Sue's 40-year service to healthcare recognised with inaugural award

PICTURED: Sue Jones has been a key figure in Neath Port Talbot Hospital since it was opened in 2002.

Sue Jones was there at the start when Neath Port Talbot Hospital was built in 2002 – the last NHS Wales hospital to be funded by a Private Finance Initiative.

Now 24 years later, she is leading the team overseeing a smooth transition as the hospital’s PFI begins to near its natural end in 2030.

As head of the PFI Expiry Team, Sue is integral to negotiations following changes in maintenance provision, working with the PFI company to develop protocols and continuity planning.

PFI funding deals were used to fund over 100 NHS hospital building schemes across the UK from the early 1990s but peaking between 1997 and 2003, with Neath Port Talbot one of the last.

PICTURED: Sue was part of Neath Port Talbot Hospital's 21st anniversary celebrations.

Sue’s efforts in running the hospital over the last two decades has not gone unnoticed, winning her an inaugural award at a conference for organisations and individuals engaged in public-private partnerships.

She has been named as the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award (Public Sector) at the national Operational Public and Private Partnerships Awards.

Des Keighan, Swansea Bay’s Assistant Director of Commercial and Contract Management, PFI Hand Back, Commercial and Decarbonisation, works closely with Sue and nominated her for the award.

Her clinical background, he says, has been instrumental behind her compassionate and knowledgeable approach to running a hospital.

Des said: “Sue is known for her integrity and caring nature and her excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

“She is the personification of what a public servant should be - she is a nurse by training and it's part of her DNA that she always puts the patient first.

“Everyone who knows her are well aware of her quiet, caring way of working.

“As part of her Hospital Operations Site Manager role, she ensured the smooth day-to-day running of the hospital.

PICTURED: Sue helped plan the layout of certain services when the hospital was built in 2002.

“Sue oversaw the daily operations of the hospital across all disciplines, ensuring services were run efficiently and effectively. Sue oversaw service delivery which ensured the designated services within the division were delivered effectively while maintaining high standards of care and support.

“She has led the development of policies across all operational areas which was more challenging due to the PFI management agreements.

“Her knowledge, experience and clinical background have all played a massive part in helping the hospital run effectively and plan for the future, and her award is recognition of that.”

Throughout a 40-year healthcare career, Sue has been there and done it.

Since beginning her nurse training on February 10, 1986, Sue has progressed from student nurse to staff nurse with future roles as senior staff nurse and sister.

Her years of clinical experience and leadership positions combined perfectly in helping services and departments move into the newly-built Neath Port Hospital in 2002, where she took on the role of Operations Site Manager.

From moving and running a new hospital to the Covid pandemic and daily emergency planning – it has been a career that has been full of challenges.

Sue said: “The last 40 years have really flown by and it’s interesting to reflect on how different the health industry is now compared to the day I started my nurse training.

“From when I started in the hospitals in Neath and Port Talbot, working in healthcare is something I’ve loved as it’s been a chance to look after our community.

“My clinical experience has helped me in latter roles in management, particularly in the move to Neath Port Talbot Hospital as I planned the layout of certain services and departments, which was an exciting challenge in itself.

PICTURED: Sue was named the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award (Public Sector) at the national Operational Public and Private Partnerships Awards.

“But in terms of challenges, I don’t think anything comes close to what we encountered with Covid because it was something that we had not experienced before.

“In terms of the scale of what we faced, I loved it. It was the challenge of my career.

“It just thinking on your feet, it was dynamic, and it was an opportunity to protect our staff, patients and community. 

“It was obviously very, very difficult because how do you prepare for something when you don’t entirely know what it is. The only thing that we could discuss was this is an infection but how do we manage infections? How do we keep patients and staff and visitors safe if we've got infections? That’s why I’m so glad I had my clinical background and expertise to help form our approach.

“That time brought out the best in certain people because they thrive in a situation like that.

“Many things had to change to adapt to the pandemic, but we've now managed to revert back to the old way in many clinical procedures and systems.

“Leading a team through that and moving to a new hospital is something you will likely get once a career, and it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Officially opened in 2003 by then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, Neath Port Talbot Hospital became the first PFI hospital built in Wales, and was desperately needed to replace the aging Neath and Port Talbot general hospitals in order to deliver the modern health care the public deserved.

It has become the health board’s Centre of Excellence for Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgery, holds a Minor Injury Unit and hosts a Birth Centre amongst its services.

As well as ensuring the site has run smoothly, Sue’s role as Hospital Operations Site Manager included health and safety, emergency planning and patient flow along with organising events such as memorials and seasonal occasion.

Sue said: “No one day was the same. Operational Management is certainly not boring. You’d have things pencilled in for 9am in your diary but when you reflected on that at 5pm you will have dealt with completely different matters.

“It was very much a reactive role in many aspects, but one that I really enjoyed.”