Sarah Rose is the deputy operations manager for the outpatients service. She joined CUH in 2003 after personal experience made her want to join the NHS. Here Sarah tells us more about the last 20 years at CUH and how she has climbed the career ladder here.
What is your name and your role in our hospitals?
Sarah Rose, Deputy Operations Manager in Outpatients Service.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I really enjoy managing and interacting with a large team who are all making such a difference to the patient’s journey.
Tell us a bit about your CUH journey.
I worked for HSBC for 17 years before I came to CUH. Due to personal experience of both my mother and daughter being in hospital and the wonderful care that they received, I decided I wanted to work in the NHS.
I joined CUH in November 2003 and started as a receptionist in the emergency department (ED). Since then I have progressed through a number of roles here including: ward clerk, staff bank administrator, medical secretary, clinic team leader, deputy appointment centre manager, appointment centre manager and now deputy operations manager.
Why you like working at CUH?
I have seen how CUH can make such a difference to a patient’s experience on both a professional and personal level.
Having the opportunity to work in many different departments through my career has made my experience both enjoyable and very interesting.
What does a usual day look like for you?
I review my diary in the morning as I usually have a packed day with meetings which I could attend in person or over teams. I oversee two large booking teams and therefore I touch base with my colleagues to see if there are any urgent issues I need to be aware of before I start my day. I will often visit some of the clinic areas to check in with the teams which I do enjoy. My email communication is always really busy or my teams chat which I monitor throughout my day. There may be other areas that I need to oversee due to colleagues being on annual leave. My days are often productive and go by very quickly.
Tell us about a case study/experience at CUH that really stands out to you.
During the pandemic we needed to act very quickly to ensure that we maintained social distancing to help keep our staff safe. In a very quick period we soon had members of our booking teams working from home with all of the necessary IT access. This enabled us to continue to book patient appointments whilst also adhering to safe working. This has completely changed the way we work and offers flexibility to our staff.
What is the most notable thing that has changed at CUH in your time working here?
The sheer size of the hospital campus, when I started at CUH it looked very different. I am amazed as to how much opportunity there is for staff to progress and how much the services have grown to meet our patient’s needs.
What is the most notable thing that has changed in your profession/career in the years you’ve been working here?
I have progressed through many bands and roles within CUH. I can really say I know what it’s like to work my way up the career ladder and I am always so grateful for the opportunities that I have been given along the way.