Three women who have each chalked up 30 years of service at the Medical Specialist Group have been recognised for their loyalty with travel vouchers worth £500 each.
Chief financial officer Ali Gill, Urology PA Sally Dowinton and quality manager Tina Holland joined the MSG when it was first formed back in early 1992 by a group of 19 doctors who had been based in the island’s GP practices.
Tina Holland moved to the MSG, which was initially based on the top floor of St Sampson’s Medical Centre, from the Princess Elizabeth Hospital where she was a medical secretary.
She says: “We operated with no records department or switchboard and small reception, finance and typing teams. We all pitched in and did whatever needed doing to provide the best possible service to patients. From the outset there was great camaraderie and team spirit, everyone working together and helping each other.
“I began as PA to Drs Frank Degnen and George Oswald, when the medicine department consisted of five physicians and one paediatrician. I was promoted to section head then to clinical administration coordinator and in 2015 achieved my Level 5 Diploma in Management. I’m now quality manager for adult medicine, managing a team of 13 PAs and our typing team.
“It is hard to believe that 30 years has gone by. There have inevitably been highs and lows, but along the way I have forged great lifelong friendships with colleagues.”
Sally Dowinton joined the MSG as relief PA to obstetrics and gynaecology and says: “I was also responsible for the distribution of all the outgoing post. In those days there was one pigeonhole for everything! I would sort the post, take it to the PEH and put it into pigeonholes there, collect post for the doctors and deliver items, test samples and requests to path lab, radiology etc.
“We made up our own notes as we did not have a medical records department and we did all our own filing. Good old days with many happy memories.”
Ali Gill began as senior accounts assistant, doing all aspects of patient billing. She says: “Over the years I have covered for our practice manager, helped out with typing and various other duties, taken over the management side of accounting from our then chief executive and acted as deputy chief executive when required. I was a director of MSG Ltd and in June 2020 became the chief financial officer.
“It has been amazing to be part of MSG from the beginning. Looking back it is nice to see how much we have grown and achieved, and how healthcare has changed in the island in the last 30 years. I’m glad my boss at the time gave me the opportunity to start work at MSG, it was a huge decision at the time but one I do not regret.”
MSG chief executive Jon Buckland said: “Ali, Sally and Tina are part of a team of amazingly loyal people, who always put the needs of our patients first. We are incredibly grateful to the three of them for the service they have given over the past 30 years and hope they’ll stay with us for many years to come.”
The main image shows (left to right) Ali Gill, Sally Dowinton and Tina Holland.
