QA Hospital worker retires with tears of joy after 46 years in the NHS

Steve Jones is leaving his role as a facilities manager at Queen Alexandra Hospital and has been thanked by hundreds of people for his decades of service.

Joining the NHS as an apprentice chef in 1974, Steve worked in Portsmouth Royal Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital before joining QA – and he has now received more than a 140 thank you messages from people he has helped across his career.

The 63-year-old said: ‘I must have done a good job, mustn’t I?

‘I feel very humble – there’s comments from patients from when I was a chef, messages from dieticians I have worked with, even a former chief executive of QA.

‘I’m very proud of the work I’ve done.

‘After I came home from my last day, I cried my eyes out.’

READ MORE: Controversial bike lane in Portsmouth scrapped after 'farcical' three-week trial

Steve say he feels ‘very spoiled’ with his retirement gifts from colleagues, which include a letter from West Ham captain Mark Noble who delighted The Hammers supporter with his note.

Other gifts include an inflatable Mr Blobby as a nod to his appearance on the BBC TV show Noel’s House Party in the late 1990s.

The Havant resident said: ‘I have woken up every morning and wanted to come to work – it’s always been lots of fun, lots of teamwork.

‘I try to be a happy-go-lucky guy to work with.

‘I have really enjoyed my career.’

READ NEXT: Minnie-Mo Hunt found not guilty of intending to land a serious blow on victim

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust thanked Steve with a message on its Facebook page that said: ‘Steve is a very engaging personality well known to many and liked by all.

‘During his time at the trust, his giving nature has been manifested in many ways, including sponsored bike rides raising many thousands of pounds for the neonatal unit, organising Christmas events and raffles, parties for staff, special meals and cakes for patients, and the list goes on.’

Having a last day in the middle of a pandemic was a ‘surreal’ experience, but it reinforced the importance of the work undertaken by NHS staff, Steve said.

He said: ‘I think NHS doesn’t get the credit it deserves.

‘It’s a really massive team effort. People have stood up.’

The retiree now plans to enjoy spending more time with his wife, two children, and four grandchildren – and continuing his hobby of visiting every JD Wetherspoon pub in the UK.

He added: ‘I have a fascination with the buildings. I have visited 70 already – of course, (including) all the the ones in Portsmouth.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as fewer adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

For Black Friday we’ve slashed the cost of a new subscription by 30 per cent - so you can get unlimited access to our coverage for as little as £1.40 a month.