A Hartlepool man who switched army life for the NHS is celebrating 52 years of fighting for the rights of others – both as a nurse and as the Royal College of Nursing’s longest serving activist.
Gordon Lees began his career in 1970 as a 16-year-old Cadet nurse and now, five decades later, serves as an RCN rep at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV).
“There have been many highlights over the years, but one that really sticks in my memory is coming out of a theatre in London and noticing a guy looking at me,” said Gordon, who is 69 this month.
“I recognised him but couldn’t place him – until he came over and introduced himself. He then told me I’d saved his life and shook my hand. It was an amazing experience.”
Early Career
Gordon, who was born in Hartlepool in August 1953, joined the Royal Army Medical Corps in Hampshire after leaving school, with his sights set on a career as a physiotherapist.
This changed, however, while carrying out weekend voluntary work in a locked ward at a nearby mental health hospital. What he witnessed would shape the rest of his career.
“Watching the way a ward of 30 men struggling with a mental health illness were treated really opened my eyes to a world of nursing in an old, institutionalised setting,” said Gordon.
“It was all so regimented, with so little compassion. It made me realise how society treated people with mental health problems. I thought it was so wrong and wanted to change things.”
Still aged only 16, Gordon left the army to train as a Cadet nurse – with his first job being to polish the glass slides in the pathology lab at Hartlepool Hospital.
Making History
He then made medical history by training as a general nurse at 18 – where he was one of just three men on his course, and among the first men to be trained locally.
Gordon said: “History has proven that men can provide quality care and can have a positive influence on standards of care, but back then male general nurses were quite unusual.
“There was a degree of prejudice at first. While training, I’d give patients routine check-ups, like temperature and pulse, and a ward sister would ask a female student to check my work.
“Rather than take offence, I saw it as a challenge to overcome. It made me more resolute.”
Gordon also witnessed, and experienced, workplace bullying during his training and afterwards – which prompted him to join the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in 1975.
A year later he became a steward, helped set up a branch in Hartlepool and immediately recruited more than 30 members. The rest is history.
Still Going Strong
Over the years Gordon has served at local, regional and national levels, with posts including Chair of the RCN Northern Board and Chair of the Membership Representation Committee.
Gordon also received a prestigious Award of Merit in 2016 from the RCN for his outstanding work, and today he is the union’s longest serving activist – and still going strong at TEWV.
“Like many staff side reps, I’ve responded to members queries and concerns on the phone, at home, in corridors, in clinics, wards, health centres, car parks and hospitals,” he said.
“I have even given advice from a hospital bed. I’d broken both of my heels and needed surgery after jumping off a fence. The one occasion I should have sat on the fence!”
As Gordon’s involvement with the RCN evolved, so did his nursing career. He trained as a mental health nurse at St Luke’s Hospital in Middlesbrough in 1976, then branched out.
“I was driven by the need for fairness and justice throughout training – from the institutional approach to treating patients, to the bullying of staff. I wanted to change it all,” he said.
Over the years, Gordon – who still lives in Hartlepool – has worked as a clinical nurse and manager of community mental health teams, as well as with a substance misuse service.
He has also served as an executive committee member of New Horizons 98, a Teesside Mental Health charitable organisation, and on the Advisory Board of NHSE Casemix Office.
In 2006, while working with people with personality disorders in Hartlepool, he became one of the first staff members of the newly-formed TEWV organisation.
Here he has remained, despite retiring once and then returning. Even his daughters, Sam and Amy, now work for TEWV as nurses – making it a real family concern.
Gordon said: “Being an activist is about leadership and taking care of those in our charge. Irrespective of our roles, the philosophy is simple – think and behave fairly and justly.
“I believe in recognising people’s strengths and limitations. I believe that when in difficulty, everyone deserves a chance to explain and learn from their mistakes. No one is perfect.
“I’m almost at the end of my career, but I hope my colleagues at TEWV and the RCN will continue to campaign to improve nursing care, conditions of employment and safety for all.”
Commitment Recognition
Gordon’s commitment to his work was today praised by Brent Kilmurray, the Chief Executive of TEWV, who said:
“Gordon has dedicated his whole working life to campaigning to improve both health care and working conditions. His dedication to fairness and justice for the past 52 years is something to be applauded and celebrated. Well done Gordon!”
The RCN is also extremely appreciative of Gordon’s work, and Northern Regional director Sarah Dodsworth said: “He goes above and beyond the call of duty in everything he does.
“Gordon has worked tirelessly for RCN members and thoroughly deserves recognition for his hard work and commitment. Everyone at RCN Northern region is immensely proud of Gordon and values his continuing contribution to nursing and the work of the College.”
Dr Sarah Dexter-Smith, director for People and Culture at TEWV, has also paid tribute to Gordon’s commitment to the NHS and improving people’s lives throughout her career.
She said: “This is an incredible story of someone committing their working life to tackling injustice and inequity, and I’m so pleased that this brought Gordon into the NHS.
“Now, 52 years on, Gordon still holds onto respect for colleagues and a sense of humour even when things are difficult and I’m glad our paths have crossed.
“As a Trust, the care we provide and the way we work with each other, is improved on a daily basis through the commitment that Gordon and many others brings to their work.”
