Hello everyone, I'm Andreya Platia.

I joined Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust in January this year, having taken up the post of Trainee Clinical Librarian.

I’m still rather new to library services, but I have a background in various health settings. I’ve worked in the NHS previously in a Health Informatics role at the time that medical records were being digitised, when I learned a lot of medical terminology and all manner of conditions and treatments. I later trained and worked as a forensic Art Psychotherapist and as an end-of-life Counsellor and Psychotherapist before undertaking a MSc in Health Studies followed by a PGCE at the University of Huddersfield. I went on to work as a Health and Wellbeing Lecturer for five years across the Lancashire footprint, specialising in Mindfulness, Meditation and Qigong, Creative Arts for Wellbeing, Stress Management and Relaxation. I even created a YouTube channel, which has advanced my technical skills considerably!

Like many people during the Covid-19 pandemic, I reflected on my professional life and what direction I wanted to pursue. I began volunteering in a public library and was delighted to be offered a fixed term post when my library was awarded Covid recovery funding. During that time, I organised a short volunteer placement and made quite a few shadowing visits across several NHS libraries, so a few of you will recognise me!

I found my tribe, so to speak, and with the plan of getting into clinical library work, I began my studies with Aberystwyth. I was excited to see a post for a Trainee Clinical Librarian so close to home - and was delighted (if still a little shocked) to be offered the job. My colleagues make a great team, and I’ve been amazed by the strong and supportive network within the health library community.   

I absolutely love literature searching and enjoy the marketing aspects of our role. Perhaps at some stage my adult education background will find its way into my work, but recently I’ve enjoyed developing our Health and Wellbeing collection, creating some additional resources in the form of wellbeing bags for staff to borrow.

Every one of our colleagues I’ve met has such an incredibly diverse skillset, interesting professional backgrounds and so many strengths to bring.

Outside work and study, I’m an active person, either wandering the fells (perhaps I was one of the Brontë sisters in a previous life!), in the Derbyshire Peak District on my mountain bike, swimming or lifting weights. I love the outdoors and Nordic living, passionate about local history having published a book in 2007 and I’m also a professional artist, largely specialising in portraiture. My greenhouse is definitely my happy place. And unlike my coffee lover colleagues, I am rather too fond of Earl Grey tea.

I look forward to working with you all, continuing to meet many of you at our networking events and I am keen to contribute articles to Northern Lights.

Andreya Platia
Morecambe Bay Hospitals Trust