Rewarding Great People - Issue 5

CARING FOR OUR COLLEAGUES

FACE

ARMS

The face may have dropped on one side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped

The person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in one arm

The main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST:

Earlier this year, one of our colleagues, Geoff Bowler, sadly passed away after suffering from a serious medical issue. Geoff worked as part of the Highways Maintenance & Projects Framework team based at Beddington Lane. However, on 14th March, Geoff went home from work feeling unwell. The next day, he failed to attend work or notify anybody of his absence, which was very out of character for him. This led to Terry Knight, Geoff’s manager, raising this concern to the HR team before immediately going to his colleague’s home address. “He was normally very reliable, which was one of the many reasons I went looking for him, as I hadn’t heard from him the day before,” said Terry.

On arrival, Terry tried to call Geoff’s phone and could hear it ringing from inside the house.

Fearing for Geoff’s safety, Terry called the emergency services who sadly found Geoff unconscious, having suffered aspiration pneumonia and a subdural hematoma – a life-threating medical condition which can lead to a stroke if not treated in time. The paramedics were able to save Geoff’s life that day, however he sadly passed away just a few months later in July.

Geoff was a well-loved and caring colleague, who is missed by so many following this tragic loss.

Thanks to Terry’s actions, Geoff was given a fighting chance and was able to have a few more months of precious time with his family.

10