Tania Lester

Joined the Trust in 1995 as a Sister in A&E, now a Consultant Nurse.

The whole culture here is very open, and everyone gets listened to.

It doesn't matter who you are, if you have a good idea you can express it and you have the potential to influence things. I think that because the focus is very much on patients, you don't get restricted by the bureaucracy you find in some places.

Part of my job is to create new roles for nurses, with more autonomy so that eventually they'll be able to assess, diagnose and refer patients. When nurses take on more of the roles that used to be exclusive to doctors, you see a patient through the whole process of their treatment, which is much more rewarding.

And the local patients who come in here are wonderful: they're a really interesting, diverse mixture, especially with the big Asian communities. I love the East End, I think they're very special, warm people.

I think it tells you something when A&E, which has a fantastic team, keeps its senior staff for so long, which doesn't tend to happen in other London hospitals.

And I have to say, there's nothing that would make me leave this hospital.

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Q+A

Does the Trust offer any accommodation for staff? I might be interested in moving closer to work.
Most of the accommodation on offer is off-site, but it's all within 10 to 60 minutes travelling time to the hospitals. It's mainly single bed-sits in shared flats with 3-5 other members of staff.

There are also some single rooms located on our hospital sites. These are generally allocated to staff members who work unsocial hours. If you’re interested in this when you join, you can speak to the accommodation manager who can help.

After that first rent-free month to help you relocate to your new job, rents range from 370 pounds to 420 pounds per calendar month, depending on location and room size. This includes heating, lighting, water - and council tax, which can be quite steep in London, so that's a big plus. Rents are deducted from your monthly salary and there's one month advance deposit.

The off-site flats are in newly built or recently refurbished blocks located in east and north London. They’re all within easy walking distance of shops and supermarkets and many are near the local street markets.
What's the social life like?
Great. Those discounts on shows and films that get sent around encourage group visits, but we also organise nights out ourselves, and other activities in our teams. Right now, our department is organising rock-climbing sessions, and we also usually get involved in the 10km run for the London Chest Hospital. If all that sounds a bit hearty, don't worry - we're keen on parties and clubs, too!

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