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Heartbeat: Ward services officers on the frontline

April 3, 2020

The unsung heroes of our Trust who continue working on the frontline helping our workplace stay one step ahead of COVID-19 are our army of ward services officers. Compassionate and dedicated, our ward services officers continue to battle with COVID-19 by keeping our sites clean and tidy.

With their high standards of hygiene our ward services officers have taken on the challenge of ensuring that our wards and departments are spotlessly clean so that clinical colleagues can continue providing safe and effective care.

To find out more about the work of the ward services team, Heartbeat caught up with Ward Service Officers (WSOs) Christine Jukes and Julie Brazier. Giving an insight in to the work of WSOs Christine said, “We owe it to all of the patients at our Trust to make sure that we have a clean hospital for them to come in to and likewise for colleagues to work in. COVID-19 has simply reminded us how important our role is in making sure that the virus does not have an opportunity to settle, transfer or take hold in our hospital. Every one of my colleagues understands that the role they play in the current situation really does have an impact.”

Echoing the words of her colleague, Julie said, “I’ve worked here for 20 years and it’s fair to say COVID-19 has been a bit of a wake up call for everyone. We’re now more focused than ever on making sure every surface and touch point is spotlessly clean and kept clean throughout each day. COVID-19 is very easy to pass on through droplets and touch so our work is extremely important.

“However, it’s not all mops, buckets and dusters. As WSOs we’re an extra set of eyes on the wards. Whilst we clean, we have an opportunity to interact with patients. When we get them a drink we have an opportunity to have a chat and gain an insight in to their health and wellbeing and more often than not they’ll tell us when they’re feeling well and when they’re not. We’re able to work with the rest of the ward team and get involved.”