UHNM Employee of the Month: Jack Thornton

A porter from University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) who came to the aid of a collapsed patient has received praise for his actions.

Jack Thornton was working in the Imaging Department at County Hospital, Stafford, when he discovered a patient on the floor of a nearby toilet. With the help of colleagues from Imaging, Jack was able to transfer the patient to the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) for treatment. 

In recognition of his quick-thinking, Jack was awarded UHNM’s Employee of the Month by Dr Simon Constable, Chief Executive. 

He was nominated for the award by radiographer Dan Smith who was one of the first on the scene with Jack.  

Dan said: “Whilst portering another patient, Jack discovered a patient on the floor of the Imaging Department toilets. After determining they were stable, Jack was able to get the help of other members of clinical staff, and along with patient’s relative, transferred him onto a trolley and took him to ED.

“Jack remained in ED with the patient and his relative, liaising with colleagues as to where the patient should go to continue receiving care. If it wasn't for Jack, the patient may have been on the floor for a much longer time, and, when discovered, it would have been much more difficult to safely care for him.”

After presenting Jack with his certificate, Dr Constable said: “It was wonderful to see Jack’s colleagues and managers join us for the presentation, and it was obvious how proud they are of him, and after meeting Jack, it was easy to see why- his care, compassion and modesty shone through. 

“It doesn’t matter what job you do at UHNM, no one is that far removed from frontline patient care.”

Jack joined the team at County Hospital three years ago following a career in retail. 

He said: “Working at County Hospital is different to anything I’ve done before, you help and meet new people every day and hear their stories.

“It feels great to be nominated for this award. You do your job and don’t think anything of it, but it’s not hard to be kind.”

Penny Parkinson, deputy head of soft facilities management at UHNM, said: “Everybody is extremely proud of Jack. He is the perfect example of the difference everybody in UHNM can make to a patient’s journey, irrespective if they’re a clinical or non-clinical colleague.”

Jack and Dr Constable were joined by Andrew Rogers, General Modality Team Leader at the presentation.