BFP visits NHS staff to say thank you amid 75th birthday celebrations

Free Press deputy editor Naomi Herring and several members of the team toured the wards, waiting rooms, and wellbeing garden to dish out celebratory cupcakes and free newspapers to mark the momentous occasion.

A whistle-stop tour of various wards gave the newspaper team just a small glimpse of the amazing work going on by our health heroes day in, day out.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital employs more than 6,000 staff members from all areas of the county to help treat patients right across Buckinghamshire.

The trust is also supported by a huge army of volunteers who help keep the cogs turning and support patients along the way.

Among the team of volunteers is Trevor Hudson who said at nearly 70 years old the role gives him a younger outlook on life.

He said: "We try and keep our patients happy and as volunteers, we will try and do anything we can to make them happy and it always helps me.

"We’ve got such a brilliant bunch of doctors and nurses here and we try and keep a smile on their face too and they help me feel young."

Trevor has spent nearly 10 years as a volunteer, six of which have been as an A&E buddy.

He added: "Being part of the NHS is a wonderful life. If you’re thinking about a career in the NHS, even if you don’t stay here for life, there are so many different roles and some aren’t even medical.

"There are receptionists, cleaners, helpers, you name it. We all fit together and you can move around and with older volunteers, it helps stay active as there is a lot of walking."

The Bucks Free Press team handed out free newspapers with a special NHS front page thank you supported by Kidd Rapinet solicitors and our commercial partners.

The team went armed with hundreds of cupcakes delivered into the hands of our NHS heroes last week, as a small gesture of our gratitude for all the National Health Service continues to do.

Chief People Officer Bridget O'Kelly said her role involves 'ensuring all staff at the Bucks NHS Trust has the best experience working here so that they can provide outstanding care to our patients and their families'.

She said: "I’ve been doing this role for nearly six years, and I’ve been with the NHS since June 2008. I love my job as it’s a real privilege.

"Around 80 per cent of those who work within the Trust are from the county, which includes myself. I grew up in Bucks and I think there is something really special about working for an organisation that provides such important care to our friends, family and neighbours.

"We really are an important part of the county."

The sentiments were echoed by Bucks Free Press deputy editor Naomi Herring who said it was a privilege to get a small glimpse at the amazing work done by all at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

She said: "It was an honour to give a personal thank you to so many of our hospital heroes that go above and beyond every single day.

“The NHS is not about the hospitals or care sites but the people within who work tirelessly to keep us safe and well.

“Thousands of staff and volunteers in the health service across Bucks have dedicated many hours, days, and years of their lives to be there for many of us in our most desperate moments.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have the NHS and the people who have helped it continue a service of 75 years.”

She added: “The gifts were just a tiny gesture on behalf of everyone at the Bucks Free Press who are so grateful for the work the hospital teams do.

“To see first-hand the incredible staff moral filtering throughout the hospital, the camaraderie was palpable, and I am honoured to have had a small glimpse at the beating heart of our healthcare.

“I also want to thank all our commercial partners for making our special editions possible.”