An amazing team

Meet Frikkie Eksteen, Theatre Manager at our Haywards Heath Hospital.

What made you want to pursue a career in your role?  

I was working in Theatre as a Scrub Practitioner here at Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital when the post became available. I have always been keen to grow professionally so when this opportunity presented itself I took a chance and applied.

What made you choose a career with Nuffield Health?

I found the way Nuffield Health operate as a charity - the company reinvests all its income back into its hospitals - very attractive. There was also a strong focus on providing excellent patient care in the safest possible environment, which is very important to me as a Register Nurse.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I work with an amazing team of people who truly enjoy delivering the best possible care for our patients. Coming to work every day and being part of that team is truly special.

What do you enjoy most about working at Nuffield Health?

Being a proud member of a team of people who makes a deference to our patients’ lives.

Describe your colleagues and your relationship as a team?

I manage a small team of around 27 highly experienced healthcare staff consisting of Nurses, Operating Department Practitioners, Healthcare Assistants, Surgical Instrument Coordinator and one amazing Administrator, most of us have been working together for a long time and we have built strong relationships over the years, but the team love welcoming new people in.

Tell us about a proud moment you’ve had in your role?

As you probably know, there’s an ongoing shortage of Theatre Practitioners in the UK so we have started developing our own staff, offering ODP, Assistant Practitioner and Healthcare Assistant Apprenteships. We currently have 4 of our own team going through Apprenteships. I have a proud moment every time we reach a new goal in their development and a step closer to sending a new skilled worker out into the world. 

Tell us about a time where Nuffield Health supported you?

Our hospital suffered the loss of a dearly loved colleague a while ago – the company was able to send a grief councillor to site to support the team through some very difficult times.

What is your favourite patient, customer or client story?

We support a community dental list in our department, working closely with a wonderful NHS Special Care Dentistry Team to provide General Anaesthesia services to special care patients. Seeing the difference this service makes to the lives of those patients is just amazing.

Tell us about a memory at Nuffield Health that you will never forget?

I will always remember the friendly greetings of the Reception Team welcoming me to the Hospital only a few hours after arriving in the UK to start my new life working with Nuffield Health.