Health heroes celebrated as CEO bids farewell to Shropshire hospital

The special, socially distanced lunch saw around 20 staff at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital – all of whom had been named winners of the Oswestry-based trust’s monthly award – served lunch from a marquee pitched up outside the main entrance of the site.

The event also gave colleagues the chance to wish outgoing chief executive, Mark Brandreth well, ahead of him leaving RJAH at the end of this week to take up a new post as executive lead for the new NHS Integrated Care System in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

Last month saw Mark make his final presentation of the monthly Health Hero Award.

The monthly award is presented to unsung heroes from across the hospital who are nominated by their colleagues for going the extra mile.

Mark said: “As my five years at RJAH draws to a close this week, I wanted to recognise and say goodbye, in person, to those who have won the Health Hero Award, something I introduced to the trust when I first started here.

“I have always said I work alongside the best staff in the NHS here at RJAH and our Health Hero winners prove that.

"Each and every colleague is caring, committed and demonstrates why our NHS is so special.

“It was a nice way to say goodbye in-person. My time at RJAH has been wonderful and it’s all thanks to staff members like this, who go above and beyond for our patients, day-in, day-out.”

Wendy Mayne, pharmacy technician specialist, who won a Heath Hero Award back in January 2017, was among the staff members at the celebratory lunch.

She said: “It was brilliant to get together with colleagues from across the hospital and be recognised in this way.

“On behalf of colleagues from across the hospital, I would like to wish Mark well in his new role.”