Colonel Andrews finally leaves his hospital post after 39 years' exemplary service

24.12.2024

A medical directorate manager, who doubled as a serving Colonel in the Territorial Army, has stood down after 39 years’ “privileged” service.

Mark Andrews began his career at Glan Clwyd Hospital, as a trainee nurse in 1985 and has been involved in almost all the hospital’s developments and Board reconfigurations in that time. He also saw active service as an integral part of the Army’s medical corps in Iraq, 2003, and Afghanistan in 2011.

Dozens turned out in the hospital’s Postgraduate Lecture Theatre, to hear a succession of speeches from those who had the pleasure of working with him over the years. IHC Director Gareth Evans then presented a ‘book of memories’ penned by Mark’s colleagues, as a memento of his service.

Mark lavished praise on the staff who had helped him put many of his plans in place – and outlined what it has meant to him.

He said: “Patients. It was always, always about patients. That’s why I joined (the Health Board) all those years ago. I had a wonderful time working in nursing. I gave up my registration this year and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

“I hope over that time my passion to solve problems has helped people in this audience. I couldn’t have done it without the people in this audience. You made it so easy. I can’t explain how easy it is coming to work each day knowing there are people, who are so passionate about what you want to do and what you want to achieve.

“We are in such a privileged position and I hope that message continues, with all our colleagues. Those who are yet to start, those who are halfway through their careers and those who are reaching the end of their careers. It’s been a privilege.”

During his career in the NHS he has lead directorates in surgery, medicine, as well as orthopaedics and trauma. He has been the emergency planning lead officer, a divisional general manager in primary care, community and specialist medicine – and even supported Gold Command for a period during the Covid pandemic.

He was a regional winner of a British Health Care Award in 1992 for his "unselfish devotion to duty as a member of the caring community". That devotion to duty was also a feature of his 29-year Army career.

He was commissioned into Queen Alexander’s Royal Army Nursing Corp as a Nursing Officer within the Territorial Army, in 1995 at 208 (Liverpool) Field Hospital as a Captain. He has served as officer commanding for training, qualified as a training officer for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence, as well as studying humanitarian and disaster relief healthcare.

Mark is trained in joint military operations planning and is qualified in both intermediate and advanced command and staffing. As part of his military field training, he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and descended the River Volta in Ghana by canoe.

On active service, he was a field hospital inpatient ward team leader in Iraq and the senior wardmaster with 208 Field Hospital in Afghanistan.

Mark shared one final, simple mantra. He said: “Just keep coming into work every day and do the best you can.”

The many tributes paid to him on his final day, demonstrated it wasn’t just something he said – it was something he lived by.

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