Chris Heape

Chris Heape was born in Paddington, London in 1947.

Chris talks about how he became interested in being a radiographer, recalling that he was allowed to sit in on radiography work in Torbay Hospital, and encouraged to take his interest further, culminating in a degree course in Plymouth.

Chris talks about his first job as a locum in Torbay hospital progressing to a job in Brighton. He talks about his memories from the late 1990s, when he started at Royal Sussex County Hospital. He remembers being both on rota and on call, sometimes working 17-hour shifts where he slept in the hospital. X-rays could take from five to 30 minutes depending on the examination. He recalls one operation that went on all day and involved three radiographers.

When he started ‘wet processing’ X-rays were in use, which was followed by replacement with digital radiography, which Chris loved; he talks about how images could now be ‘altered’ and transferred (sometimes abroad) for diagnosis and meant that lower X-ray does could be used.

He recalls his experience as a patient, when he needed double bypass surgery, and says he could not fault the treatment he received.

Recorded on 10/10/2019 in Brighton, UK.

Andrea Finch

Andrea Finch was born in Malden, Essex in 1972.

Andrea talks of the three years she spent working in the Records Department (primarily within the Medical Secretary’s Office and Cardiac Department) of the Royal Sussex County Hospital Out-Patients Department.

She also touches on her experiences as a patient and as a relative of patients who have attended both the Royal Sussex County Hospital and the Princess Royal Hospital. She enjoyed her time in her job despite the hierarchy, lack of recognition and low salary.

Recorded on 27/08/2019 in Brighton, UK.

Daniel Locke

Daniel talks about his career, about his interest in engaging with patients and staff of the hospital, and more widely in his work, with scientists, to stimulate work he makes and communicate that work.

He recalls being a patient in A&E in 2019, suffering from a severe allergic reaction following being stung by a wasp. He talks about being monitored for four hours for anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal. He was treated with antihistamines and steroids, and has to now carry an epi pen. The experience has made him appreciate how important the hospital is and says how grateful he feels for it.

Daniel talks more about his experience of making the Crucible mural, speaking to staff and patients about their experiences, including the great storm in 1987, childbirth and the deaths of loved ones.

He speaks about how he feels the hospital is the history of Brighton as well. And finds it difficult to decide what should and shouldn’t be included in the mural.

Recorded on 11/12/2019 in Brighton, UK.

Glenys Horton

Glenys Myfanwy Horton was born in Birmingham in 1958. She decided to study nursing, following in the footsteps of her best friend.

Glenys begins by talking about her early life, her home life, then about the training as a nurse, which she felt when she trained was very practical compared to academic training today.

She talks about her recent experience of being a patient, following major surgery. She recalls her training days, exams, the quality of the training and her early experiences as a nurse and through her career.

Recorded on 24/07/2019 in Brighton, UK.

Helen Brownstone

Helen Brownstone was born in London in 1946. She became a volunteer at Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) in 2005 following an operation and invitation to become a voluntary panel consultant.

Helen starts by talking about her experience as an outpatient of the Gastric Diseases unit in the Millenium Building at RSCH in 2005.

She talks about her work as a volunteer, how she helped support other patients with gastrointestinal diseases, training she received, and her work as an ‘expert patient tutor’, which she did for 10 years.

Helen remembers that in approximately 2009, the Intestinal Bowel Disease patient group was invited to work on the 3Ts project to give ‘patient friendly’ advice regarding hospital services, from patients themselves, in order to improve provision in the new hospital.

Recorded on 11/11/2019 in Brighton, UK.

Janet Holm

Janet Holm was born in Sherborne, Dorset in 1946.

Janet recalls the diagnosis and treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (which is where acid from the stomach frequently leaves the wrong way, entering the tube connecting the stomach to the mouth) and her experience at Princess Royal Haywards Heath.

She recounts how the disease affected almost all of her life, including socialising, eating and sleeping, and talks about the various procedures she had to go through that took place over 5-6 years from 2012.

Janet also talks about her experience at A&E at Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) following a fall. She describes the differences between RSCH and Princess Royal in Haywards Heath, saying RSCH was run down while Princess Royal was clean and modern.

Recorded on 26/08/2019 (wrongly stated as 2011 on recording) in Brighton, UK.

John Hartley

Dr John Hartley was born in Sheffield in 1946. He trained at University College Hospital, London to do Clinical Studies, qualifying in 1971. In his final year he did an elective at Hammersmith Hospital Respiratory Department, London. This was followed by experience at hospitals in Newcastle, Cardiff and Brighton & Hove. Working primarily as a Consultant Physician. He specialised in Thoracic (Respiratory) Medicine.

John speaks about his experience studying at Oxford’s Trinity College, where he joined the Literary Society, was a member of the Oxford Union, and recounts his religious beliefs fading at Oxford.

He made the move to London and University College Hospital which he enjoyed. Lived with other medical students from 1969-1971 in places like Muswell Hill. There were no CT or MRI scans then, there were some isotope scans but basic by today’s standards. Patients staying weeks in hospital for what seemed to be a few tests in retrospect.

John speaks about moving to Basingstoke, Newcastle and Cardiff, prior to moving to Brighton in 1981, where he started working in Brighton as a Consultant in General and Respiratory Medicine. He talks in detail about his experience of working in Brighton, advancements in medicine, and his own experience with prostate cancer.

Recorded on 11/12/2019 in Brighton, UK.

John Quin

Dr John Quin was born in Glasgow in 1961. He trained at the medical school at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1978-83, later becoming Registrar before moving to London, followed by Brighton in 1994.

He recalls influences that drew him to medicine being the shows he watched when he was young, such as ‘Dr Kildare’ and ‘MASH’.

Speaks about his career developments in Glasgow, the work there and colleagues, and how junior doctors were expected to work “ridiculous” hours.

Talks about his career at Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) between 1994 and 2016, during which he became Associate Dean and was elected to Royal College of Physicians. He recalls his career at RSCH, including technological and medical advancements that took place and were implemented, including treatment of HIV and MRI scanners being introduced. He also comments on the ever increasing age of patients.

Recorded on 06/01/2020 in Brighton.

Kathy Wilson

Kathy Wilson was born in Brighton in 1963. She worked at Royal Sussex County Hospital as an x-ray darkroom technician in the mid-1980s, prior to digital technology being introduced.

Kathy says her motivation for joining the NHS was her mother, who was a nurse. She was drawn to human biology via her fascination with her mother’s anatomical textbooks.

Kathy talks about her five-and-a-half-year career as a darkroom technician, which she said she used to progress to a job as a medical secretary.

She talks later about being a patient, including having dental work and knee surgery. And the hospital hierarchy being much less complex when she was employed by the NHS than it is now.

Recorded on 29/08/2019 (date incorrect on recording) in Brighton, UK.

Ken Broomfield

Ken Broomfield was born in Edinburgh in 1943. Ken was a Patient at Sussex Eye Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital, and the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children in the 1940s.

He describes having regular check-ups at the eye hospital and being diagnosed with a weak eye around the age of four. He talks about the process of checking children’s eyes if a child didn’t yet know the alphabet.

Ken recollects his time in the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children due to removal of tonsils and adenoids, and compares the difference between being treated in the present and as a child mid-20^th century.

Recorded on 07/10/2019 in Brighton, UK.