Every organisation has its loyal servants but one which stands out at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust is Glynis Fenner, who has worked for the NHS for 40 years.
Glynis, 57, who lives in Wolverhampton, is the Senior Nurse in the Trust’s Bank. This role involves managing the pool of temporary staff who come in to assist with the running of the hospitals. These workers come from a wide range of areas with many different skills. She said: “We have really moved the Trust Bank forward since I have been here. We now incorporate nurses, admin and clerical, drivers and interpreters, in fact the only group we don’t cover is doctors.”
Originally from Newcastle, Glynis started her career in nursing in 1974 and has worked in Newcastle and London before settling in the Midlands.
In her years as a nurse, she became a ward manager three years after qualifying and went on to establish a course in neurosurgical nursing in London, when she identified a pressing need for it. Moving to the Trust’s Bank 12 years ago, Glynis has also helped improve interpreting services within the Trust. Glynis said: “We have now improved quality for the patients and have made a considerable saving for the Trust. We are always trying to do something different, learn from the past and improve the service for patients.”
Glynis’ colleague, Deputy Chief Nurse Linda Pascall said: “Glynis is the kind of colleague you dream about. She is a person who shares your own enthusiasm for people and doing your best because in the end it affects how we care for our patients and of course each other. She’s usually the first person to be on duty and the last to leave. Her dedication is difficult to match. Glynis is always ready with a smile, a kind word or a shoulder when things get tough. She is definitely a hero for us.”
Over 40 years in the NHS and Glynis still has the same drive and passion for nursing that she started with. She commented: “I love nursing. I enjoy bedside nursing and coming to work and making a difference. A patient could be someone that you know and love, so I always wanted to give people the care that I would expect if one of my loved ones was in that position.”
Glynis isn’t the only one who is following a healthcare path. Her daughter, Emily, 23, is studying Medicine and her son, Chris, 25, has recently qualified as a doctor, while her other daughter, Sophie, 23, has completed a master’s degree in Chemistry. Her partner Paul is a Radiographer.
Away from work the proud Geordie, Glynis, follows her beloved Newcastle United and tries to get to games when she can, as well as doing yoga and training for a 5k run, building on her cross country championship from school. She also likes to travel and is booked to go to Mexico in June.
Glynis’ hero throughout her long career is her mum. She said: “She instilled a good work ethic in me, and she was very well respected wherever she worked. She was the funniest person I know and incredibly hard working.”
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