At DHU Healthcare, our team is full of dedicated individuals who bring a wealth of experience and passion to their roles. Today, we're delighted to introduce you to Claire Holloway, a member of our Northampton Urgent Care team who is proud to be celebrating five years working at DHU. Claire's commitment and expertise as an Advanced Practice Paramedic based at Northampton General Hospital make her an invaluable asset to our organisation.
“The start of April was my fifth anniversary of joining DHU and 19th April marks 20 years since I joined the NHS as an Emergency Medical Technician. I am very proud to mark both anniversaries, and never imagined where my career would lead me.”
"As an Advanced Practice Paramedic, I'm tasked with seeing, treating, assessing, and prescribing for a range of patients within out-of-hours services. My role involves discharging or referring patients to another service when necessary. A majority of my work involves telephone triage, where I assess patients remotely. If a situation allows for treatment over the phone, particularly for straightforward cases, that's the approach we take.
"Diagnosing patients over the phone requires time and skill, which I've developed over the past seven years. When I expressed interest in relocating nearer to home, DHU were happy to accommodate the move, highlighting their support for their employees. Currently, I'm wrapping up my Masters and only have my dissertation to complete.
"Working at DHU within Northampton has been a rewarding experience and the support from all of my colleagues is exceptional. Plus, there are ample opportunities for skill development. Transitioning from the Ambulance Service to DHU was a significant change, but a positive one. I feel more supported and surrounded by a collaborative team that ensures I've made the right decision.
“As a career choice I would certainly recommend the paramedic route and would advise everyone to continue with their learning as they progress. Education and working hard has helped me to get to where I am today.”
Claire's journey to reach the level of Advanced Practice Paramedic highlights her determination and commitment to providing quality care. Her dedication to ongoing learning and development serves as an inspiration to her colleagues and underscores DHU's commitment to fostering professional growth within our team.