NHS worker shows she’s got IT

A NHS worker has won an award for the dedication and support she provides to GP Practices with their IT, as part of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale’s Going for Gold Stars awards.

Sarah O’Brien is an IT Field Engineer whose job is to provide help and support to services and practices with their computer systems.

Ms O’Brien was asked to be the lead engineer on a project that involved updating the clinical system used by GP Practices - a large scale project with a tight deadline.

Ms O’Brien worked extremely hard on the project to ensure that it was delivered on time, often paying visits to GP Practices beyond her normal working hours and at weekends.

IT Support Service Manager, Alaine Rose, was one of three colleagues to nominate Ms O’Brien for the award, she said: “Practice managers, GPs and practice staff breath a sigh of relief when Sarah arrives on site because they know that she is tenacious in her attitude and the she completely understands how practices rely on IT systems to help them improve patient care.”

On winning the award Ms O’Brien, who has worked for the NHS for 26 years, said: “I am really thrilled and humbled at the same time to receive this award. I really do love my work in IT and I get a real buzz when I can fix something that doesn’t work or enable a GP to do their job more effectively. It is really nice to be recognised and I am grateful to my team for nominating me.”

Going for Gold Stars is a bi-monthly staff awards scheme that has been developed by NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale to recognise staff who provide an outstanding service or go the extra mile. The awards are nominated by staff working within the Trust and judged by a panel of Directors and Staff Representatives.