60 seconds with Alex Ion
Assistant Service Manager, Outpatients and Diagnostics
What has the past two years meant to you professionally, personally and towards your team?
Professionally, it meant my ethical and work values have strengthened and it meant a lot of resilience, patience, compassion and learning to adapt to last minute changes. It meant losing some of my best team members, my staff being redeployed to support the NHS, having to support the redesign of a lot of services and learning to cope with constant shortage and high turnaround of staff which added pressure to the current staff members. Personally, I had to learn to adapt to new changes and challenging situations.
In what ways have the Lyndhurst Rooms recovered from the disruptions to the services since the first wave of Covid-19?
Firstly, I am happy to have my teams back working on rebuilding the services we had to close and reduce during the lockdowns; we have reinstated all face-to-face appointments including diagnostics and imaging services however, still following the Trust’s IPC guidelines. But most importantly, we have grown Lyndhurst’s capacity with extra rooms since moving to the 12th floor, which enables us to accommodate more consultants daily. Therefore, supporting towards generating revenue for PPU.
You worked through the national lockdown, supporting the NHS. When you hear about the milestones that have been achieved in the NHS through the selfless efforts and dedication from staff in caring for patients, how do you feel knowing that you contributed to that?
I see myself and my role very small compared to what the medical front liners have done and achieved throughout the pandemic. Their dedication, skills and compassion go beyond what many of us could ever be capable of. I’m just glad I could be a part of it and support in any possible way.
What kept you motivated throughout the pandemic?
I tried my best to keep the same routine as before the pandemic, I kept my workouts and gym schedule as consistent as possible and during the first lockdown I worked out at home. I also went through therapy (something that I highly recommend to every single person after the age of 18) which helped me understand myself better and learned how to work with my emotions and feelings and read lots of self-development books. I am also fortunate enough to have a supportive group of friends and colleagues so that kept me grounded.
Considering the impact of the pandemic, have you seen any changes on how you and your colleagues work as a team?
I feel the work relationships in PPU got a lot closer after the pandemic, particularly after moving to the 12th floor. I feel everyone is a little more understanding, kind and easy to approach. I feel we are all one big team now. 😊