My 50-Year Unipart Journey - Rosemary Myers

In celebration of Unipart’s 50th anniversary, we have been celebrating colleagues who have achieved 50 years or more long service.

This week we spoke to Rosemary Myers, who joined the NHS 51 years ago and has played a vital part in Unipart's journey over the last 5 years.

Rosemary has seen a lot of change in the NHS and the work environment. She now works in the Service Team and here's what she had to say:

Early days

“I joined the NHS in 1973 and I’ve had a fantastic time! I started out in the supplies department of the Northern General Hospital, based in the old boys' dormitory from the hospital's workhouse days. It was a beautiful Victorian building with fireplaces and no central heating! There was no internet or computers, and the closest thing to technology was a reckoning machine for statistics.”

Rosemary's career highlights

“I've had many different jobs throughout my career in the NHS. I started as a trainee buyer, and within a year, I was promoted to a buyer. I was responsible for providing catalogues for everything a department might want, and I had to use Kelly's directory to find suppliers (no Google back then!).

In the mid-80s, the NHS Supply Chain (Trent Purchasing Agency) was introduced, which significantly changed our roles and they also introduced computers. I suggested we create a liaison role to manage requests from the hospitals, and I became the first Supplies Liaison Officer.

I had a wonderful time working at Scarsdale Hospital. It was such a small hospital that everyone got stuck in and helped each other out. It was brilliant for getting to understand how it ran and getting to know everyone who worked there. We were like a family.

When that hospital closed, I went to work for NHS Supply Chain as a Customer Service Officer. Over the years I've been involved in exciting projects- new IT systems, a price matching project, and then a product alerts and hazards project. Finally I moved into the Service Team where I am now.”

Learning and Development: opportunities for growth

‘I’ve completed a lot of training courses over the years as I have seen a lot of change, but I’m an advocate for having an inquisitive mind and learning as you go. I've never actively sought promotion, but I've always taken the opportunity to cover other roles to have new experiences and learn new skills.’

What The Unipart Way means to Rosemary

“The Unipart Way fits with my ethos and how I've always worked and treated people. To me, it's about treating everyone with the same respect and understanding, from the cleaner to the CEO. It’s something we should all be following.”

Rosemary's standout moments

‘There have been so many stand-out moments that it's difficult to choose, but the times we've pulled together through challenges like the year 2000, the floods of 2007, Ebola and COVID, and the Kegworth Aircrash are particularly memorable. The times when everyone pulls together to do what they can to help.’

Rosemary's hopes for the future

“I'd like to see the NHS properly funded and going back to its original purpose: curing the sick. I'd also like to continue working as long as I can.”

Thank you Rosemary, for your 51 years service, from everyone at Unipart, we wish you all the best.

A PDF version of Rosemary's full interview is available below.

Watch the October Mark in Action Ceremony

Some of our colleagues celebrating 50+ years service recently received their awards in a special Mark in Action ceremony in October which is now available to watch here.

Nominate now!

If you know anyone worthy of a Mark in Action Award and want to make a nomination, please get in touch with Katie Geddes and she can support you through the process. Alternatively you can make a nomination by using the online Mark in Action nomination system here.