Emergency Department Security worker at Eastbourne hospital named ‘Hero of the Month’

James Banks, Emergency Department Security at Eastbourne District General Hospital, was recently announced the winner of the Hero of the Month award.

James was nominated for the ward in recognition of his hard work, his care for patients as well as his work in the local community.

His nomination read: “We have seen a huge rise in mental health patients waiting for beds in the community, which can be a real struggle for our colleagues in the Emergency Department (ED) to manage.

“James goes above and beyond to keep the department calm and always gives patients the time of day when they are at their most vulnerable or in crisis. He recently helped a patient who was really worried because her mobile phone was not working by going to the shops, in his own time, to get the patient a new sim card with £10 credit so she could keep in contact with her family.

“The patient mentioned remained relaxed and calm due to what James did and it is really appreciated by everyone in the ED team. The security team are contractors to the NHS, but they remain a big part of our team.

“I feel they should be recognised for the work they do, not just in ED but in the trust as a whole.

"Congratulations to James and to the whole team.”