Thanking all our health and care heroes: particularly those working across the festive period.
We know lots of us will be taking time away from work over the festive period to celebrate and spend time with loved ones. But there are also a number of health and care heroes working across our hospitals and in the community during this period to keep people healthy, safe, comfortable and spread some Christmas cheer.
We're celebrating some of our amazing healthcare heroes who will be working over the festive period.
South Cluster District Nursing Team - Oldham
nurse associate Millie Wild and staff nurse Georgia Lygo
Millie Wild, nurse associate, South Cluster district nursing team, said: “I always offer to work on Christmas Day because I get to make a difference for patients who are lonely at this time of year, especially those who don’t have anyone to spend Christmas day with.
"Last year when I worked on Christmas day, I met a patient whose family did not live in England, therefore apart from his carers visiting, my face was the only one they would see that day. The visit was only planned for 15 minutes of wound care; however, I ended up sitting with them for around an hour while they ate their Christmas dinner ready meal. We chatted for a while and when I was leaving, the patient explained how much of a difference it had made chatting to me as they feared they would be lonely over Christmas. They even gave me some chocolates to take home, and I gave them a NorthCare charity donation Christmas present which they were grateful for.”
Donna – district nurse in Salford 
Donna says: “It’s extremely rewarding to spend time with patients in their own home on a special day like Christmas.
“Some patients experience social isolation, therefore providing essential care along with supporting their wellbeing brings patient satisfaction which results in a good medical outcome. Knowing I can make their day special brings great job satisfaction to me and the district nursing team.”
Thank you Donna for providing this essential care to the people of Salford.
The Royal Oldham Hospital A&E therapy team
Shiloh (occupational therapist) and Uche (physiotherapist)
The team said: "Working on Christmas day is about bringing comfort and cheer to patients who may feel far from home. It is nice to know a small sacrifice of working Christmas day could make a big difference to a patient’s outcome. It's a privilege to be there for them, sharing kindness and ensuring they feel cared for on a day that means so much to so many and at what can be a difficult time of year for some. Also hopefully getting some patients home to spend time with their loved ones."
Shiloh said: “Working on Christmas day is about bringing comfort and cheer to patients who may feel far from home. It’s a privilege to be there for them, sharing kindness and ensuring they feel cared for on a day that means so much to so many.”
Laura said: “It is nice to know a small sacrifice of working Christmas day could make a big difference to a patient’s outcome, possibly getting them home to spend the day with loved ones.”
Thank you for bringing comfort to our patients and being kind to them.
Gav - visual impairment support 
Gav is the rehabilitation officer for visual impairment (ROVI) in Salford. He works with people who have become visually impaired and helps them cope with a traumatic diagnosis, giving them skills and confidence to have an independent life. Gav was born with a congenital visual impairment but says it isn’t the reason he got into working with people with vision impairment.
Gav said: “A person with sight loss could find Christmas shopping challenging. This can be especially difficult due to higher volumes of shoppers creating what we call ‘visual noise’ that can be overwhelming.
“We are working over the Christmas period as there is the potential for people with sight loss being isolated, due to some services taking holidays or only having limited support. This ensures that someone with a vision or hearing impairment can get support if they need it during this time.”
Gav, you are awesome! Thank you for helping provide this vital support.
Oldham Community Diagnostic Centre 
The Oldham Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) opened two years ago with the goal of providing quicker testing to patients in the heart of the community. Dionne, CDC unit manager, will be putting her best foot forward creating cheer at a time when many patients walk through that door feeling nervous about their upcoming tests.
Dionne said: “We will continue to welcome patients for tests during the holiday season. We recognise how important it is to keep the doors open for most of the festive period and carry on testing patients so we can start planning treatment for those who need it sooner.
“Working during the holiday season can be tough, especially being away from family and friends – it is worth it to know that we are helping someone who is going through a very difficult time. Patients are certainly a lot chattier during this period and we take the opportunity to have a social conversation and hopefully put a smile on their face before they leave us. The unit is decorated for the festive season and there is always a warm welcome waiting for our patients.”
Thank you to the team for helping put a smile on our patient's faces.