We’re delighted to introduce you to Lisa Riley, a Senior Healthcare Assistant who earlier this year marked 25 years at DHU.
Lisa’s been here, caring for our patients, since before we were known as DHU and was recognised at our Loyal Service Awards in October. We were able to find out a little bit more about what it means to complete a quarter of a century with us…
“When I first started we were called North Derbyshire Doctors, a small GP co-operative, and it was just us in a little room, one or two call handlers dealing with out of hours queries. I did that for a few years before we merged with Derby Medical Services before moving from above a doctor’s surgery to Scarsdale and opened a small out of hours place at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
"Working face to face with patients..."
“I did spend a bit of time working in 111 but that wasn’t for me, I’d developed a taste for working face to face with patients and 111 seemed a little too big for me. So now I’m a Senior HCA at the Chesterfield Urgent Treatment Centre and really enjoying my time here.
“Patients will come to the Emergency Department and DHU clinicians will stream them, depending on their condition, to us. At that point I’ll be there to greet them, perform some observations that might include blood tests, ECGs, whatever’s needed and take them to the wards if they need to be admitted.
“It’s a very busy role, things are already starting to ramp up with the change in weather and we’re starting to see a lot more respiratory illnesses such as bad colds, flu and Covid. I would much rather be busy and I thrive on it and knowing I’m there to help these patients when they need it is important to me.
"I genuinely enjoy the interaction..."
“I think the reason I prefer the direct patient contact is that over the phone, when I first started and when I was with 111, it’s all good speaking to the patient and finding out what help they need. But for me, I like to see their reaction, their body language and be able to look them in the eye, maybe reassure them with a look of my own. It’s that connection with the patient that I didn’t feel I got over the phone and makes mee feel closer to the patient. I genuinely enjoy that interaction and it’s probably one of the things that’s kept me here for so long.
“Most of all it’s the people I’ve worked with and the team I’m with right now. I’m so pleased to be able to call these people my colleagues, many of them have become good friends and that is a great reflection of the team spirit we’ve always and continue to have. We support each other, encourage each other and it’s the people here who have helped to make the last 25 years such a great experience; I’d like to thank each and every one of them for being there.”
“But I love what I do and I have no intention of leaving DHU. I’ve been here for so long and always felt supported, I know where to go if I have question and I know what it means to work here. DHU has grown such a lot since those early days but the way I feel about it hasn’t changed, I enjoy it here, I know I can make a difference and that’s what matters.”