From the royal palace to the Royal Preston - the Queen's former footman who is now a hospital cleaner

If the hospital cleaning standards demanded to combat Covid seem like they might need to be fit for the Queen, then the Royal Preston has a distinct advantage - after adding a former Buckingham Palace footman to its team of domestic assistants.
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David Carlton (not his real name) spent almost a decade in a variety of royal roles, which included ensuring that the historical house was as spotless as its occupants - and visiting dignitaries - would expect.

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Preston and Chorley hospitals are searching for 120 new cleaners

He says that the rigour required to keep the Palace free from dust is easily matched by the thoroughness of the work he and his colleagues are doing to keep the Royal Preston free from the unseen threat posed by coronavirus.

A former royal footman at Buckingham Palace is now part of a 400-strong team of cleaning staff at the Royal PrestonA former royal footman at Buckingham Palace is now part of a 400-strong team of cleaning staff at the Royal Preston
A former royal footman at Buckingham Palace is now part of a 400-strong team of cleaning staff at the Royal Preston
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“When we had state visits, we had to clean the whole Palace - and that meant deep cleaning the rooms where the heads of state were staying, physically moving furniture out of the way, and even hoovering curtains and cleaning in draws and wardrobes,” David recalls.

“Cleaning the hospital has to be done to a slightly more rigorous timescale, but of course you need to do an equally good job - moving the beds, washing the walls and changing the curtains.

“In the current circumstances, cleanliness is even more important than it already was - and it’s obvious how appreciative the nursing and medical staff are when they see us doing our work.”

David, who is originally from Blackpool - and cannot be identified because of an agreement he had to sign as a royal employee - says he is just as at home scrubbing the wards of the Royal Preston as he was shining the sideboards of the royal palace.

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However, his new boss at the hospital feared it might be a shock to the system, warning him at his interview of the physical nature of the work.

Yet David was undaunted both by the demands of the job and the challenging circumstances in which he would be doing it - and he has a message for anybody thinking of applying for any of the dozens of cleaning vacancies currently on offer at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals to help the trust get through a challenging winter ahead.

“I get all the PPE I need - masks, aprons, gloves and hand sanitiser.

“When you see the way hospitals are at the moment on TV, you might think, ‘Oh my word, why would I want to work there?’

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“But I’m not always working in Covid areas and I come home and wash my uniform every night, so I’m taking all the precautions.”

Last week, LTH revealed that it is currently searching for 40 permanent cleaning staff, with between 60 and 70 six-month contracts also available and a further 20 casual vacancies for cleaners who can be called on as and when needed.

Thirty-six-year-old David's time at the Palace came to an end in 2012 when he moved back to the Fylde coast for family reasons, having just been involved in the celebration of the Queen’s diamond jubilee.

He has since had jobs at Chatsworth in Derbyshire and hotels across Lancashire, before being made redundant on the day he was offered the role at the Royal Preston.

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Prior to his housekeeping duties during his final two years at the Palace, David worked as a senior footman to the Queen - serving the monarch her meals on a daily basis and accompanying her on stays at her other homes and on trips around the world.

“When you see the Queen every day, you almost forget who she is - and then you see her on TV and remember,” David laughs.

“Especially at Balmoral and Sandringham, it’s a bit like Downton Abbey - she is just the lady of the house.

“She knew who you were and that you knew who she was - but she was very relaxed in her own home.”

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And his new colleagues will not find any airs and graces about David either, in spite of his royal resume - he feels equally honoured to be cleaning a hospital during a pandemic as he was preparing a palace for its prestigious place on the world stage.

“I’m really enjoying the job and am proud to be doing it,” he says.

HOW TO APPLY

For more information on the roles currently available at LTH, visit: jobs.lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk

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