NHS 75 - Mum and daughter proud to be Healthcare Assistants for almost 30 years between them
Jan Drury, 60, from Leigh-on-Sea has been working as a Healthcare Assistant (HCA) at Southend Hospital for 25 years and was the first person in her family to work in the NHS. But now her daughter, Stacey, is also an HCA in another part of the hospital – a role she has enjoyed for the last four years – and Stacey’s eldest daughter is about to head to university to begin her paramedic training.
All of which has left quite the NHS legacy, with Jan remembering when her daughter first started at the hospital. She said: “Stacey used to do her shadow shifts with me, so I got to teach her everything she knows. For me that was a very nice thing to be able to do, it was a real privilege.
Stacey, 36, from Southend, said: “It was nice to have that guidance from my mum, she used to talk about her job a lot and how much she got out of it, and doesn’t everyone want to work with their mum and dad when they are little?
“At first, for me, it was a job that worked around my children, but then I realised I really enjoyed it and wanted to stay here. I’m proud our family is part of the NHS, and the main ward I work on now is a very close-knit family, everyone is so lovely. Staff are so amazing and you definitely feel really well supported as a team and individual.”
Mum, Jan, said: “I’m really proud of all that Stacey has achieved, she has done so well, and I’ve really enjoyed making a difference to patient’s lives.”