Celebrating a porter who has been there for patients for 45 years
National Healthcare Estates & Facilities Day (Wednesday 18 June) celebrates the essential work of staff working in these areas across hospitals, recognising the critical importance of such staff in the delivery of care to patients.
One of those staff is Jonathan Croombes, who has served patients as a Pharmacy Porter at Southend Hospital for the last 45 years.
During that time Jonathan has clocked up an amazing 70,000 miles helping get medicines to patients on wards as quickly as possible, which amounts to a serious amount of shoe leather.
His journey of thousands of miles started when his mum took him to the job centre. That visit led to a volunteer job at Rochford Hospital and when Southend Hospital opened, Jonathan moved over and took on a paid role. He’s been a big part of the team ever since.
Over those four and a half decades Jonathan says the hospital has grown a lot over the years, and his job has become much busier. More departments mean more people needing medicine faster. But he doesn’t mind – in fact, he says he loves it.
Jonathan said: “I enjoy working with everyone, I like meeting people and helping patients. It feels good to be part of something important.”
Unsurprisingly, the Pharmacy Porter is a familiar and much-loved face across the hospital. His teammates say he’s cheerful, friendly and always ready to help.
Wendy Murphy, Deputy Operational Lead Technician, said: “We love having Jonathan as part of our team. Pharmacy wouldn’t be Pharmacy without Jonathan.”
Sue Gissing, who’s worked with Jonathan for over 40 years, remembers meeting him when she was just a student. She said: “He showed me around and made me feel welcome. He still makes me smile every day,”
Ken Kennedy, an oncology pharmacist, works in the Chemotherapy unit. He said: “Jonathan brings our doses over and makes sure patients get their treatment on time. Rain or shine, he gets the job done. I’m amazed by how much he walks every day – he must go through loads of shoes!”
In March, Jonathan turned 65 and celebrated with a big meal for about 50 people, including old and new colleagues from all over the hospital. It was a special day for someone who has given so much to his team, hospital staff and patients.