We love to share the good stuff. And it doesn't come much better than this email from Alfa Nadeem. We've left in her own words as it's a powerful read and a real inspiration and example of CHFT teamwork at its best.
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Hello my name is Alfa Nadeem and I am a radiographer working at the Huddersfield site. I would like to share the story of our dept as I believe it's an extraodinary story bringing staff together in a situation where, without each individual and their input a service could have come to a stand still and it shows the length staff go to, to make it into work.
Our friend/colleague Emma Wood, a radiographer working for the NHS, endured a nine- hour struggle stranded on the M62 to get to work on Thursday morning from Rochdale to Huddersfield to do her bit for the patients and her team. She only arrived at work for 4pm to finish the remainder of her shift then had to to set off to drive back home later that evening to her three little girls. She then find herself stuck in the opposite direction of the M62 for another nine hours until they broke the barrier returning her back to Huddersfield. She unfortunately didn't return home that night but was kindly booked into the nearest hotel arranged by the hospital.
Emma's situation was bought to the attention of the necessary staff able to help by our lovely friend Riffy Ullah, a radiographer on duty that night who had also been unable to return home for the past two days due to treacherous road conditions but was able to stay with relatives. Emma returned to work in the morning having had a few hours sleep to join her radiology team. She set off to drive home Friday afternoon using an alternative route which got her home safely even though it was hours later in heavy traffic travelling bumper to bumper.
We are grateful for people like this that go above and beyond so they don't let the service down or their patients. We have so much respect for this girl and so proud to say she's part of our radiology team, although she said she's done nothing no one else wouldn't have done. I can honestly go on and on about all the staff that have pulled together to keep this service running to ensure patients recieved the care they needed 24hrs a day everyday no matter what the weather brought with it. We had staff who set off hours early to make it in for their 13hr night shifts walking miles through heavy snow, wind and freezing conditions to provide care then walked miles to get back home. The staff members who lived locally knew their colleagues would be relying on them heavily to cover for staff running late or those who couldn't come in because their child's school closed at short notice. They too deserve recognition. They do it for the care of the patients and also their colleagues who need their team behind them to deliver the care each patient deserves.
Thanks Alfa. Top email putting your team in the spotlight after an amazing all-round effort.