Celebrating the work of our hospital heroes at awards ceremony
The doctors, nurses and health workers who go the extra mile were recognised at the annual Outstanding Achievement Awards this week.
From consultants to the teams that keep the hospital laundry working - health professionals at Peterborough City Hospital and Stamford Hospital were recognised for their fantastic work and outstanding care.
Hosted by Heart breakfast show presenter Kev Lawrence the awards were held at a glittering ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Lynchwood, Peterborough on Friday. There were eight awards covering specialist care and innovation with the final, much-anticipated ‘Hospital Hero’ award nominations made by readers of the Mercury and our sister paper the Peterborough Telegraph.
The Hospital Hero award recognises staff who have made a difference to their patients’ lives – so much so, the patients feel compelled to share their experience.
The nominations for the Hospital Hero Award includede the Radiotherapy Department team – they were nominated by a patient who spent more than seven weeks in their specialist care. He found them to be dedicated, hard-working and highly motivated to provide a safe and caring environment.
Consultant Mr Rob Dennis, Nurse Specialist Paula Carnell and the Colorectal Team were also nominated by a patient who credited them with saving his life following emergency surgery and then completing further surgery this year to bring him back to ‘full working order’. He says their personal and efficient care filled him with confidence that he would be well again.
Consultant Mr Tony Doran, private patient manager Barbara Isteed, clinical specialist Craig Hendy and nurse Debora Silva – a ‘cross hospital’ team was nominated by a patient who came home from his second home overseas to have surgery at PCH. He was so impressed with his experience and the quality of his care, he wanted to thank all those who helped him on his journey at PCH.
Consultant Mr Jan Rezulski was nominated by a patient who underwent breast surgery. She was impressed with his calming influence and comforting care and wanted to find a way to thank him for his expertise which has ensured she is now back to health.
Consultant Doctor Sunku Guptha was nominated by the wife of a patient who was bowled over by his exemplary care – even phoning home to make sure he was OK after a difficult diagnosis appointment.
Infant Feeding Facilitator Roberta Roulstone was nominated by a woman who was struggling to feed and at the point of giving up. Her support has ensured this woman is still breast feeding her baby a year on.
The Day Treatment Unit Team were applauded by a patient who said they made him feel safe and supported at a time when he was quite vulnerable. He was impressed with how kind and funny the team was in recovery.
Consultant Dr Andreas Erdmann was nominated by a long-term patient of the trust’s pain team who wanted to ensure he was recognised for his fantastic bedside manner and excellent support.
Consultant Mr Sunil Sharma was nominated by a patient who claimed he had transformed her life following successful surgery and found him to be supportive, kind and had a great sense of humour.
The Highly Commended Hospital Hero for 2015 was nurse specialist Paula-Joanne Bloodworth who was nominated by the wife of a patient who sadly, has recently passed away from colon cancer.
The patient’s wife said: “She has helped me to be positive and look forward on this long and difficult path, and offered words of comfort and inspiration when we have had some dark days.
“Whenever I have needed her she has been there on the end of an email, or the telephone explaining alternatives and offering sound advice.
“When your loved-one is diagnosed with cancer you feel alone, as if drifting at sea. What tremendous luck we had to have Paula-Joanne by our side.
“She has given us so much of her personal time and has offered us warmth, empathy and most of all, love.”
The Hospital Hero winner was midwife Emily Robson who proved herself to be an ‘angel’ to a couple whose miracle baby developed health problems at just a few days old.
The mother who sent in the nomination said: “After four years of trying to conceive and finally having successful IVF treatment we had our miracle baby boy.
“Emily was there when I was an inpatient on the ward prior to his birth and after my caesarean section. She was so reassuring and kind and spent time with me to explain everything I needed to know.
“I left hospital two days later not expecting to return, but how wrong I was – as 24 hours later my baby stopped breathing and was rushed in to Neonatal Intensive Care after being resuscitated in the ambulance on the way to hospital. Emily came to see me and I only later found out that the two hours she sat with me was in her own time – she had already finished her shift. Her support throughout has been amazing.
“She has excelled in her dedication to duty and provided outstanding care. She really made a difference to my pregnancy and birth experience.”
Other awards on the night included the Team of the Year award, which went to the John Van Geest ward at Stamford Hospital, which was recognised as it has implemented some dramatic changes to the way they work, making a difference to patients’ experiences and the morale of staff.
Sara Reynolds, the PA to Stamford Hospital matron Sue Brooks, was also Highly Commended in the Living Our Values Creative Award, which highlights staff who think outside the box to ensure better outcomes for patient and staff.
Sara was nominated for the practical way she redesigned the postal service to Stamford Hospital which resulted in a more efficient service – ensuring patient and GP letters were sent in a timely and accurate manner. The redesign also reduced costs.
The winner in this category was Hayley Wood, a staff nurse on the John Van Geest Ward.
She was nominated for the way she created a new way for the ward to capture feedback from student nurses to ensure we learn from their experiences and improve our facilities for them in the future.
Hospital Trust chairman Rob Hughes said: “ I would like to congratulate all our finalists and winners.
“We have heard some amazing stories about their work and dedication. It just goes to show the fantastic work that staff do every day.”