*** The Official NHS Staff Thread ***

[Deleted member 651465]

Hi guys,

I couldn't see a thread, and I know there's a few posters that work in the health service, so here we are

You don't have to give away too much, but feel free to introduce yourself and what you do.

I'll start.. I've recently joined the NHS as a Health and Safety Advisor, based in one of Wales' largest A&E hospitals. I cover the whole of the South of my particular health board and it is my role to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors. Whether that involves scrubbing up to do a risk assessment of a surgeon's PPE or work equipment whilst they perform surgery, or investigation of incidents that you report through DATIX (and yes, I get a LOT of these! Some ridiculous!!) or just auditing wards for safe working practices and advising them to their legal obligations. I also run staff training courses to ensure staff compliance.

I love the job, but I find it hard to get my head around how the NHS works, because I've never been a part of it before. In fact I often get comments like "ohhhh, it's worse for you..." and "it must be weird coming from 'the outside'..."

Anyway, carry on..

 

[[TW]Sponge]

I am a Sterile Services Technician. I basically wash operating equipment, then pack it into trays as Mr Surgeon man wants it, then I autoclave it.

I also deliver stock to all of the wards etc....

Nothing exciting.

 

[wassap]

I feel like staff after all the time I spent at my local hospital. My brother was in for 8 months and sadly lost his life 3 weeks ago.My parents, my sis or myself were with him constantly, He was at Russells Hall in Dudley. He kept picking up infections after infections and that coupled with renal failure and Liver problems, it took him over the edge. He was only 26

Anyway, to the majority of staff in the NHS, I have the utmost respect for you, the job you do working for that ****ed up organisation is simply amazing.

 

[Lysander]

I've been in the NHS for nearly two years now. I started working in the Estates dept at Hammersmith Hospital which was probably the most fascinating job I've had, I had access to the entire place and saw a lot of interesting things. I've just taken on a new permanent role working in admin and nursing support over a number of SW London health centres.

 

[Xordium]

I started off envisioning myself as a bog-standard gasman initially (anaesthetics not Corgi!) then kind of somehow ended up as an intensivist consultant in paeds whilst doubling up with a Queen's commission.

I retired very early - for a variety of reasons - and setup a company the develops medical models. However, at the moment I am helping my wife with her research in ASD and associated things (specifically Aspergers'). I am just starting new work modelling autoimmune disease processes - started being the operative word cause I spend most of my time messing around and on here

 

[prashantnew]

I feel like staff after all the time I spent at my local hospital. My brother was in for 8 months and sadly lost his life 3 weeks ago.My parents, my sis or myself were with him constantly, He was at Russells Hall in Dudley. He kept picking up infections after infections and that coupled with renal failure and Liver problems, it took him over the edge. He was only 26

Anyway, to the majority of staff in the NHS, I have the utmost respect for you, the job you do working for that ****ed up organisation is simply amazing.

So sorry for your loss, but hearing your testiment means so much, I'm glad your family got the care they deserve, and it's nice to know we're all appreciated.

I've worked for the NHS for two years now, I love the NHS, but it does not love those who work for it!

 

[bJN]

August 2011 I started contracting for EEAST in the deployment of ePCR around all our areas. I continued that for 9 months and was then offered a permanent Service Desk role as part of a restructure. I lasted about four months before I handed my notice in!

Thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and did a lot of work with PCTs when contracting; but the permanent job was dull with very little opportunity for progression, which forced me to leave

Still keep in contact with people there though!

 

[[TW]Sponge]

I started off envisioning myself as a bog-standard gasman initially (anaesthetics not Corgi!) then kind of somehow ended up as an intensivist consultant in paeds whilst doubling up with a Queen's commission.

I retired very early - for a variety of reasons - and setup a company the develops medical models. However, at the moment I am helping my wife with her research in ASD and associated things (specifically Aspergers'). I am just starting new work modelling autoimmune disease processes - started being the operative word cause I spend most of my time messing around and on here

Wow sounds like you've had a good career, well done

 

[Xordium]

Wow sounds like you've had a good career, well done

Well thank you however as I am unemployed the BBC GB class survey unfortunately grades me as one of the plebs! The lowest of the low! Not that I care.

 

[Doohickey]

I'm currently a gastroenterology SHO (senior house officer), hopefully becoming specialist registrar next year (yikes).

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I work in a Medico Legal and Inquest department but also work closely with Complaints and Health & Safety who are 15 foot away from me. My main job deals with Clinical Negligence and Personal Injury claims where I find everything out I can about a patients journey and try to leave no stone unturned. To help with this task I have access to every major piece of health records software which I don't think anybody else in my Trust has got. For instance on Monday I'm being added to the Heart & Lung data access because their Angio's don't get added to our main CRIS (Xrays) database. Also with this job I work very closely with Solicitors from all around the country and Clinicians who can also be spread out all over the world if they have left our Trust.
With Inquests it's mainly getting the records for the last journey before RIP.
I'm also a DATIX Administrator which the OP knows all about and every now and then I'm Health & Safety's guinea pig if they are teaching new techniques so I could be lying on an operating table while staff learn how to turn me.

 

[James_N]

I work in mental health. Not exciting or my first choice of job but it pays the bills.

 

[Russinating]

Girlfriend is a trainee midwife in Bristol.

 

[chriscpritchard]

I'm a Student Paramedic working for the London Ambulance Service

 

[moss]

I work in IT for the NHS, I'll put it politely, its not the most organised place I've work.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Thought this was the best place to ask.. Is it normal to get an ID badge without a lanyard?

I asked and was told I had to provide my own , so now I'm trawling eBay for something suitable.

 

[chriscpritchard]

Thought this was the best place to ask.. Is it normal to get an ID badge without a lanyard?

I asked and was told I had to provide my own , so now I'm trawling eBay for something suitable.

I have a spare plain black one if you're willing to pay postage?

 

[Nimdok]

I've been working in IT for the NHS for the past 2 years, primarily as a 3rd line Desktop Support Technician at a Hospital but I cover 1st and 2nd line for the rest of the county when needed.

I work in IT for the NHS, I'll put it politely, its not the most organised place I've work.

Hah, glad to see we're not alone on this one

Thought this was the best place to ask.. Is it normal to get an ID badge without a lanyard?

I asked and was told I had to provide my own , so now I'm trawling eBay for something suitable.

I was given one of those clip things when I first started but it quickly became a nuisance since it would fall off with the slightest interference. After I lost it the first time while moving some boxes, I asked at the reception about a lanyard but they said they don't supply them themselves (something about Health and Safety, and Infection Prevention), but some visitors to Education bring them along sometimes. Sadly I was away while said people were here, but a colleague managed to get a spare one for me (it's one of the blue ones with the NHS logo and "Staff" written besides it) so it might be worth seeing if anything like that happens at your site. The lanyard really makes such a differrence. Plus it looks a lot better than the collar/belt clip

 

[DampDog]

Up until about 4 weeks back I worked as AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) Screening Technician. Basically screening chaps via ultrasound out in the community. Unfortunately had a second heart attack towards the end of last year so that put pay to that. Off at the moment and not quite sure what the future holds health or work wise. Knocked the wind out my sails.

We had one of those clippy thingymagigs, handed out with the badge.

 

[ElliorR]

Oi, no medical threads