3 September 2021

A heartfelt tribute was paid to hospital cleaners, caterers, porters and security teams at the latest Frimley Health Board meeting this week.

Trust Chairman Pradip Patel said the facilities teams were ‘true heroes’ for the way they had responded over the past 18 months to what he described as the most challenging period in the history of the NHS.

“To be honest we can never thank you enough for what you have done, 24/7, week after week, month after month, at times working when you couldn’t be sure if you were at greater risk of infection from Covid,” Pradip said.

Managers from the facilities team were at this month’s public Board meeting to outline their work in recent months as part of the regular ‘Ward-to-Board’ item, including how the recent additional pressures from the pandemic have impacted their work.

Pradip responded with a warm tribute reflecting how much their work was appreciated. The teams he praised included:

• Cleaners, whose work helped to keep infection to a minimum – their efforts were also reflected in a very positive report by the Care Quality Commission following an unannounced inspection into infection control practice earlier this year.
• Caterers who have kept patient and staff fed and watered at a time of great change in the way they have been able to work due to the extraordinary events of the past 18 months.
• Porters, who have had to support all the ward changes and patient moves as hospitals responded to the challenges of the pandemic.
• Security teams, who have helped to keep staff, patients and visitors safe at times of heightened tension and activity throughout the community.

Lorna Wilkinson, Frimley Health’s Chief of Nursing and Midwifery, added that the facilities teams were an ‘absolute joy’ to work with and that they were all ‘absolute superstars’.