Good luck and farewell to Mark Robertson

After an incredible 30 years working for the Trust, we now say goodbye and thank you to Mark Robertson, Ward Manager at our Rehab and Recovery Inpatient Services.

Here are some words from the man himself on his imminent retirement.

It dawned on me last week that in view of my retirement there will be some staff throughout the Trust who I will sadly not have the opportunity to see or speak to.  So I would like to take this opportunity to say goodbye and wish you all the very best for the future months and years.

I formally retire on 13th December 2020 and I did not want to leave without contacting as many staff as possible, as I wanted to express my gratitude to all of you who I have had the pleasure of working with.

There are many of you who have known me for a while, some for longer, and some for even longer than that!

I began my NHS career at Stanley Royd in 1985 as an auxiliary nurse, which was convenient as my parents lived opposite the hospital!  I then trained from 1986 and qualified in 1989 as an RMN.

I joined the Trust in 1990 and was involved in relocating 20 service users from Stanley Royd in Wakefield, which closed in 1994, to a brand new, purpose-built development called Peel Court , eventually moving to Avenue Hill in the late 90’s.

I left the NHS to work for BUPA in 1999. This was a bad mistake and I returned to the NHS just 6 months later working in the treatment unit on Roundhay wing (which is now a car park!) at St James University Hospital.  This was the case for 14 years, during which time the Treatment Unit’s service provision was increased significantly.  I was successful in securing the H Grade post and managed the unit for 9 of those 14 years.  This included relocating the Service to The Becklin centre in 2003.

However in late 2011 when the service was re-distributed my post was at risk, so I took a CTM post in Rehab and Recovery at Millside in 2012.  This service was re-aligned, modified and streamlined in 2013-14, to what is now the R&R In-Patient Service and Recovery Centre at Asket.

As you can imagine after 35 ½ years in the NHS and 30 years in this trust there are many colleagues, past and present, who I have had the pleasure of a working both with and for.  It’s incredible how many names, faces and situations one recalls when pondering a career passed.

I want you to know that there have been very few occasions when I have not enjoyed attending work, and this was mostly because I was fortunate to always be part of a good team.

Even now, during these incredible times I still feel energised and positive about coming to work.  However my wife and I have a list as long as your arm to attend to, so I must take a bow and leave you all to it.

I’ve got a great list of things to do, from visiting lots of different countries and watching a live rocket launch to attending a football match.  Just so you know I’ll be busy!  We’re also planning on moving to Spain at some point, but we need to travel first covid willing!

I’d like to convey my thanks to you all for providing a stable, supportive and committed team.  You have given me the opportunity to leave a long career feeling and believing that I have managed my post to the best of my ability, and have been involved in the shaping  of a brilliant Service during troubled and challenging economic times.

Once again thank you!

Nigel Whelan, Operational Manager said “Mark has been a constant positive influence within the trust over the last 35 years and laterally as I have known him as a Colleague and as his Manager at Askets over the last 7 years.  I will miss his upbeat attitude and good natured presence.  Good Luck for all you do in the future Mark!”