Ray McMurray is one of scores of colleagues to take advantage of an initiative launched by Interserve to ensure healthcare contracts are delivering for the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 47-year-old first joined Interserve a year-ago and worked on the company’s facilities management (FM) contract at Bournemouth University as a cleaner and latterly as a caretaker.
Most of the university has been temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ray took advantage of a scheme launched by Interserve’s Redeployment Team (RT) which offered him the chance to switch to the company’s FM contract at Poole Hospital.
Ray said: “I was very keen to contribute to the national effort in response to the spread of the coronavirus and so I’m pleased Interserve has given me the chance to do that by letting people temporarily transfer jobs.
“My manager told me about the opportunity at Poole Hospital. The company put trust in me, and I appreciate that.
“I know that working in a hospital is challenging at this moment in time, but I feel good that I can help and am proud to be part of this team.”
Ray was inducted and underwent the required training to equip him for work at the hospital. He is currently cleaning stairwells and public spaces from 8am to 2pm five-days-a-week.
He said: “I’ve never known a situation where people passing by where I’m cleaning are so incredibly polite and appreciative. That means a lot. We are all in this together.”
The RT was established by the company’s COVID-19 Response Committee which was launched to help staff at risk of furlough to be redeployed on Interserve’s contracts that are expanding in the healthcare and essential services sectors. The RT maps Interserve’s contracts, provides training and contacts colleagues eligible for transferring from frozen contracts to active delivery. Healthcare contracts to have benefitted from the initiative also include the London Ambulance Service (LAS).
Interserve provides services to 11 NHS hospitals, six healthcare facilities, LAS and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. Services the company delivers range from security through to cleaning, catering, maintenance and portering duties.
The 47-year-old first joined Interserve a year-ago and worked on the company’s facilities management (FM) contract at Bournemouth University as a cleaner and latterly as a caretaker.
Most of the university has been temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ray took advantage of a scheme launched by Interserve’s Redeployment Team (RT) which offered him the chance to switch to the company’s FM contract at Poole Hospital.
Ray said: “I was very keen to contribute to the national effort in response to the spread of the coronavirus and so I’m pleased Interserve has given me the chance to do that by letting people temporarily transfer jobs.
“My manager told me about the opportunity at Poole Hospital. The company put trust in me, and I appreciate that.
“I know that working in a hospital is challenging at this moment in time, but I feel good that I can help and am proud to be part of this team.”
Ray was inducted and underwent the required training to equip him for work at the hospital. He is currently cleaning stairwells and public spaces from 8am to 2pm five-days-a-week.
He said: “I’ve never known a situation where people passing by where I’m cleaning are so incredibly polite and appreciative. That means a lot. We are all in this together.”
The RT was established by the company’s COVID-19 Response Committee which was launched to help staff at risk of furlough to be redeployed on Interserve’s contracts that are expanding in the healthcare and essential services sectors. The RT maps Interserve’s contracts, provides training and contacts colleagues eligible for transferring from frozen contracts to active delivery. Healthcare contracts to have benefitted from the initiative also include the London Ambulance Service (LAS).
Interserve provides services to 11 NHS hospitals, six healthcare facilities, LAS and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. Services the company delivers range from security through to cleaning, catering, maintenance and portering duties.