My story – Barney Pitt

Barney Pitt has been at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital for over seven years – working as an Anaesthetic nurse as well as being the Bone and Tissue Bank lead.

Now 51 years of age, he has nursed in a variety of settings, but says he has seen nothing to compare to the positive experience he has had at RJAH.

“Because we’re a specialist hospital we aim to deliver the best possible patient experience,” says Barney.

“I’ve worked in other places and I’ve never been anywhere quite like this. I would say that it is the best NHS hospital to work at in the UK.

“We’re not affected by the pressures of emergency care and that gives us extra time to care and it makes a visible difference.

“I speak to lots of patients and so often they tell me how much they like coming here and that they were proud to be referred here, or specifically asked to be referred here even though they come from outside of our usual catchment area.”

Barney also says he was well supported to adapt and learn when he first came to Oswestry to take on what was a new role in his career journey. Initially working in Recovery, he was then supported to retrain and develop to become an Anaesthetic Nurse.

“I had no Theatre experience at all when I came here,” he explains. “People tend to think it is going to be a bit daunting, but everyone helps you and gets you through those first few weeks.

“During my orientation I received a lot of support and was assisted to learn as part of a team in the theatre environment. That is the same for everyone new who comes through the doors, we were all the same when we first started.

“I’ve never regretted it for a second. It was one of the best professional decisions I ever took. My work life balance is the best it has ever been in almost a quarter of a century.

“Becoming the Tissue Bank lead has been fantastic and it now takes up half my weekly work,” he adds. “We harvest tissue from consenting patients and keep it to use as needed in more severe procedures. That might be for a child’s spinal operation, for example, or for a revision knee procedure.

“I’m fully autonomous and am given the scope to be able to improve the service and make a difference. I was the deputy for four years and I’ve led for about a year now. It just shows that there are opportunities here to develop and follow your interests.”