Our achievements

Posted on 28 Jan 2025

Linda Rigley, Facilities Assistant at Nottinghamshire Healthcare has been shortlisted in the national MyCleaning Awards, in the Domestic of the Year category, for going above and beyond to make a difference to patient experience.

Linda has been working within our Trust as a domestic for over 13 years. Her nominator, Claire Teft, Facilities Support Services Manager commented: Like all our domestics Linda doesn't realise the affect that she has on our service users' journeys.

Jackie, a former patient at Highbury Hospital recently shared how Linda left a lasting impact for her kindness and support. Highlighting how all staff have a part to play in patient care. Jackie said:

Linda, I remember your kindness and understanding to me whilst I was a patient. You would come into my room, every day you were on duty, always bright, cheerful and kind in your nature. 

There was one morning, where on the previous day I had woken up feeling well after 18 months of the nightmare I had been living in. I'd gone out with my husband and daughter for lunch on the Sunday and had a wonderful day, but the next morning when I woke up I felt really down again, I didn't even want to get my head from under the quilt, you went out of the room and must have told one of the staff nurses, as they came and sat on my bed and explained this would happen, it was just baby steps I needed to take, which is what I did and in time, thanks to your help, I got over my illness and was well enough to be discharged home. 

Jackie thought about Linda often and was always singing her praises to people. Once a month she speaks at the Trust Induction for new starters, telling them her story, and how important Linda was to her recovery.

They were recently reunited, and Jackie had the opportunity to say thank you in person. Linda said: 

I'm really shocked, but delighted to be shortlisted in these awards.  Jackie is a lovely lady and when she was a patient, she used to talk to me about being a nurse before and chat to me a little bit about her life. I  remember one day she didn't want to eat, and I said come and look, just have a little bit, so she did.

I didn't realise the impact I'd had on her, but it made me feel like my job is worthwhile, and it was nice to hear how much I had helped her. It was an emotional moment when we met, she was shaking. She said thank you, I had a chat with her and met her family, which was lovely.

 
One of the things Linda loves most about her job is seeing the improvement in the patients as they start to get well.

Kazia Foster, Deputy Director, Mental Health Care Group at Nottinghamshire Healthcare said:

Huge congratulations to Linda on being shortlisted in these awards. It is fantastic to hear how Linda's support made such a big difference to Jackie while she was a patient. It really highlights the importance of all colleagues, clinical and non-clinical, and how they can all make a difference to patient experience. Linda really deserves this national recognition and we wish her the best of luck for the next stage.