It’s the beginning of the awards season for movie stars right now and suddenly everyone is making a song and dance about living in La La Land!
But let’s not forget healthcare is also full of everyday heroes who deserve gongs for their remarkable talents.
They save lives every day all over the country. So today we salute a select few whose heart-warming tales have made the headlines.
The resolute receptionist
Medical receptionists are sometimes criticised for being too prying when taking details of patients’ conditions.
Jane Gooch, however, will be eternally grateful to the medical receptionist at A&E in Derby.
It was a few days after Christmas and the department was very busy but the receptionist, Hillary, insisted Jane be seen. She kept checking on her and insisted her case was urgent.
A CT scan revealed a brain haemorrhage – Jane was successfully operated on by a neurosurgeon.
The determined doctor
NHS doctor Simon Walsh was recognised for his fast-thinking actions. Along with paramedic Bill Leaning he was first at the scene following a traffic accident in London.
24-year-old cyclist Victoria Lebrec had been knocked from her bike and her injuries meant she was at risk of a heart attack. Within seconds Simon identified she needed a Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA). The rare procedure involves inflating a balloon inside a major blood vessel to prevent blood loss.
The pair were able to prep Victoria and as soon as their colleagues arrived she underwent the procedure that saved her life.
The never-off-duty nurse
Like so many medical heroes, mental health nurse Helen Turner was not even on duty when her actions saved a life.
She was on board a plane travelling from Cyprus to Manchester when a call went out that a passenger had become ill.
While the air hostess believed he’d suffered a heart attack and wanted to use the defibrillator, after a quick look at his vital signs Helen stopped her – she realised he’d suffered a stroke and the shock from the current could kill him.
With three hours of the flight remaining Helen insisted the plane be landed. The man and his family were met by a medical team following an emergency landing at Sofia airport in Bulgaria – his life was saved.
Have our heroes inspired you to open a new chapter in your own tale? Check out Medical and Healthcare opportunities with s1jobs.