“After 30 years, I still enjoy coming to work every day"
264 billion seconds. 4.4 billion minutes. Three million days.
Or, as we prefer to put it, 8,385 years.
That's the combined service of the 432 colleagues we celebrated this week at our long service awards, marking 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 years with the Trust, reached between January and December 2025.
Paediatric Consultant Junaid Solebo was honoured for 30 years. He started in 1993, caring for our young patients across both King George and Queen’s hospitals and was also the named doctor for safeguarding for 20 years. He said:
“After 30 years, I still enjoy coming to work every day and caring for the patients. Seeing the children happy and smiling during what can be a difficult and scary time is why I love my job.”
Nursery Nurse Lorraine Barrett celebrated her 40-year milestone at the event. Lorraine has worked all over our hospitals, some of which have since closed: Harold Wood, Rush Green, King George and Queen's.
She said: “My daughter Chloe was born at Harold Wood prematurely. So not only do I work with babies in the neonatal unit, but I also had a premature baby of my own. I know what it’s like for the families who come to us.
“I’ve always worked with babies; it’s such a rewarding job - hence why I’ve been doing it for 40 years!”
Lorraine brought her 24-year-old daughter Chloe with her to the event, pictured above.
Emma Samura joined as a nurse in A&E in 2012. After five years she moved to our Frail Older People Assessment and Liaison Service, and she's now unit lead on Beech Frailty Ward at King George Hospital. She said:
"When someone first comes in, the first thing I do is talk to them. That's how they get comfortable, and that's how they learn they can trust us.
"Then one day they're well enough to go home. Knowing I helped with that is the best bit of the job."
Chief Executive (Interim) Fiona Wheeler said:
“When we talk about years of service, we’re really talking about something bigger. Thousands of patients cared for, thousands of families supported through difficult times, colleagues mentored and supported and friendships formed.
“People often describe the NHS as being built on its people, and that's absolutely true. Buildings don't provide care. Strategies don't comfort families. It’s people who make the difference."
Thank you to every one of our long-serving colleagues. And a very special thank you to the King’s Oak Hotel in Epping for the complimentary use of their venue.