Staff recognised for delivering outstanding care

3 May 2019

Two members of staff at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford (PRH) have been recognised for the care and comfort they gave a young man whose loved one had passed away in the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department (A&E).

Ann Bagnall and Sue Williscroft who work in the Cleanliness Team at PRH, part of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, spoke to the young man throughout the morning as his partner received treatment. He didn’t have any friends or relatives present and so turned to the pair for comfort during the challenging and upsetting time.

Ann said: “As members of the Cleanliness Team we often see patients and their loved ones a number of times while they are in A&E and we always offer support where we can.

“The young man was understandably very distressed and opened up to me and Sue. Sadly nothing could be done to save the life of his partner, and after she passed away he found us and ran into my arms. We took him to the Relatives’ Room and just sat with him while he processed the news.

Sue added: “The clinical staff were brilliant and offered their support, but as we had built up a rapport with him throughout the morning it was clear that he wanted our company.

“We made him some food and a cup of tea, gave him a cuddle and just let him speak. The more he talked the more he seemed to calm down and take in what had happened. We were able to stay with him until a family member arrived to look after him.

“It was a privilege to be able to care for someone in that way. I have sons of the same age and was in tears too, I just wanted to make sure that the young man had comfort and felt supported.”

Kelly McConville, Senior Cleanliness Manager for SaTH, said: “Ann and Sue should be very proud of their actions. The care and consideration they showed this young man during an extremely traumatic time made a huge difference – as was evidenced when he later returned to the hospital to thank them for their kindness.

“It goes to show that you don’t necessarily need to be on the frontline to care for a patient or their loved ones – every member of staff contributes to the experiences people have at our hospitals. We are hugely grateful that Sue and Ann went beyond the call of duty in this way, it demonstrates great compassion and integrity.”