The Only National Awards For Non-Medical / Non-Clinical NHS Staff & Volunteers

Nomination

Award Category:

Estates & Ancillary

Individual or Team Nomination?

Team

Nominators Answer

Nominee's story :

Our travel and transport team is, I believe, the most unsung group of heroes in the Trust. To say they have the patience of saints is a gross underestimate - more like the patience of the entire seraphim. On a day to day basis, Julia handles all the staff parking permit applications and, often in the face of some reprehensible behaviour, she never loses her professional cool and treats everyone with respect and dignity. She also handles queries about parking fines and, again, never lets personal attacks get to her. She regularly works 12 hour days to ensure that queries and email are answered promptly, professionally and accurately. Julia is also full of ideas and ways to improve systems - and they always work She also has a wicked sense of humour that keeps colleagues lifted during difficult days. The parking office is staffed by Mitie as part of their security contract with the Trust. However, they work with the transport team on queries about permits, visitors asking about payments or complaining when they can't find a space and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the bus routes and timetables. They monitor the car parks for safety, and often need to help the visitors who have forgotten where they have parked. They too are patient, fair, firm and treat everyone with the same compassion. Matt and Mark do everything from organising car park maintenance, working with the local councils and bus companies on the countywide sustainable transport strategy, working on the Trust's sustainable travel strategy and they work with local businesses to get staff discounts (such as discounted cycle maintenance on site every week). They also need to work closely with site stakeholders and, although the issues are complex, they navigate the politics and personalities with incredible diplomacy. We have 14,000 staff across the four hospitals, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and almost every one of them will encounter the travel and transport team in some way or another, and yet the team rarely gets a word of thanks or congratulations. What would the point be of the four hospitals if our patients could not get to their appointments or if our staff could not get to work to care for them? Parking and transport are emotive and difficult subjects for everyone and this team works so well together to do what they can to improve facilities and provide exemplary customer service under some very difficult circumstances. They thoroughly deserve to recognised for their contribution to the Trust. The entire team always has the patients and staffs' needs at the heart of every decision. The OUH travel and transport team is few in number but huge in impact, and that is what makes them the Unsung Heroes I would like to win this award.