While people are spending the festive period with family and friends, the work of many colleagues at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL) doesn’t stop.
Our dedicated teams are working around the clock to keep our hospitals running. From early mornings to late nights, these unsung heroes ensure patients are cared for, and essential services continue to be provided.
Here are just a few of the hospital heroes working this Christmas:
Jasmine, Higher Specialist Doctor
Emergency doctor Jasmine will be working on Christmas and Boxing Day, providing care to patients when they need it most. She explains that the festive period doesn’t change the nature of the work. “In a positive way, it doesn’t really change what we do, whether it’s the festive period or not,” Jasmine said. “People want to be healthy for Christmas, so it’s trying to help them to get their injuries or their illness sorted so they can celebrate Christmas with their family and friends.”
Jasmine stressed that patients can still access emergency care over the holidays. “Illness doesn’t really take a break,” she added. “We’re here to look after patients, even at Christmas. It is quite rewarding to be able to treat patients and help them get home to continue celebrating Christmas,” she said.
Mohamed, Retail Catering Team Leader
Mohamed is a retail catering team leader and will be working on Christmas Day to help keep the restaurant at the Leicester Royal Infirmary running smoothly. For Mohamed, working over the festive period is a way of supporting both colleagues and patients: “I’m happy to work on Christmas Day because I don’t celebrate Christmas. This means that those who do celebrate, can have a day off with their friends and families. We’re a good team who are always happy to support each other in this way.”
Mohamed and his team play a key role in making the day special, particularly for other colleagues who are working: “We do Christmas dinner for colleagues who are working, either at lunch or dinner,” he explained. “People really appreciate it, and it helps bring everyone together on Christmas Day.”
Casey, Midwife
Midwife Casey will be working on Christmas and New Year’s Day, supporting families as they welcome their new babies. “It’s a lovely atmosphere, especially on Christmas Day, but also during the weeks leading up to Christmas,” Casey said. “We get the decorations out, start planning what food we’re going to bring in, and arrange secret Santas.”
While Christmas is busy as ever, teamwork is at the heart of everything for colleagues across our maternity teams: “Babies are still born on Christmas Day, so it’s not a quieter time at all, but we work as a team. We all pull together and help each other out.”
Casey describes every birth as special, but this time of year carries added meaning. “It’s a special occasion every time a baby is born, but on Christmas Day, it’s nice to be part of something extra special.”
Bruno, Senior ECMO Specialist
Bruno is a senior ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) specialist and will be working on Christmas Day and Boxing Day night. His role involves caring for some of the most critically ill patients. For Bruno, working at Christmas brings mixed emotions: “Of course I would love to be at home with my family, but people don’t choose to be sick.”
ECMO is a life-support machine that acts as an artificial heart and lungs for patients whose own organs can’t provide enough oxygen or remove carbon dioxide.
UHL is one of only a few mobile ECMO centres in the country, providing this life-saving support to patients who need specialist care. The impact of this work makes the sacrifice worthwhile for Bruno and his colleagues: “At the end of the day, working and doing ECMO transfers for critically ill patients is worth it,” he said. “Going to pick up a patient, putting them on ECMO, bringing them to Leicester, and helping them survive Christmas, or even have future Christmases makes it worth it.”
Sharon, Domestic Assistant
Domestic assistant Sharon will be working on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, helping to keep the hospital safe and clean during the festive period. For Sharon, while Christmas may feel festive, the work remains essential. “Just because it’s Christmas Day doesn’t mean the work stops,” she said. “Wards and bed bays still need cleaning, and patients are still being admitted. If someone goes home, that bed has to be ready for the next patient.”
Sharon says she always works Christmas and feels proud to be there. “People are kind and appreciative, and it’s nice to be a friendly face for patients who may be spending Christmas in hospital,” she said. “That atmosphere really makes it worth it.”