Walsall and Wolverhampton NHS staff have been thanked and celebrated for their combined 12,405 years of dedication to their careers.
This year’s first joint Long Service Awards took place at The Grand Station in Wolverhampton and celebrated both The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust staff.
A total of 243 colleagues were in attendance to celebrate reaching NHS working milestones of 20 years or more.
Award recipients were presented with a certificate and badge as recognition for their continued dedication and commitment.
Caroline Walker, Interim Group Chief Executive, said: “It is an absolute privilege to be a part of this special occasion.
“On behalf of the Board and myself, I want to thank all recipients for their devotion they’ve given to the NHS and our Trusts. It’s been great to celebrate everyone’s achievements and it is such an important milestone.”
Lavinia Hall, Specialist Diabetes Midwife at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, received her 20 years’ Long Service Award.
She said: “It has been a privilege to work for the NHS and It’s so nice to have the time to be thankful for the service everyone has given and celebrate all we have achieved.”
Amanda Winwood, Charity Development Manager at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust received her 30 years’ Long Service Award.
She said: “I’ve seen lots of change within the NHS over the past 30 years, and after all this time, I still absolutely love my job. I am proud to work for the NHS and everyone in the room today has made a huge difference to patients and local communities.”
Alan Duffell, Group Chief People Officer, led the tributes for those celebrating 20, 30, 40 or 50 years’ service and received his own 20 years’ Long Service Award.
He said: “I was both surprised and honoured to receive my award.
“That career has led me to work within seven NHS organisations and seven different roles, including being a Board Director for five Trusts. It has been a privilege to work with so many great individuals and teams, and I remain in awe of what the NHS does every single day.”
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust staff received the following awards:
- 20 years’ service – 142 staff
- 30 years’ service – 52 staff
- 40 years’ service – 18 staff
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust staff received the following awards:
- 25 years’ service – 137 staff
- 30 years’ service – 95 staff
- 40 years’ service – 30 staff
- 50 years’ service – 3 staff
To get a glimpse of the awards, watch this short video.