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“This is the Nottingham way” – 20 years of NUH
When Steph Burrows walked through the doors of Queen’s Medical Centre on 23 January 2006, she couldn’t have known she was stepping into a moment of transformation—both for herself and for what would soon become one of the largest NHS trusts in the country.
Just months later, the merger with City Hospital would reshape services, teams, and identities. Steph began her journey as a nurse on the Adult Intensive Care Unit (AICU). Today, she is an Advanced Critical Care Practitioner—one of the first to embrace a pioneering role that brought greater continuity, expertise , and support to the resident critical care medical team.
Looking back, Steph remembers a time of uncertainty :
“There was a lot of unease at the time about what it meant for staff and fear of being moved to a different hospital. At the time the two critical care units had different techniques and ways of working.
“ It took many years before everyone learned to work the same way . You’d hear people say, ‘that’s the Queen’s way’ or ‘that’s the City way.’ But over time, we came together. Now, we do things the Nottingham way.”
Two decades on, that shared identity is stronger than ever.
Critical care has evolved beyond recognition. What were once separate units are now part of a connected, supportive network , “one big critical care family,” as Steph describes it. Staff move across areas as part of everyday practice, sharing skills and strengthening teamwork. The AICU itself has nearly doubled in size, growing from 15 beds to 29, reflecting both rising demand and expanded capability.
The Trust has also become the region’s major trauma intensive care unit, delivering specialist, life-saving care to patients from across the East Midlands.
But for Steph, it’s not just the scale of change that stands out— it’s the culture.
“The organisation has placed more emphasis on support for and recognition of staff wellbeing and mental health, and there have been culture changes to ensure bullying, racism, sexual harassment and physical violence against staff are unacceptable and not tolerated. ”
After 20 years, her pride for being a part of NUH is unmistakable :
“ I’m proud to work here ! It’s a really good team who do an excellen t job on a day-to-day basis and we work well together. It’s just a nice place to work.”