I've been in A&E for 45 years!
The history of Ealing Hospital will be the subject of an exhibition in the hospital’s Galleria space this autumn to coincide with its 45th birthday
We meet one member of staff who has worked there since it opened in 1979.
The first person to have greeted you at Ealing Hospital would have been Jenny Ashe who started work as a part-time receptionist on the weekend before the hospital admitted its first patient in 1979.
“My first task was to go to A&E and copy the admissions into a big book. I’d take that back to reception and use it to direct visitors asking about people being treated in the hospital.
“There were no computers in those days. It was all pen and paper.
“I enjoyed working at the hospital so much that when I got a full-time job with an electronics firm, I still did my weekend shifts at Ealing.”
“I later moved to A&E as a front desk receptionist and am still working in the department as a medical secretary 45 years later.”
Front-of-house triage nurses didn’t exist back in the day and Jenny would take patients’ details and direct them to wait in the blue line for minor ailments or the red line for chest and head pains.
She used her initiative to jump the queue on more than one occasion including carrying a baby to resus and rushing outside to check on a young man slumped semi-unconscious in a car before calling for medical help.
“I did consider retraining as a nurse for a while but with three young children felt I had left it too late.
However, one of my colleagues in reception did take the plunge and join the profession which was brilliant.”
“Ealing has always been such a friendly place to work. I have so many happy memories here and it is nice to know you work somewhere that makes a difference.”
“I’m part-time again now but haven’t even thought about retirement.”