Meet the UECC team

Alex Polding, ST5 Specialty Trainee in Emergency Medicine has been part of the team at Scarborough Hospital since September.

Alex is currently working in the Emergency Department as they gear up for the move to the new build. He is in his fifth year of specialty training, having worked in Hull, and in ITU/anaesthetics in Scarborough previously.

He appreciates the diverse experience gained in the emergency department but is particularly excited about the potential improvements offered by the new building.

"The larger space will significantly enhance patient flow, allowing us to deliver a higher level of care tailored to each individual case," Alex explained.

"The move to the new UECC will also facilitate easier movement of equipment throughout the department and will bring various specialties together under one roof.

“The current facilities are quite limited, so this change will make a substantial difference, not only to patient care but also to staff wellbeing."

 For Andrew Cowan, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, no day is the same, which is an element of the job he loves.

Andrew is currently studying for a master’s degree in Advanced Clinical Practice at York University and is aiming to qualify later this year.

In the Emergency Department, Andrew is often one of the first medics to assess patients arriving by ambulance. He is particularly looking forward to the opening of the new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre (UECC), believing it will make a real difference for both staff and patients.

“I enjoy working in Scarborough because of the varied population we serve,” he said.

“It’s also a seasonal hospital, with many tourists visiting during the summer, and we experience winter pressures due to an ageing local population.”

Since beginning his NHS career as a nurse, Andrew has worked in hospitals across the UK. Reflecting on the new UECC, he said, “It reminds me of the hospital in Cardiff, where each area had a specific purpose. It’s a fantastic environment to start my career. The move is really motivating us as a team — we’re all excited. It’s going to be great for our patients too; it’s a much nicer environment where they’ll feel safe and relaxed.”

Chloe Mason is a Senior Sister who will be working in the UECC. Chloe has been preparing her 50-plus staff for the transfer process from the former emergency department into the impressive £47 million facility.

Her clinical team, made up of nurses and healthcare workers, are “looking forward and are tremendously excited” to work in the award-winning build.

The new UECC will see 10 new staff start in her unit, with several new registered nurses beginning their NHS careers in the new build.

“It’s a big change, it’s a huge building, so we are all getting used to the layout. It’s like a new house move, there’s lots to think of. As the opening gets closer, I am working hard to ensure patients are moved over safely, along with medication and equipment. All the staff are looking forward to treating patients and welcoming the community.”

Jaydene Louth is a Paediatric Healthcare Assistant and has been working hard to ensure the consumable store area of the new UECC is fully stocked for opening.

Jaydene said she is "very excited" to start working in the modern building.

"It's giving me Holby City vibes, it's wonderful! It's so crisp and clean, everything is so fresh... it really hits you. It's going to be wonderful for the community and the emergency team.

"We've got a great team spirit here and the new build is enhancing that element as we get everything ready together.

"I'm currently on a phased return as I have had a couple of heart procedures, but it didn't stop me from coming back to stock up the new UECC, assisting the housekeeping team. I've been given one of the best jobs organising the stores and making sure we have all the essentials, including tea and biscuits of course!"

Many patients at our new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre will require a visit to the new Imaging Department.

The team, who have been busy with their additional digital radiography training, are looking forward to providing diagnostics in the new X-ray area.

The new area will strengthen the resilience of our emergency service out-of-hours and advances in technology will improve patient flow.

Radiographer Vibhuty Arya (second left) said, "I'm looking forward to helping patients here in the new UECC. I'm a tech enthusiast, and the new rooms and equipment are great.

"The new art vistas in the spacious rooms, such as the woodland scene in this room, are lovely to look at and will help patients relax - having an X-ray can be quite nerve-wracking for some."

Gary Adamson, Digital Project Improvement Manager, has led the Y&S Digital Teams through the building of the new UECC, keeping everything on track and making sure deadlines were met. His leadership has been vital, but Gary says he’s “really grateful to the whole team for their hard work, support, and teamwork throughout.

“A fully functioning hospital starts with having the right equipment in place, delivered on time and set up properly. Then we need a secure network – including Wi-Fi – to connect everything to the rest of the hospital.”

Over the past eight months, the End User Compute team has worked quietly but tirelessly behind the scenes, installing and setting up more than 250 new PCs and accessories. They’ve also met a wide range of IT needs – from phones and system updates to monitor connections, security systems, and radiology equipment.

“With this new technology, the UECC will support both staff and patients,” Gary says. “It’s also a big step towards moving from paper to digital, making patient care easier to manage and track.

“This has been the biggest and most complex hospital project I’ve worked on, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see staff so pleased with their new workspaces and tools. It’s all helping us move closer to our shared goal – better care for our patients.” Next up is the rollout of our new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system – another key milestone in our digital journey, with the UECC once again leading the way.

In his 22 years at the Trust, Gary Procter, Domestic Assistant, says the new UECC build is 'the most impressive' he has seen to date.

Gary has been preparing the UECC for opening day by helping with the clean-up effort and getting clinical areas ready for staff and patients.

"All the domestic team have worked very hard behind the scenes to get the building ready. The building is vast, it's going to take some looking after, but we have all pulled together to help.

"We are, after all, here in Yorkshire, the home of being kindhearted and where we look after each other."

Supporting the UECC’s patients back to health will be the dedicated team of Healthcare Support Workers at Scarborough.

The close-knit team are looking forward to working in the new build, even though they have wonderful memories of working in the existing area.

Shaun Dunwell, who has worked at our Trust for over 20 years, said he was “excited” about the move to the new £47 million build.

Three years ago, Shaun decided he wanted to become a Healthcare Support Worker after previously working as a porter. He said the team are counting down to the big day.

“It’s going to be wonderful for us, we all get on very well, we are a small community here – we’ll miss the element of being close together though and it might take us awhile to get use to the new build – it’s so big!”

Pictured L-R: Sara Hogg, Helen Shepherd, Gemma Salt, Corrine Hardie, Jen Harford, Penny Furness, Tracey Humphrey, Levi Tapper, and Marianne Stephens.

As a sister in the Emergency Department (ED), Melissa Jenkinson has been closely involved in the development of the UECC’s emergency care services and facilities for patients and their families.

As someone who will shortly be working in the new UECC ED, Melissa was able to have her say on what she wanted to see in the new department: both for her colleagues, and for patients.

“I first became involved in conversations about the UECC in 2019, and since then I have been living and breathing it. Like my ED colleagues, I have been asked for my input on all aspects of the design and facilities, right down to small but very important details.

“For example, I have been involved in how the staff areas such as changing rooms and staff rooms will look, right down to the colour of the chairs. The staff room is really important, because in the ED we are a family, and we like to take time out together, somewhere that is quiet where we can switch off for half an hour. We’re also looking forward to having the outside garden space, which will be a lovely place for colleagues and patients alike to spend time when it’s summer!

“Most importantly, a huge amount of careful thought has gone in to improving the ED journey for patients. For example, we thought about what changes we could make to the children’s waiting area. In the old ED, there was nothing to do but wait, and the space was very small. The new children’s waiting area has interactive artwork on the walls, daily crafting and colouring activities giving children something to do, and sensory boxes to play with. The space has aa completely different feeling, which is better for children and their parents.”

Dr Ndekwu is our Trust’s Medical Lead for Urgent Care.mHe is counting down to the opening and looking forward to working in our new UECC.

Since 2009, Dr Ndekwu has worked with the Trust in various roles and is currently responsible for ensuring all the GPs working within the urgent treatment centres across the Trust sites look after all our patients effectively.

As a clinical supervisor, he also manages and trains junior doctors and coordinates with our healthcare partner, Nimbuscare.

“My career started abroad in Nigeria, when I became a doctor just over 22 years ago, working across surgical and medical specialties, before settling into general practice in 2011 here in North Yorkshire.”

He added: “The new UECC is such a nice environment for patients, for me the element that strikes me the most is that we will all be in one place. It’s going to make the flow of the hospital work so much better, everyone will all be working on the same floor. There’s a lot of excitement being generated about the potential and our patients are going to love it and I’m looking forward to it.”

Rachel Wilson, a Staff Nurse, is looking forward to her patients seeing the new Urgent and Emergency Care Centre on its opening.

“I can’t wait to hear what the patients have to say about the new facility. Hearing patient feedback is one of my favourite elements of the job!

“It will be great to show off our new building. A lot of people have worked very hard on the project for such a long time. Feedback always praises our department’s services and how we can improve, so I can’t wait to see what they have to say about this lovely building. It’s fantastic news for Scarborough.”

Rachel and her colleagues regularly receive good feedback from PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) about their interaction with patients.

“Personally, I think Short Stay is the best unit in the hospital to work in. I love interacting with patients and we have a great team. It’s very interesting and we see a variety of people with a whole range of medical problems.”

Rachel’s career is a Trust success story. She worked her way up from healthcare assistant to clinical support worker. She then secured an apprenticeship to work as a nursing associate while also attending university once a week.

“It’s wonderful – the building is new and fresh. I am looking forward to new opportunities and new challenges.”

Sue Friend began volunteering at Scarborough Hospital in March 2024, after moving to the town following her retirement from a career in NHS management.

“As I was new to the area, I felt that volunteering at my local hospital would be a great way to meet people, but also to give something positive back after many years working in the NHS. It was an ideal opportunity.

“I will be volunteering in the UECC when it opens. At the moment, I am volunteering in the current Emergency Department to get experience of being in an emergency and acute care setting.

“What’s wonderful is being able to see the UECC build taking shape and evolving. When I went joined a guided tour inside earlier this year, I was struck by how bright, modern, and spacious it felt. I know it will be very different when it’s open, but I feel that it will be a very friendly place to be when it is busy looking after our patients.

"I am really looking forwards to welcoming patients, and helping visitors to orientate themselves and find what they need. And to showing if off a bit, I suppose!"

Zoe is eagerly anticipating the transition to the £47 million flagship project. Over 200 staff members, ranging from registered nurses to healthcare assistants, are under Zoe's leadership and are all eagerly counting down to the move.

Having qualified as a nurse in 2004, Zoe refers to her latest role in the Trust as “a gift”, as she will be responsible for overseeing all nursing staff on the ground floor of the new two-storey hospital.

"I truly value the team here; they’re like an extended family to me," Zoe explained.

"When they have something to celebrate, I share in their joy, and when they face challenges, I feel it too. When I’m on an early shift I always attend ED to check in with the night team.  If they need support or guidance, I’m there for them."

Zoe, who has worked in various wards before landing her role as Matron during the pandemic, also noted the strong camaraderie within the department.

"What’s so special about working here is the genuine teamwork between nurses and doctors. It’s the team dynamic that keeps me motivated."

Zoe and her team have meticulously planned the move to the new UECC to ensure that the right skill set is in place to care for patients from day one.

"We’re all incredibly excited," she said. "The feedback I’m receiving is overwhelmingly positive; staff feel appreciated and invested in the new building. The new facilities, including an expanded changing room, break room, and even an outdoor space, have been particularly well-received."

 In preparation for the opening of the new UECC, Zoe Lang, Intensive Care Clinical Educator, has helped write and take part in simulations.

“These have been a great way to test the environment, patient flow, and how people move around the space. I’ve also been leading on plans for the new paediatric stabilisation room in our future critical care unit. That’s included helping to develop new standard operating procedures, making sure we have the right equipment, and planning how the space will be used.

“The new build is going to be something really special - it’s been designed from the ground up to function as an intensive care unit, and it’s completely fit for purpose. There’s much more space around each bed now, which means nurses will have the room they need to work, and there’ll be space for all the equipment, like ventilators and dialysis machines, plus somewhere for families to sit when they visit.

“We’ll have more bed spaces too, and the space will be used for in-situ simulation training, which is a brilliant opportunity for education. There’ll also be plenty of storage, which means we can access the right kit quickly to provide both acute care and rehabilitation.

“I’m really looking forward to the new ways of working - especially working more closely with enhanced care and critical care teams and seeing how this improves the journey for our patients. I’m also excited about the new family area, which will help us support patients’ loved ones better, and the terraced outdoor space - it will give us the chance to offer rehabilitation and end of life care outside, in the fresh air and sunshine.”