GALLERY: GWH staff celebrated at 10th annual excellence awards

By Ben Fitzgerald - 24 June 2019

CommunityHealth

For the tenth consecutive year, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust hosted its Staff Excellence Awards in tribute to those who go above and beyond for patients every day.

Nine awards were handed out at the event at Swindon’s MECA on Friday 21 June, where the winners and finalists, along with their colleagues and friends, donned their fascinators and flat caps and were treated to a well-deserved ‘Night at the Races’. 

Kevin McNamara, Director of Strategy and Community Services, thanked the 400-strong crowd at the celebration.

Reflecting on the year past, and looking to the future, Kevin praised those whose work really does benefit the people of Swindon the most, including the success of Brighter Futures Radiotherapy Appeal and the Way Forward Programme which will see a new integrated front door and Transitional Care Facility evolve over the next few years.

The special event saw nine winners from a variety of different categories, read out by host, Trust Lead for LGBTQ and Learning Disabilities, Daniel Boden.

 

The winners of this year’s Staff Excellence Awards are:

  • Learning from Excellence: Preet Rajput, Deputy Director of Pharmacy
  • Innovation in Practice: Paul Foley, Consultant Cardiologist
  • 500 Lives for Outstanding contribution to safety and quality: The Hip Quality Improvement team
  • Making a difference behind the scenes: Lisa Simpkins, Discharge Coordinator
  • STAR of the Year: Brighter Futures
  • Working Together Award: Sarah Davies, Head of Service for Pathology
  • Outstanding Leader of the Year: Kathryn Owen, Midwifery Matron, Delivery and Hazel
  • Team of the Year: IT Services

Among the nine accolades presented on the night was the coveted Patients’ Choice Award.

Members of the public had the chance to nominate staff who they felt had gone above and beyond in caring and treating patients.

Over 40 public nominations were received, and the prize for the Patient’s Choice Award was presented to Admiral Nurse Charlie Duhig.

Charlie was nominated by a family member of a patient, who said: “when my dad had a fall and was admitted to hospital, Charlie sat by his bedside and listened to me whilst I cried and talked. She was fantastic and what I have needed for support for a long time.”

Elsewhere in the evening, audience members were treated to heart-warming accounts of staff going to great lengths, such as the success of new processes which have seen an impressive reduction in mortality rates, and instrumental research which improves the care and treatment patients receive.   

Staff were also the first audience to view the Trust’s musical rendition of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. This music video showed staff from across the acute and community services coming together for a fun sing-a-long of the smash hit. 

From recruitment, front line clinical staff, Serco (FM providers), radiologists and even the Trust Executives, the video shows the Trust as a joined-up, supportive organisation that works together in all that it does.

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