Chris Milligan has spent most of his adult life helping others. At the age of 20, he became a befriender at Leverndale Hospital, before going on to become a physiotherapy support worker at the old Western Infirmary and later, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
“I’ve always enjoyed helping people,” explained Chris.
“When I started I had no idea what a physio did in hospitals. I just thought they helped footballers, but when I saw for myself how we can help people to regain their confidence, get their independence and literally help people get back on their feet, I thought that was the job for me.”
However, for him to achieve his dream of becoming a qualified physiotherapist meant he had to get access to university to complete a degree.
Chris, 30, from Glasgow’s east end, said: “It was a bit of a fight to actually get qualified. I was told I had great experience, but that I had been out of school for too long and even with more than three years’ experience as a physio support worker, I had to go back to college and do the equivalent of highers to get entry.”
However, Chris and his partner had just bought a new house and with a mortgage to pay for, the numbers just didn’t stack up. His ambitions received a further blow when the local college course that might provide a route, didn’t run because of lack of interest in the course.
Chris refused to be beaten and worked with Glasgow Caledonian University to find a way forward. With financial support from NHS Education for Scotland, he did some modules with the Open University which he passed with flying colours, allowing him to progress to his degree course.
Chris added: “I still worked at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary at weekends and over the summer and then when COVID happened, we went to online learning and I came back to work to help out full time and I did that for the third year and most of the fourth year.
“I wrote my dissertation while working full time and luckily enough, I passed with first class honours.”
Chris graduated last summer. He was the first person in his family to get a degree, although celebrations were a little muted with no in-person graduation ceremony because of COVID.
However, Chris is very grateful for the support he’s had from his colleagues throughout his journey to becoming a fully qualified physiotherapist.
He added: “If I hadn’t been able to work, whilst I was at university, I wouldn’t be here, because financially it’s a huge gamble as a mature student. But the team have been great and they tease me, saying I’ll be their boss one day! I’ve been in the NHS for 10 years now, but this is like a new beginning, a new start for me. I’m incredibly grateful for all of the support.”
Alison Leiper, Interim Chief Allied Health Professional at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said: “It’s been a real joy to see Chris achieve his ambition. He’s a real credit to himself and the NHS and the fact that, despite the challenges life sometimes throw at us, with support, you can still achieve your dreams.
“Chris was already an asset to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with more than a decade of helping our patients. It will be great to watch his career develop.”
Chris is enjoying learning more and helping his patients at the GRI. He concluded: “It’s such a rewarding job – there are very few jobs where you can see the difference you have made in somebody’s life.
“I get to do that every day.”
