Long Service Award recipients celebrated at RCHT

Each year, the Long Service Awards honour the hard work and commitment of colleagues that have given 25 years of service to the NHS. Marking the 75th anniversary of the NHS, this year’s ceremony took place at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.  Guests arrived at the Knowledge Spa, where they were treated to a delicious buffet of cakes, cream teas and sandwiches.  This was followed by separate addresses from RCHT executives prior to the presentation.

In introducing the day’s event, Mairi Mclean, Chairwoman and non-executive director of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

“This event is an opportunity to say a big thank you and to acknowledge the many years of care and commitment that our colleagues have given.  This year, RCHT had more than 80 colleagues eligible for their Long Service Awards in the period from July 2022 to July 2023, and over 130 from our 2021 to 2022 cohort.  At the time, we couldn’t celebrate these awards due to restrictions around the Covid pandemic, so it’s fantastic to finally be able to celebrate these achievements together.”

Alison Thorne-Henderson, Chief People Officer for RCHT, said:

“It is impossible to put a value on the wealth of knowledge and experience recipients of our Long Service Award have gained during their careers. They are ambassadors for our newer colleagues, leading the way, supporting growth and extoling our values: Respect, Compassion, Honesty, and Teamwork.  Over 25 years with the NHS, these colleagues will have seen a great many changes, but the one constant is the everyday focus on the work to provide the caring and compassionate service so highly regarded by our local community.”

In presenting the awards, Steve Williamson, Chief Executive for RCHT, said:

“For those who have spent most of their 25 years and more at RCHT, you will have been part of incredible advances in care and development at our hospitals.  The pace of change seems to come ever more quickly and the challenges we face are ever more demanding.  All our Long Service Award recipients will have seen significant challenges, been part of great successes and personally contributed to delivering or supporting healthcare to residents and communities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Switching to the Cornish language, Steve concluded: “Dhe Lath pellder a Riel Kernow Klavji Trest Servis Kenhdlek an Yeges: Meur Ras dhe a’gas servisyow.” – ‘To our long service staff at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust: thank you for your service.’