We asked some of the staff who featured in Croydon 24 to tell us what working in one of London's biggest boroughs means to them. Here's what they said:
Sarah McCready, Children’s Nurse, Children’s Hospital at Home Team
“The Children's Hospital at Home Team see any child in the borough who is registed with a Croydon GP, who has a nursing need.
"We have around 200 children who have a variety of nursing needs including cardiac conditions, special feeding devices, wounds or cancer. We also look after children who would like end of life care at home. Families know our visits help keep their child out of hospital, and while older children understand that, the younger ones can wonder why treatment has to continue if they have left hospital..
Doing this job, it is important to be able to get on the same level as the child - in some cases that means being happy to get down on the floor and convince them it is ok to have an injection in their arm. It's only once they invite me into their world, show me their bedroom or suggest we give their teddy an injection, I know things are going well.
“For me, the real difference between treating children in hospital and seeing them at home, is following their journey from when they are quite sick to seeing them ring the end of treatment bell. You build a rapport with families and it is such a privilege to go into their homes and be welcomed by them.
“At Christmas we deliver presents to families thanks to support from local charities. The children are always surprised when we arrive and so happy because they don’t expect anything. One Mum wrote the team a letter saying it had made her child’s Christmas Day.
“My mum worked at Croydon University Hospital and always told me how important it is to make a difference where you live. Living and working here we can make change happen, making the care we deliver even better for others.”