our Orchid Ward

Amber, who is in her first year of her post graduate course in Mental Health Nursing, was eager to help our patients, and joined our Orchid Ward at Prospect Park Hospital.

Read Amber's story

 


A picture of Mary and her team using Microsoft Teams to have a virtual meetingA picture of Mary and her team using Microsoft Teams to have a virtual meeting

How we're adapting to support those who really need us

Mary Waight talks about how our Learning Disabilities Team are going digital to support clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read Mary's story

 


Harri King and BMW

BMW helping our staff get to work

We’ve all thought about what it would be like to drive the latest BMW, well for Harri this became a reality when BMW loaned us five cars which we’re using to deliver Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), help staff get around and to visit patients. Meet Harrison King, who is using one of the cars.

Read Harri's story

 


Tamsin Rycroft

A special Easter on the ward

Tamsin is a paediatric speech and language therapist and Children and Young People’s Integrated Therapies Early Years Operational Lead (Speech and Language Therapy Services) in West Berkshire. She volunteered to do additional hours on a ward to help support our teams during the fight against COVID-19.

Read Tamsin’s story

 


Jasmine Davey, Emma Peckham, Emma Jolliffe

Jasmine’s journey from dentist to COVID-19 swabber

Jasmine Davey is one of our dentists for the Community Dental Service based at West Berkshire Community Hospital – she has been working for us since 2016. She was redeployed at the beginning of April to work as a swabber at West Berkshire Community Hospital, alongside other members of the dental team.

Read Jasmine's story

 


Community Dental Team wearing PPE ready to help our teams

Dentists join fight against COVID-19

More than half of the community dental service have swapped teeth for testing following their redeployment to cover critical frontline services. The team of more than 40 have been split, with the majority swabbing people at COVID-19 testing centres in Newbury, Ascot and Reading, with others working on wards as health care assistants.

Read our Dentists story

 


Ginny Garnett

Going back to the frontline to support patients

Ginny Garnett, our Head of Community Children’s Services, explains why she’s back in uniform to help our teams in the fight against COVID-19.

Ginny says: “Nurses all have a core set of skills that can be used in the ward environment, especially showing compassion to patients and our colleagues.”

Read Ginny's story