Calderdale NHS staff honoured for long service

A group of Calderdale staff from the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust have received long service awards at an event held in Huddersfield after notching up more than 377 years of NHS service between them.

The staff – who have all worked for 25 years and more in the NHS – work at a range of mental health and learning disability services across Calderdale including The Dales unit, and Elmfield House. The long serving staff were presented with certificates and gift vouchers at a special event held at the Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield. Michael Shaw, a community psychiatric nurse with the assertive outreach team, was among the staff who received an award. Michael said, “Altogether I’ve worked for the NHS in mental health services for more than 26 years – I started in 1983 as a nursing assistant on a busy acute admissions ward at Scalebor Park Hospital, Burley-in-Wharefdale. Since then I have worked in various roles, but in July I started with the Calderdale Assertive Outreach Team as a CPN, with additional responsibilities as the medication management lead. I appreciate the long service award and consider it as a way of recognising the work I have done for this trust." Trust chief executive Steven Michael who presented the awards and also received an award for his own 25 years of service, said, “This event is a great opportunity for the Trust to thank our long serving staff for their remarkable contribution to the NHS. Their hard work and dedication helps to improve the lives of so many people with mental health problems and learning disabilities in the area. I’m delighted to present these awards as a token of our appreciation of the commitment shown by these members of staff.”