Cord Collector
Why did you choose to work for Anthony Nolan?
I was looking for a new challenge and keen to work in a role which would have a beneficial impact on the lives of individuals and the wider community.
Tell us your story so far
I have now been a Dedicated Cord Blood Collector based at Kings College Hospital in London for two years.
I work between three and four shifts a week. These are a mixture of days and nights, with each shift lasting twelve and a half hours. I am part of a small team of collectors who cover the labour ward 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 362 days a year, (we don’t work on Christmas and have an annual Anthony Nolan Picnic during the summer!).
What do you get up to in a typical day?
My role has four main areas: gaining consent from mums-to-be for the Cord Blood Donation Programme, collecting cord blood, obtaining maternal blood from mums after they’ve given birth and preparing the cord blood units for delivery to the Cell Therapy Centre in Nottingham.
What do you like most about working here?
You quickly develop a huge respect and admiration for those around you and there is definitely a feel-good factor in contributing to and being part of the team.
What do you think makes Anthony Nolan unique as an employer?
The sole purpose of Anthony Nolan is to save lives, that’s it. There’s not many organisations that can claim to have such a clear and concise mission statement.