Berkshire Healthcare staff take part in prestigious NHS 75 events
Staff from Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust joined NHS staff from across the country at two prestigious events celebrating NHS 75th birthday, on Wednesday 5 July.
The first, a special service at Westminster Abbey, was attended by three staff members who were nominated to represent the Trust in recognition of their long service (over 35 years) with the NHS.
- Angela Childs, Social Worker East
Angela works in the busy mental health crisis resolution and home treatment team as a specialist practitioner and deputy service manager. As a mental health social worker, Angela strives to address social inequalities in her work.
- Avril Gumbs Business & Performance Lead Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment (CRHTT) service
The CRHTT team provide an alternative to hospital admission and care for clients in their own homes. Avril ensures that this exceptional work is reflected through their reporting and develops performance management processes and procedures to support the team to achieve their targets.
- Laila Salhani-Maat, Community Geriatrician
Laila developed a hospital level service for acutely unwell care home residents in Berkshire West. Her team started with 6 care homes and rapidly escalated to support 51 care homes (2,500 care home residents) over the space of 2 years. They have expanded the service to support all people in their own homes.
They joined around 1,500 NHS staff from across the UK at the event, as well as some famous names and NHS Charities Together.
The service began with an address by NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard.
May Parsons, an associate chief nurse who delivered the world’s first vaccine outside of a clinical trial in December 2020, carried the George Cross into the Abbey in a procession. May received the medal from Queen Elizabeth II, along with NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard and representatives from the other UK health services at Windsor Castle in July 2022.
Prayers were read by prime minister Richi Sunak, chief nurse Dame Ruth May, NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis, chief allied health professions officer Prof Suzanne Rastick OBE, and Richard Webb-Stevens, a paramedic who was first on the scene of the Westminster Bridge terror attack and who holds the Queen’s Ambulance Medal for Distinguished Service.
Anglea Childs’ said: “It was a privilege to have been chosen to represent Berkshire Healthcare at the special Westminster Abbey service. The celebration saw a host of people sharing their deeply personal experiences and connections to the NHS over the past 75 years. Showcasing patient experience and the skill, care, innovations, and sheer determination of the workforce. It was amazing to be part of this celebration and we stood proud to say we are the NHS.”
At a second event held at 10 Downing Street, NHS staff were greeted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other political leaders of government. Carol Muir, a community psychiatric nurse from the Trust was nominated to attend, in light of her 48 years’ service.
Carol Muir said: “On arriving at 10 Downing Street I met with other NHS workers, who had also been invited to the reception. There were many different disciplines there and we were all thrilled to have been invited. At the reception, we were joined by Rishi Sunak and a speech was given by Steven Barclay on the history of the NHS and the challenges faced today, before thanking NHS staff for all that we have done. It was a day I will never forget.”
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