A linen porter at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital whose good wishes and pleasant demeanour brighten the day of those around him has won praise after he was named employee of the month recently.

Sean Whitehead works for ISS Facilities at the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust hospital, and was dubbed an 'Unsung Hero' for his approach to work and supporting his colleagues during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He was nominated for the partner award by Dr Alex Taylor, Consultant Acute Physician, Acute Medical Unit.

"Sean is always so polite, asks everyone how they are doing, and as they leave, he wishes them a great day," Dr Taylor explained.

"The most amazing thing about Sean is that he remembers what size of scrubs everyone needs without asking.

"I only ever had to tell him once the first time I met him, and ever since he has always provided me with the correct size. Just imagine how many people are coming each day to collect scrubs at the moment. His memory is amazing.

"I find it is the little things like this that really make a difference to my day. My daily interactions with him, along with his good wishes and pleasant demeanour, never fail to give me a boost, even if I am a bit down.

"It really makes me feel special and Sean is an "unsung hero" of the Trust who would be a very deserving winner of Employee of the Month. He is the same way with everyone, and lots of other people must feel the same way as I do," he added.

Sean meanwhile said he was "humbled" to win the award and said it could have gone to any number of his colleagues in the NHS.

"Winning feels really great and a little surprising, as I'm sure there are thousands of Trust employees who are really deserving of this award, especially during what has been such a hard time for all NHS staff.

"I'm humbled to have been awarded this and to learn that the even little things we do for each other, can make a huge difference to somebody's day," he said.