Celebrating more than 800 years of service

Staff who have worked at Guy's and St Thomas' for more than 25 years were honoured at the Trust's annual Long Service Awards on Thursday 1 December.

A total of 30 staff received awards from Chairman Sir Hugh Taylor and Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard. 

Both clinical and non-clinical staff were recognised – from community nursing, intensive care and housekeeping to HR, engineering and medical technology.

Paediatric intensive care charge nurse Peter Swift has worked at the Trust for 25 years. He lives in north Bermondsey and is now a charge nurse in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Evelina London.

Peter has seen how the service has developed over the years. Today the PICU team is able to treat babies with complex heart problems who could not have been treated when Peter first joined the Trust.

Peter said: "It's been amazing to see the advances that have been made in paediatric intensive care. Shortly after I started my job at Guy’s and St Thomas’, we launched a retrieval service on a shoestring budget. We would send out small teams in taxis to district hospitals across the south east to stabilise sick children, returning to base in a local ambulance.

“Today the South Thames Retrieval Service operates 24 hours a day, deploying specialist teams to transfer ill children. It’s been exciting to be part of something which has grown so much over the years.”

Health visitor Faith Kelleher was also recognised for more than 32 years’ service. Faith was born at Guy’s Hospital and started working as a health visitor in Lambeth in 1984. She is known to some local families as ‘granny health visitor’, as she has worked with three generations within the same families.

Faith says: "I really enjoy working in Lambeth and Southwark. I love the diversity of the community I support in my role – working with so many different people is very rewarding." 

Speaking at the awards, Trust Chairman Sir Hugh Taylor said: "We're here to celebrate people who have given 25 years and more to the Trust and its patients. This evening is above all a tribute to public service. With more than 800 years’ service represented by the staff here this evening, tonight is a remarkable occasion."