Congratulations to Mark Pickersgill who’s retiring this month after 42 years’ service.
Mark started at the trust in 1982 when he was 19 as a student dental technician, and over the years has worked as a crown and bridge technician, and then for 35 years as a laboratory manager, managing three dental laboratories at the RVI’s Dental Hospital.
He has been profoundly deaf since birth and went to a boarding school for deaf children in Berkshire where signing was not permitted – this was 50 years ago however, and things have changed since – so communication has been a personal challenge for Mark.
But since he joined the trust, he has never felt limitations to what he could achieve.
“They invested in me personally to enable me to advance and prosper in the same way as any other person – my disability has never been an issue, until Covid came along. Then mask wearing meant I could not lipread staff or patients and it was a real challenge personally. Fortunately, my colleagues within the Dental Hospital were brilliantly supportive and helped me through what was possibly the most challenging time of my career.”
His career highlights have included seeing the huge advances in dentistry and in particular the digitisation of manufacturing crowns, bridges and dental appliances. Challenges have certainly included the rise in the volume of patients, and often the complexity of cases as a result of the advancing methods of manufacture.
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of Newcastle Hospitals visited the Dental Hospital and presented Mark with a bouquet of flowers at his retirement presentation.
“I have been able to achieve so much, develop personally and enjoy a fulfilling career in a wonderful environment with an awful lot of support from colleagues and friends,” Mark said.
Mark plans on taking a holiday when he finishes later this month.
