NHS Trust Celebrates Over 750 Years of Staff Service

Events are taking place across Cornwall to honour colleagues who have dedicated 25 years or more to the NHS. These celebrations are being hosted by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which manages mental health and adult community services within the county.

Celebrating Commitment

The Trust’s Retention Officer, Fiona Duguid, highlighted the importance of recognising long-serving employees. “From this month we have started to celebrate and give recognition for the long service of our staff,” she said. So far, two events have been held at the Lanhydrock Hotel and Golf Club and the Penventon Park Hotel, with more planned for the future.

During these events, Trust staff enjoyed lunch and were personally thanked by Chief Executive Debbie Richards and Chair Margaret Schwarz. Debbie congratulated the staff, saying, “You are the epitome of the NHS. You are loyal, dedicated, and hardworking employees. You are the foundation of the NHS. Every one of you, no matter what roles you do, are important and we, collectively, cannot thank you enough.”

Honouring Henry Cameron

One notable attendee was Henry Cameron, a consultant psychiatrist for older adults, who joined the NHS in August 1998. Alongside his primary role, Henry supports and supervises junior psychology doctors and was nominated supervisor of the year in 2020. He attended the 25-year celebration at the Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth.

Dr Sally Thomas, a colleague, shared her admiration for Henry: “Henry is a highly respected colleague. He is valued for the compassion, kindness, energy, and wisdom he brings to the care of older people with mental health needs in Cornwall. He is regularly described to others as the nicest doctor in the NHS.”

Reflecting on the celebration, Henry expressed gratitude, saying, “It was nice to hear from some of our colleagues and the positive feedback from our peers. These things can often go unsaid, and it helps with morale and purpose. It was a great opportunity to get together and talk with others about their careers.”

Recognising Dedicated Nurses

Sally Shenton, a tissue viability clinical nurse who will celebrate 26 years with the NHS this September, also attended the event. Sally commented, “It was a privilege to be invited to the 25-year NHS service event and receive a beautiful award as recognition of my service to the NHS. The service was very moving and made me feel appreciated for the hard work I do.”

She added, “I love being a nurse and really making a difference to my patients. Despite the challenges that working in the NHS brings, I would not want to do anything else. I am fortunate to work within a fantastic team in beautiful Cornwall and consider myself lucky to be doing something I love every day.”

Appreciating Psychological Support

Vanessa Whyte, a cognitive behavioural therapist in the Early Intervention for Psychosis Team, also attended the Penventon Park Hotel event. Vanessa shared her thoughts, stating, “It was nice to go along to the awards and share the celebration of our long service together with colleagues. Working in the NHS is a vocation. We do it because we care. It means a lot to have our work appreciated by the organisation.”

The celebrations highlight the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s commitment to recognising and valuing the dedication and hard work of its long-serving staff, ensuring their contributions are celebrated and appreciated.