Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 25 April 2024 at 08:28
Our ‘behind the scenes’ feature, where we highlight a person or team from within the Trust, continues. This week is Sarah Garner who is part of the patient experience team. Sarah has worked with the ambulance service for nine years.
Tell us a bit about yourself:
After nearly 18 years working in a high street bank, I joined the Trust in April 2007. I started working as a call handler within out of hours and in 2008 I progressed into the role of primary care administrator. In February of this year, an opportunity to progress came up in the patient experience department as a patient experience co-ordinator. I currently coordinate complaints and concerns for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
What do you do as part of your job role?
The patient experience team is the first point of contact for members of the public, patients, their family members and other NHS organisations relating to concerns, complaints, compliments and lost property.
My role as a patient experience co-ordinator is to assist in resolving the experience of patient, public and staff, and co-ordinate the investigations for the concerns or complaints. There are times when things do go wrong. We recognise this, try and resolve their concerns thoroughly and swiftly and respond accordingly.
However we do receive more compliments than complaints each month and this is acknowledged directly to the staff members involved and their managers.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Talking, listening and helping people in situations where they feel they have had concerns regarding the service we have provided. I enjoy resolving their concerns and working with them to make it a better experience. I like to have a positive impact on the experience of patients, public and staff. As a team we work exceptionally hard to resolve all experiences and to be open and honest.
Working with my colleagues in Bedford is great fun, there’s never a dull moment and we work extremely hard to promote and provide a professional service.
Which of the Trust values is most important to you and why?
All are just as important, as without one element it would not be as effective as it is. However to have the patient experience team behind me and supporting me gives me the tools to provide an effective and professional service.
What did you want to be when you were young?
A midwife or nursery nurse.
Published 31st October, 2016