Staff Awards: All the winners and news from the night

A doctor who was instrumental in securing a specially trained dog for a patient which can alert her to when she is experiencing high or low blood sugars scooped the ‘Patient Choice’ Award at this years Whittington Health Staff Awards which were held on Thursday evening (12/05/2022.

 

The award’s judges received over 500 nominations – over 10% of the trust’s workforce – across 13 categories which they whittled down to just four finalists for each award. The finalists and the people who had nominated them were invited to the awards ceremony at the Royal College of Physicians in Regent’s Park, where the winners were announced.

 

The theme for the evening was “celebrating what we’ve been through and recognising what we have achieved, together”. It reflects the fact that the staff from the trust, which provides Community, Hospital and Accident and Emergency care across Islington, Haringey and beyond have had to endure the most challenging two years of their careers as they battled the COVID-19 pandemic. The awards finals were delayed twice due to COVID-19, having been originally scheduled for September 2020.

 

The point of the annual awards is to find and recognise the those people who rise to the top of their game, the people who go even further and work even harder for patients, relatives and their colleagues. The winners represented a wide range of the services and staff groups including the Trust’s Hotel Services Team which provide cleaning, catering and waste management, Pharmacists, Infection Control Specalists and volunteers.

 

The patient choice category was won by Dr. Nicole Braham a Diabetes Specialist. Her nomination described how she had transformed the patient’s life thanks to working to obtain a specially trained service dog for her: “Dr. Braham was instrumental in obtaining for me a diabetic alert dog, from medical detection dogs, it alerts me to high and low blood sugars. I have a history of going into comas and fits, with low blood sugars buts since I had the dog, I have not had a fit in 19months. She has also supported me through the many challenges of type 1 diabetes – she is a godsend.”

 

Another team who took home an award were the staff behind the “See ME First” initiative. Beverleigh Senior, Delia Mills and Paul Attwal, the founders of the See ME First project, started with the aim to drive real change in Whittington Health’s organisation's culture, and increase the visibility of race equality issues.

 

Since the launch, the initiative has seen a huge uptake — currently over 1500 Whittington Health staff have pledged their support to contributing to a more inclusive and fair organisation. The initiative has been included in the NHS five year National race equality strategy has been adopted by over ten other NHS Trusts Nationally and on Tuesday they received the Improving Health Equity Award at the national NHS Improvement Awards.

 

Addressing staff at the event, Whittington Health CEO, Siobhan Harrington, who announced earlier in the year that she would be stepping down in June to take on a new role in Dorset, said: “This ceremony always leaves me bursting with pride and it reminds me what a privilege it has been to lead this organisation over the last four and a half years and this year was no different. You have certainly left me feeling like the proudest CEO in the NHS, I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such a phenomenal team.”

 

Category                                                                                                                                              Winner
Chair's Award                                                                                                                                                                         Project Wingman

 

International Nurse Award                                                                                                                                             Tess Alombro

 

Successful Innovation, Transformation or Efficiency Award                                                                        Charlie Cave

 

Individual Commitment to Excellence in a Non-Clinical Role Award                                                       Chris Mollan

 

AHPs into Action Award                                                                                                                                                    Nicola Crossey

 

Individual Commitment to Excellence in a Non-Clinical Role Award                                                        Ai-Nee Lim

 

Team Commitment to Excellence Award                                                                                                                 The Hotel Services Team

 

Improving Patient Safety Award                                                                                                                                   Varda Lassman

 

Supporting Patient Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Award                                                Julie Singleton

 

Paula Mattin – Emerging Leader Award                                                                                                                    Nomalisa Mafu

 

Outstanding Contribution to Supporting a Compassionate and Inclusive Culture Award            The See ME First Team
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Beverleigh Senior,

                                                                                                                                                                                                          Delia Mills,   

                                                                                                                                                                                                          Paul Attwal

 

Unsung Hero Award                                                                                                                                                              Tafadzwa MUSENDO

 

Volunteer of the Year Award                                                                                                                                            Mike Roe

 

Patient Choice Award                                                                                                                                                           Dr. Nicole Braham