A specialist in X-ray equipment, who spent over 30 years working for X-ray system manufacturers, IHEEM North Western branch member Keith Feay subsequently established his own consultancy.
Two years ago, however, his life took an interesting new direction when a charity supplying medical equipment to hospitals in Malawi told him it required precisely his skills. Here he recounts some of his many interesting experiences repairing and maintaining equipment in Africa.
Ihave been in the X-ray industry most of my working life; for 42 years this year, in fact. Following an electrical contracting apprenticeship at the start of my career I went to work as a maintenance electrician at the Royal Infirmary in Oldham, which was subsequently demolished to make way for the town’s sixth form college. While there I became interested in X-ray equipment when asked if I would try to repair a dental X-ray machine. Fortunately the fault was easily repaired, but my interest in X-ray equipment grew. A radiographer introduced me to the service manager of a major equipment supplier, and I applied for a job. I subsequently worked as a service and installation engineer in three major companies before deciding on a change, successfully applying for the X-ray engineer’s post at the North Western Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), where I could maintain my interest in equipment, but no longer in a hands-on role. Gradually getting used to the hands-off approach, I still missed the practical aspects and continue to keep a workshop, and build and maintain various electrical and mechanical items, just “to keep my hand in”. Following Government changes in 1995, the NWRHA, and all the other regional health authorities, were closed, and the section I worked in was bought by a private company, which two years later closed us down, making all the staff redundant. At this point I started my own consultancy business providing similar services to those provided by the NWRHA. Since becoming an independent consultant I have worked on quite a few major capital schemes, and various smaller jobs within the NHS and private sector. I decided to close my business in 2009 when I was 65; I wanted to retire from the consultancy side, but not necessarily to stop work entirely.
Telephone call from Scotland
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