Degree joy for Stuart and Brian

Inverclyde Royal Hospital’s Estates team are celebrating after two dedicated members of staff achieved degrees in building services.

Stuart McCready, Estates Officer, completed his honours degree in Building Services Engineering, achieving a first class grade, while his colleague Brian Droy, Technical Officer, completed his degree in Building Surveying.

Both were supported to complete their qualifications through a bursary programme, which allows staff within the NHS to learn and up-skill with courses relevant to their field of work.

Stuart said: “The support is massive here, the team really do all work together and will always pick up slack for each other. There is a real team spirit, so many of the team are local, they all just care a lot as it’s their local hospital. We were all born here, or in and around this area, and we have all had circumstances where the hospital has played a part in our lives outside of work, so it’s important to us.

“It was a lot of work, between that, work and family life. I maybe didn’t fully realise just how much it would take at the time, but I think you’ve got to get as much out of these things by going all in. I think that’s the only way you can do it.

“I have been here about three and a half years in this role, I actually started with the estates team 12 years ago, started as an electrician and progressed through the ranks. I went to the laundry as a supervisor then over to the QEUH as a duty manager, then I managed to get a post back here, closer to home.

“I would like to progress, I would like my career to moving but it has to be right. I’m not one of these guys who is solely career focused, my family is very important to me. So I would like to progress but it has to be the right thing. My immediate plan is to stay where I am and keep learning in my job.”

Stuart is another example of how NHSGGC encourages staff to progress and develop, during his 12 years with the organisation he has rarely not been studying to further enhance his skills.

He said: “I have been very lucky. I’ve been here for 12 years and for seven of those I have been at college or university to some description and not a lot of outside industry will be able to offer that. I have also been able to do an HNC in electrical engineering, then did an EBOSH health and safety course.

“I put a lot of work into getting my honours degree, and was given so much support to be able to do that. From my class at uni, there were six of us from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who completed the course, four of us got first class honours and the other two got 2:1s, so that speaks volumes about the employer and as an organisation.

“Certain environments work better for people to learn. Our job doesn’t lend itself to just learning about it, you need that work experience to do it too.”

Brian started his four year degree course before joining the IRH team, completing the first year while working at Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary. While he admits the course was a big undertaking, he was delighted to have been given the opportunity by NHSGGC and praised his team for the support they have given him.

He said: “I was still a technical clerk at the GRI and the opportunity to do this came up. I jumped at the chance, it’s an amazing opportunity where the NHS essentially pays and enables me to do this. It’s good for the organisation too because it expands my abilities, so it’s a win-win.

“The first year was at the GRI before I moved here to the IRH. The team have been so supportive, our manager made it very clear that this was important and that I should take the time to achieve it, it was very supportive.

“For me this was a chance to get a degree, which can be important if you’re looking to progress, which is a factor for me. For myself it was done to pursue a promoted position, which I was ultimately able to get.”

Ross Campbell, Operational Estates Site Manager at the IRH, said: “On behalf of the entire Estates team, and wider IRH team, I would like to say a huge congratulations to both Stuart and Brian.

“From the very start of their courses, they have shown an incredible level of dedication and to be able to achieve a degree and a first class honours degree while managing their work and home life balance is a terrific achievement. The team here at the IRH are passionate about giving everyone the chance to progress and learn more skills, which benefit the organisation and the individuals too. We’re all very proud of Stuart and Brian and are lucky to have them as part of this exceptional team.”