Hospital boss goes 'back to the floor' with apprentices

As part of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) the Chief Executive of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) has been back to the hospital floor this week to see the work of the Trust’s apprentices.

Anna Dugdale, Chief Executive of NNUH, met with apprentices and their mentors within Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery and Ear Nose Throat as part of a 'back to the floor' tour. She spoke to Apprentice Receptionists and Apprentice Medical Support Secretaries. She also spent time with Adam Bishop, an Apprentice Mould Room Technician within the Radiotherapy Department. Adam is undertaking a manufacturing apprenticeship framework for 21 months, partly funded by the Local Education Training Board (LETB). Adam is part of the team which makes moulds for patients with a head or neck cancer who are referred for Radiotherapy treatment.

Anna Dugdale, Chief Executive, said: “As a major employer for the county, it is great to be able to provide ambitious, motivated young people of Norfolk with the opportunity of working in the healthcare sector and for the apprentices to be an integral part of the NNUH in providing care to our local community”.

Annie Cook, Apprenticeship Coordinator at NNUH said: “These young Apprentices give the Trust an opportunity to grow its own trained staff which will benefit patient care and ensure we have a skilled workforce for the future.”

In addition to the back to the floor tour, up to 60 apprentices who work within the Norwich and Central Norfolk NHS are taking part in a sponsored 'static' cycle ride of the perimeter of the Norwich and Central Norfolk apprenticeship catchment area, 377km, on Friday 15th March. The money raised will go towards the recruitment and retention of Admiral Nurses in Norfolk funded by Dementia UK.

The event starts at 9.00am in the East Atrium Level 2 at NNUH. Chloe Smith MP and Richard Bacon MP will be joined by the Chief Executives from NNUH, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust each cycling 10 minutes towards an accumulative distance, demonstrating how the Trusts work together both in terms of the apprenticeship scheme and also the care of those with dementia. Norman Lamb MP will also be joining the event at 10.00am to support the apprentices.

Barbara Stephens, Chief Executive of Dementia UK, said: “Dementia UK has been working closely with fundraising groups in the Norfolk area and we are delighted to be chosen as the beneficiary charity for the Norwich and Central Norfolk NHS Apprenticeship static cycle fundraising event. Events such as these really help us to raise awareness of Admiral Nurses, specialist dementia nurses, supported by Dementia UK. The support of Admiral Nurses is vital, not just to the dementia patient but to the family caring for their loved ones. We hope everyone in Norwich gets behind this event and we would like to thank everyone at the Norwich and Central Norfolk NHS Apprenticeship scheme for your fantastic fundraising efforts.”

To sponsor the apprentices visit www.justgiving.com/Apprenticeship. Donations of up to £10 can be made via our JustTextGiving code by texting ASCR50 and either 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10 (depending on how many pounds you want to donate) to 70070. The text message is free and all of the donation will be passed to Dementia UK.