HTG-UK - Key Persons
My previous jobs were office based and I just didn't get the job satisfaction. So I spoke to my partner and decided this is what I wanted to do - to help patients and make a difference.
This role really puts life into perspective - you see how people are going through such a difficult time and you start to see how important it is to care for someone. I wish more people could see what it is to care for another human being. This job has certainly changed me and made me look at life differently and be more positive.
There was one lady who we were taking for treatment in Sheffield and she needed oxygen on the journey and I did everything I could to make sure she was comfortable. She wrote to me afterwards to say thank you and it's something I'll always remember.
This job is about much more than just booking transport for patients - you talk to people and make sure you do the best you can for them.
This is people's lives we're dealing with and I always think, what if that was my mum or sister? I would want them to have the best care possible so that's how I always approach this job.
Each day you are reassuring people, calming them and being resilient - all while you're getting the information you need to arrange their transport.
Going to hospital can be a worrying time for people - especially older people and what I like about this job is that you can make a real difference.
I've always done jobs where you talk to people and it's something I enjoy - when you are caring for someone you can have a chat about the old days and things like that - what you're really doing is making sure they are ok without having to actually ask.
I was in the Forces for 25 years but now I have a six-year-old daughter and I want to spend more time with her.
Because of my background I like challenges so when I saw they were recruiting I went for it and I get a lot of job satisfaction. You just want to do something for the patients and it is very rewarding.
When the patients find out I'm ex-Forces they love to talk about it because a lot of them were in the Forces themselves. Just talking to patients means I can pick up on any tension or anxiety they might be feeling and help them. It's really all about having compassion for others.
No patient or job is the same and it is constantly challenging you. You have to think on your feet and carry out risk assessments to make sure you're doing everything as safely and in the most caring way possible for the patients.
Recently I took a patient home as an end of life journey which is always an emotional time for the patient and their family. But it's also emotional for us as well because we're all human at the end of the day and you want to do right by the patients and their family by providing the best service possible.
The family wrote a letter to me afterwards to say thank you for the care I gave - that means so much and makes you realise how important this job is.
I was made redundant from my previous job after 12-and-a-half years in retail so when I went for this job I didn't realy know what to expect. But I love helping people and we have such a lovely group of colleagues and we all look after each other so that made it much easier for me when I first joined.