ISS porter praised by patient's family for 'kindness and compassion'
A porter at Royal Derby Hospital has been described as "one of a kind" by colleagues after a patient's family praised the impact his kindness and compassion had on them during a difficult time.
Dom Attenborough helped a patient and his family on several occasions during their treatment across several wards and departments, including when they were rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite the urgency of the situation, the patient's family felt their father was in safe hands with Dom, who took the time to talk to them in a compassionate and calm way about what to expect.
Sadly, the patient's condition did not improve, and he was later moved to Ward 403 where he received end of life care. It was during this time his family once more crossed paths with Dom, who was described as being "caring, gentle, and went above and beyond" to provide comfort and reassurance to them.
The family were so moved by Dom's actions, they submitted a nomination for our Monthly Making a Difference Awards, for which Dom was selected as the winner in the Patient Hero category.
After being presented with his award by Executive Chief People Officer, Amanda Rawlings, surrounded by fellow ISS colleagues, Dom said: "This is a really proud moment for me. I have worked here for seven years and I really enjoy talking to patients, and I always try to do what I can to reassure them and help them forget for a minute that they are a patient in the hospital.
"It's nice to be recognised in this way and I am so happy that I was able to make a difference to the experience of the patient's family."
Adding further praise, Amanda Rawlings said: "I can't do your nomination justice, the feedback from this family is lovely. The way you approach things is amazing and what you did for this patient and their family, during a difficult time, has stayed with them so I cannot thank you enough on behalf of everyone at the Trust".