Who do you think of when you think about the NHS? Perhaps it’s the amazing doctors and nurses who spring to mind, but how often do we take a moment to consider the non-medical staff?

Often, these people don’t get enough praise. That’s why – as the only national awards for non-clinical NHS staff & volunteers – the Unsung Hero Awards are all about celebrating the hidden heroes of our health service.

Here are just a few of the many reasons to be grateful for our NHS unsung heroes…

1. We don’t shout about them enough

NHS medical staff definitely deserve to be celebrated, but we need to shout about our non-clinical staff too! We founded the Unsung Hero Awards in 2015 because we believe everyone is of equal importance, working together to achieve great things.

2. They’re the backbone of the NHS

A larger proportion of the NHS than you might think is made up of non-clinical staff. In fact, nearly half of NHS staff don’t have medical qualifications.[i].

These unsung heroes are often the unseen backbone of the national health service. From cleaners and porters to secretaries and IT workers, the NHS simply couldn’t run without these people working tirelessly behind the scenes.

3. They’re always going the extra mile

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt over our many years of hosting the Unsung Hero Awards, it’s that our non-clinical NHS staff are always going the extra mile. Our 2021 Volunteer of the Year winner Colin Ogden was nominated for always going “the extra mile for the Trust and for his fellow volunteers”. Likewise, our Estates & Ancillary winner Paula Betterton was nominated for taking the initiative during the pandemic, supporting the delivery of additional nursing equipment and scrubs. These people are extremely hard-working!

4. They helped to get us through a pandemic

How many times did we consider the non-clinical staff who worked throughout the pandemic?

Non-medical staff helped the NHS through these hard times, often unseen. An example of this is our 2021 Corporate Services winner HR Operations Team from University Hospitals of North Midlands, who were described as being ‘critical to the pandemic’. Impressively, they “helped over 9,200 people obtain a test and have talked to many thousands of employees and families.”

5. The future of the NHS relies on them

The future of our NHS relies on the unsung heroes of the health service. What better reason to be grateful for these fantastic, hardworking people?

Whether it’s the receptionist booking your next covid vaccine or the IT department keeping the NHS systems ticking along, these unsung heroes are often the first point of contact for patients or the unseen force working behind the scenes.

Why are you grateful for our unsung heroes? Let us know!

If you found this blog interesting, take a look at our previous blog, A day in the life of a GP Receptionist.

[i] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/09/nearly-half-nhs-staff-have-no-medical-qualifications/#:~:text=Almost%20half%20of%20all%20NHS,the%20price%20of%20increased%20funding.