"It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you all"
Heather Noble reflects on her time as medical director for Whipps Cross Hospital.
"I arrived as a stranger almost seven years ago, and as I leave I am overwhelmed by emotions - excitement at moving to a new adventure, sadness at leaving, pride for what we have achieved together and gratitude for the privilege of being part of the amazing and inspiring Whipps Cross family.
I am going to miss the way the light falls through the graceful and history-soaked buildings, the walks along the corridor filled with smiles and waves, the sounds of rattling porter cages during the day and the hospital radio playing late at night. I will also miss the anxiety and anticipation when we are approaching a crisis and the relief and satisfaction when we have mastered it. I love the way we support each other when the going gets tough. These are memories I will treasure.
Most of all I will miss the people and the culture. The first thing I noticed when I joined Whipps was the way diversity and individuality was embraced - individuals expressing themselves with decidedly non-corporate hairstyles, clothing and manners of speech, neurodiverse colleagues working as valued members of teams, and initiatives that I considered quirky embraced and fostered. That tolerance and empathy is why working here feels so much like a family. We’ve all learned over the past years how important this is for wellbeing and trust and, although things are not perfect and there is a huge amount still to do to improve diversity and inclusion, the culture of supporting individuals to thrive at Whipps Cross is a strong base for the improvements yet to come.
The second thing I noticed about Whipps Cross was its creativity. Paintings by former staff on the walls, strings of lights made out of medicine vials, astonishing creations in the entrance to Acorn ward, spooky Halloween displays in the site office, songs written and sung in team meetings, fantastical cakes in baking competitions - they all make the days richer and lighter. These tangible creations are matched by lots of creative ideas to fix problems or improve on something that’s already good. The buzz in a room where a team is working creatively together is spine-tingling.
I am so proud of the way that we all work together to lead at Whipps Cross. I see colleagues of all professions and at all levels coming up with improvement ideas, listening to each other and supporting each other to make change happen. There’s so much to look forward to and I’m certain that you are going to make the most of every opportunity you have to learn, grow and improve. You will probably do it with a cheeky smile and a wink, plus a reassuring arm around the shoulder. I’ll be cheering you on. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work with you all - thank you."
Heather Noble
Medical Director