Unlike many other industries, the world of healthcare offers hundreds of different streams of employment and not everyone ends up as a doctor or nurse.  When you visit a busy hospital, perhaps a world reknowned teaching one, there are thousands of staff all pulling together, each doing their own little bit to keep the juggernaut on track.  There are hospital porters – so essential in getting patients moved from their wards across to the sans and X-ray departments and back.  They also ferry heavy equipment and essential supplies for each department – such as oxygen and other gases.  Then there are the ancillary workers who do the housekeeping and cleaning jobs.  All of these are essential to back up the nurses who in turn back up the doctors and consultants.  Without that back up, nurses couldn’t function.  Without agencies to train and source supply nurses, there would be no wards.  It’s such an essential role!