'Love Admin' is an annual campaign which celebrates administrative and clerical staff at Guy's and St' Thomas. We spoke to Jenna Galloway, a member of the adult cystic fibrosis team at Royal Brompton Hospital, who was the winner of the 'Everyday Excellence Award' in the 2023 Love Admin Awards.
How long have you worked at the Trust?
I’ve been in the NHS for 8 years and have been working at the Trust for 3 years. I initially worked in the paediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) team for a year before moving to my current role in the adult CF team.
What does your role consist of?
My role consists of a mixture of everything as I really like to learn and help out in any way I can, but it is mostly about organisation. On days we have clinics, my role involves double-checking the clinic list and ensuring everything is in order. When clinics are face-to-face, I liaise with the outpatients team, make sure that everyone is where they need to be and that patients know where to go.
As a digital coordinator, I support patients with their use of digital equipment, especially now that we provide patients with self-monitoring equipment and often carry out virtual appointments. Digital health is up and coming, so I also work closely with other colleagues to elevate our digital platforms and make things more user-friendly.
When it comes to contributing to CF research, a part of my role entails inputting data on the national CF registry – a database containing health data of all consenting people with CF across the country – and looking through our clinic lists to see which patients may be eligible for certain studies.
What is your favourite part of your role?
Definitely the face-to-face clinics! While it can also be the hardest part since it involves lots of coordination, I love how I am always on my feet and get the opportunity to speak with patients.
How did it feel to win a Love Admin award last year?
It was a surprise to be nominated – I didn’t expect it at all! Winning an award made me feel incredibly grateful and privileged to work with such a lovely team of people.
Why do you think you were nominated for the award?
I don’t think I do anything above and beyond, but I think being intuitive and helping others as best as I can have contributed to me being nominated for the award.
What is your proudest moment working at the Trust?
I would say that winning a Love Admin award was one of my proudest moments, as it was my first time winning an award at work.
How important do you think administrative and clerical staff are at the Trust?
I think they’re the most important part of any healthcare setting. We organise the chaos and without us, other teams wouldn’t be able to function as efficiently. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how integral admin and clerical teams are to other teams in the hospital, so getting this recognition is really important.