From Windrush to 2020: celebrating achievement in my family

A blog for Black History Month 2020 from a volunteer at our Trust

My grandparents who came from Jamaica on both sides were part of the Windrush generation who were asked to come to England to help rebuild the country after the Second World War.

My paternal grandfather’s brother, Revd Dr Oliver Lyseight, was the founding member of the New Testament Church of God in Wolverhampton. He was also the founding father of the Afro West Indian Council of Churches. The church first started at my grandfather’s house at Staveley Road in Wolverhampton and when uncle Lyseight died, Lyseight left a multi-million pound legacy for worldwide ministries, and he was also voted the second Great Black Briton after Mary Seacole. My great uncle started the church because when they attended the local churches they were unwelcomed and was told by the pastors ‘not to come so often’.

Both of my grandmothers worked in the NHS and my maternal grandfather worked in the woollen industry while my paternal grandfather worked in transport and later became successful in owning his own haulage company.

My mother Elaine is a retired Nurse Specialist in Orthopaedics at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

In your own words, what are your biggest achievements working with LTH NHS Trust?
I retired from my position in 2013 as a Trauma Co-ordinator in Orthopaedics and Plastics Department. I was on the risk assessment panel and was the one to introduce the safer sharps devices to prevent infections and injury to healthcare staff on the orthopaedics unit when handling
needles. I myself got a needle-stick injury and went through all the worry and procedures and wanted to keep my colleagues safe. We were one of the first hospitals to introduce this for our staff. At the time HIV was rife, and we were concerned with helping prevent staff from being infected. A medical rep came onto my ward to show us the new coverings that retracted the needles safely into a cover to prevent injury. It was expensive at the time, but proved to be cost-effective because it immensely lowered the risk of needle-stick injuries and infection that would help save lives.

What did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed organising and prioritising patients on theatre lists with the doctors on call and making sure that patients received the best care throughout their hospital stay. It was particularly rewarding seeing my patients get well again and being discharged home fully recovered.

What did you least enjoy?
Losing a patient and bed management when we were short of beds.

What are the recent accomplishments that make you feel proud and successful?
Being part of a progressive orthopaedic trauma team. At the time we had a leading spinal unit and pelvic fracture unit and received patients from far afield.

What motivated you at work?
Recognising and working on things that needed improvement and problem-solving. Overcoming the barriers that needed addressing and being part of a team that worked well together.

How can we as a Trust tackle mental health stigma in black communities?
Throughout my nursing career, I didn’t have much involvement with the mental health team, but I think if we listen, educate, look out for each other and have more black psychiatrists, psychologists, carers, and so on in the mental health team it would lessen the stigma and stress, because people with mental health difficulties would be more open to discuss their mental health with people from our own culture. I believe that education plays a large factor in lessening the stigma surrounding mental health within the black community.

Written by Andrea B,
Volunteer Trustee on the Board for Women’s Counselling Therapy Services and a Volunteer Facilitator for Leeds NHS Recovery College