An emotional exit from QA
Steve’s pride at 46 years in NHS
AN NHS worker retiring after 46 years of service has been left in tears at the outpouring of gratitude from colleagues and patients.
Steve Jones is leaving his role as a facilities manager at Queen Alexandra Hospital and has been thanked by hundreds of people for his decades of service.
Joining the NHS as an apprentice chef in 1974, Steve worked in Portsmouth Royal Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital before joining QA – and he has now received more than a 140 thank you messages from people he has helped across his career.
The 63-year-old said: ‘I must have done a good job, mustn’t I?
‘I feel very humble – there’s comments from patients from when I was a chef, messages from dieticians I have worked with, even a former chief executive of QA.
‘I’m very proud of the work I’ve done. After I came home from my last day, I cried my eyes out.’
Steve say he feels ‘ very spoiled’ with his retirement gifts from colleagues, which include a letter from West Ham captain Mark Noble who delighted The Hammers supporter with his note.
Other gifts include an inflatable Mr Blobby as a nod to his appearance on the BBC TV show Noel’s House Party in the late 1990s.
The Havant resident said: ‘I have woken up every morning and wanted to come to work – it’s always been lots of fun, lots of teamwork.
‘I have really enjoyed my career.’
Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust thanked Steve with a message on its Facebook page that said: ‘Steve is a very engaging personality well known to many and liked by all.
‘During his time at the trust, his giving nature has been manifested in many ways, including sponsored bike rides raising many thousands of pounds for the neonatal unit, organising Christmas events and raffles, parties for staff, special meals and cakes for patients, and the list goes on.’
Having a last day in the middle of a pandemic was a ‘surreal’ experience, but it reinforced the importance of the work undertaken by NHS staff, Steve said.
He said: ‘I think NHS doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s a really massive team effort.’
He now plans to enjoy spending more time with his wife, two children, and four grandchildren – and continuing his hobby of visiting every JD Wetherspoon pub in the UK.