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Ken Miller award winner

The first ever winner of the Ken Miller Award at Addenbrooke's Hospital has been named. Don Foster, who retired from Addenbrooke's in 1996 after 20 years' service to the hospital, picked up the award at a special ceremony today (Friday 6 May).

The award recognises outstanding dedication to the Estates and Facilities team, who provide vital support 'behind the scenes' to the thousands of patients who visit the hospital every year, as well as the staff who work there.

Don Foster receives his award from Dr Mary Archer, Addenbrooke's chairman

Before his retirement, Don had a number of roles within the hospital. He joined as a porter in Nuclear Medicine, and went on to work as a Supply Distribution Porter before finally joining the Special Waste Collection Service. He is also well-known for the work he did with his late wife Margaret to support a number of charities, including the British Heart Foundation, raising over £18,000 in the last nine years. Since he retired, Don has been a regular volunteer, and continues to enjoy being in and around the wards.

Speaking about Don's contribution, Richard Howe, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: "Don has always been a dedicated and reliable employee, and was always willing to spend time ensuring staff were dealing with their jobs in the correct way and providing helpful advice."

The Ken Miller Award was set up to act as a lasting legacy to the dedication of Ken Miller, who joined Addenbrooke's as a porter in 1968. He worked his way up through the Portering department to the position of Assistant Portering Manager which he held from 1989 until he transferred to the position of Equipment Team Leader in 2003. Ken started to experience health problems in 2002 and sadly died of a heart attack in March 2004 after giving 36 years' service to the Trust.

Don Foster paid tribute to Ken Miller saying: "I started work at Addenbrooke's to earn a living; Ken lived to work at Addenbrooke's."

Don Foster's name will be added to a 'roll of honour' on display at the hospital.

Notes to editors
• The Estates and Facilities department employs around 250 people who carry out tasks as diverse as operating the busy switchboard to maintaining both clinical and office areas. Without their support transporting patients, goods, patient specimens, bottled medical gases and equipment around the hospital, changing lightbulbs, washing linen, repairing uniforms, gardening, mending beds, putting up shelves and managing cleaning, catering and security, to name only a few tasks, the hospital would grind to a halt.
• The department also deals with emergencies ranging from responding to fire alarms and dealing with security incidents, crash calls, where the call comes through switchboard and porters retrieve a resuscitation trolley, and power cuts to many other unexpected situations.

May 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.