CLEANER WITH A HEART OF GOLD

HOW much Yakub Vali, 53, means to patients and staff can be seen from the scores of thank you cards the father of three has at the home he shares with wife Maimuna, 53.

Some of the writing may be shaky, but the gratitude and love is clear.

As Yvonne Jeanes, the lead physiotherapist at the specialist stroke unit at royal Preston Hospital in

Lancashire where he works, explains: ‘Yakub is such a gorgeous person — the entire ward, patients and staff, just love him. I can’t tell you the difference that he makes.’

This much-loved figure isn’t a medic, a nurse or a physio, but a cleaner.

That he’s good at the work he’s employed to do is immediately evident when you arrive on the ward.

‘Families always comment on how clean it is,’ says Yvonne — indeed he’s credited with playing a key role in helping reduce infection rates on the ward.

‘When Yakub’s on holiday it takes three people to do his job, and the ward still doesn’t look as good,’ adds Yvonne, ‘Yakub just never stops.’

But he’s even more distinguished by the way he performs his unofficial duties. Yakub, who moved to the UK aged 16 from a small village in India and has never had a day off sick in 13 years, starts his 7am shift by checking on each patient to see if they need anything.

He’s constantly on the look-out for patients, fetching endless cups of tea, or calling for a nurse if someone can’t reach their buzzer.

‘Recently, a lady who was recovering from hip surgery fell in the middle of the ward — Yakub was cleaning a table and somehow reached her and caught her with lightning reflexes,’ says Yvonne.

‘He saved her from another serious hip fracture and in doing so, potentially saved her life.’

When patients are discharged, he makes it his duty to wave them off — and his daughter says that when he arrives home at night, Yakub talks non-stop about the patients and how they progressed, who left the ward, who is doing well or anyone he is worried about.

To the staff, he is another pair of hands who is a vital part of the team, and often acts as physio assistant, taking patients by their arm to help them walk, and encouraging them all the way.

At Christmas, Yakub arrives at the ward with chocolates and sweets for patients and staff alike.

‘He is the most conscientious, courteous, humble and helpful member of staff on the ward,’ says Yvonne. ‘He is definitely our hero!’