Since 1978, Allan Wood has been cracking jokes and setting up operating theatres at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
Allan, who turns 62 this week, is one of the stars of episode two of Geordie Hospital.
In the Channel 4 show, he is shown setting up the theatre for a difficult facial reconstruction operation - he works in the plastic surgery department.
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Allan, from Chapel House, started at the hospital aged 18 - fresh from a stint serving as a roadie for a string of local bands - and has never left.
"Through the day, I just do what I do," he said. "I know exactly what needs to be done to prep the theatres and keep everything going. I just do my 8 til 6 and I'm always happy to be here, I just love the carry-on!"
Allan's job involves prepping the theatre - and the patient - for surgery. He explained that one of his key tasks was to help make sure the patient in question is at ease as they get set for what can be a traumatic stint under the knife.
He said: "The most important thing I do is I try to make people laugh before they have their operation. I like to think I've got a sense for it. It's about putting the patient at ease.
"I'm not hoity-toity, I can speak to them like they need. I think if you've got a smile on your face - and this can sound trite - but if you've got a smile on your face, that makes it easier for patients. I see it as my job to make patients less scared."
The Geordie grandfather - who has NHS workers throughout the family including his wife, who "puts up with all sorts" - added that, at the hospital, it was always a team effort.
"I work with just the best people. The surgeons are all down to earth. And in the orderlies, there are some extraordinary people - and many of them I have worked with for more than 30 years.
"We love each other, it's really like a family - I've one family at home and one at work. We work incredibly hard, getting through more than 500 cases a month. We do all sorts and I feel like I'm blessed, really.
"We work ten or twelve hour days and it's all about graft - if you want to be recognised go home, it's about the team."
Looking ahead, though he's not planning on stopping just yet, Allan said he was keen to make sure passed on the knowledge he's learned over the decades.
"I'm coming to the end of my hospital life now. I've only got two left I'd guess, so it's important to pass everything on to the young people at the beginnings of their careers.
"I'm almost 62, I've probably got until I'm 66 - I can't see myself being here much longer, I'll have to let the younger people have a go. It's bloody hard work working in operating theatres."
And when it comes to specific advice, Allan is keen to stress how important the simple things are. "When you go around the hospital it's important to have a smile, we all need to remember the patients are the most important thing - without them we wouldn't have a job," he said.
"You get top doctors coming in, and they're part of the team. If they come in thinking they're number one, I put them in their place quickly! But you know what, I really work with the best. Working in plastics the surgeons are just fantastic.
"But it's not just me, it's not just the doctors or the fantastic nurses - it's absolutely everyone in the hospital."
Geordie Hospital airs on Channel 4 on Mondays from 8pm. The whole series is available on All4.
