News and events

The property maintenance team at Epsom and St Helier hospitals have received the Chief Executive’s Award of Excellence in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the trust and our patient’s wellbeing.

With two large hospital sites to look after, the team – made up of staff based at both Epsom and St Helier hospitals – certainly have their work cut out for them. The team were nominated by a number of colleagues in recognition of their stellar effort to keep on top of a demanding maintenance schedule and decorating work to improve a number of patient areas.

Chief Executive, Daniel Elkeles said: “Maintaining, repairing and improving the condition of our estate is a huge undertaking every year, so I am delighted to be present this award to the property maintenance team, who do a fantastic job of keeping our buildings in the best possible condition, despite the fact that St Helier is almost 80 years old and parts of Epsom are not far behind.

“The team are incredibly busy day-to-day – in fact, last year they responded to more than 48,000 jobs (all requested from staff and volunteers) and used more than 7,420 litres of paint within our hospitals. A lot of work happens behind the scenes, in workshops plant rooms and other areas away from the public so it is important we acknowledge the full extent of everyone’s effort. Improving the environment of our trust is one of our key priorities for the future and this is something that feeds back into the patient care we provide.”

In addition to the usual day-to-day demands, the property maintenance team made a particularly significant contribution in the run-up to the trust’s CQC inspection, going above and beyond to tackle a challenging schedule of works. The busy schedule also provided a great opportunity for two apprentices supporting the wider Estates Team – although the learning curve was steep, it provided an excellent opportunity to shadow senior team members on a variety of jobs and put their new skills to the test.

Daniel added: “The work the team has done, and continues to do on a daily basis, makes such a big difference to our patients, visitors and staff. The team were not recognised for their hard work alone – the nominations received also reflect the effort the team make to interact with patients and staff, ensuring they always have a smile on their face and a friendly word to say – truly putting the patient first. The team should be very proud of everything they have achieved together – congratulations, and thank you!”

If you would like to nominate a member of staff for the Chief Executive’s Award of Excellence, please visit www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/nominate. Winners are presented with a certificate and gift voucher in recognition of their achievement.