One of our colleagues has received a remarkable Long Service Award for celebrating 50 years at NBT.
Karoline Rowlands joined the trust in catering management, and since then has had a long and varied career overseeing operations for a number of our services. Karoline currently supports our People and Performance teams as a Facilities Manager at Southmead Hospital.
Looking back on her time at the trust, Karoline said one of her proudest achievements was her work opening a new catering complex at Southmead in the 1990s. Despite the large operational challenge, the project went smoothly, and patients continued to receive their meals without knowing anything was different behind the scenes. Another proud achievement was gaining the prestigious Investors in People Award for all the Southmead site Facilities staff at the time of the merger in 2000.
Although there have been many significant changes over the years, Karoline says the hospitals’ beautiful grounds and her colleagues’ commitment to always putting patients first have remained constant throughout.
“What stands out for me has to be the amazing people I have worked with and come into contact with over the years. All with the same aim of directly or indirectly providing the best possible service to patients and their families.”
Karoline continued “The NHS has been good to me, and I feel proud to be able to give something back through my efforts and support to others.”
Our Chief Executive, Maria Kane, presented Karoline with her Long Service Award and personally thanked her for her exceptional contribution to the trust and for all that she continues to do.
While Karoline isn’t sure if she’ll mark 55 years at NBT, she also says “never say never!”