Last Modified: 8:46am 27/09/2023

Admin Appreciation Day – Alison Winter

Patience, positivity and a love of people are just a few of the attributes of Ward 15’s Alison Winter. Alison is often the first face relatives will see when they come to visit their loved ones and she does her utmost to ensure they feel supported during the inevitably stressful time of having someone in hospital.

Alison has been ward clerk on the male respiratory ward for almost two years and loves every minute of it. It was a complete career change for her – she joined the Trust after working for John Lewis booking in overseas stock deliveries – and does her utmost to ensure that her colleagues’ days run as smoothly as possible.

She arrives early in the morning, printing off handovers for doctors, juniors and phlebotomists and ensuring that the hard copy on patients’ bed boards is correct and up to date. She spends a good deal of the day on the telephone, updating relatives who call in to see how their loved ones are getting on.

“I treat the relatives as I would want to be treated if I was in the same situation. Being the relative at home while your loved one is in hospital can be very stressful indeed and I try and get them any answers that they need from the clinical staff so I can give them an update,” says Alison. “A lot of our patients are elderly and I try and make time for them too – just taking a few minutes to get to know more about them can be like a trip down memory lane for them and it can help distract them from any discomfort they might be in .”

Alison also makes a point of getting to know visiting relatives by name.

“Some of our patients can be on the ward for quite some time, so it is very reassuring if someone remembers their name. Often they are in a rush, trying to do all their usual tasks on top of visiting. It sounds simple but sometimes a cup of tea, a slice of toast and a kind word can make all the difference.”

She is full of praise for senior charge nurse Mladin Topic, who runs the ward with great care and efficiency.

“It is a really lovely place to work and I’m blessed to work here,” she adds.