Trust recognises the outstanding achievements of its staff
The exceptional achievements of NHS staff were recognised at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s annual staff awards on Thursday 21 July.
Former Crimewatch presenter Nick Ross hosted the special event, which praised and awarded staff for their hard work and outstanding contribution to the Trust.
Hundreds of staff were nominated for the Make a Difference Awards, which took place at the Hilton Metropole on Edgware Road. Trust Chairman, Sir Richard Sykes and chief executive Dr Tracey Batten, welcomed the 22 finalists for the 2016 celebrations.
Dr Batten said:
“This is a great opportunity to celebrate the many excellent achievements of staff across our Trust. Our finalists have been selected from hundreds of nominations received by colleagues, managers and patients. All of them have demonstrated that our values of kind, expert, collaborative, and aspirational are central to everything we do. I would like to congratulate them on their outstanding efforts.
“I regularly witness the fantastic work our staff do across all our services and I am immensely proud that they are consistently seen by our patients as caring and compassionate. Everyone at the Trust plays a full part in helping all of the patients that we serve. We do this by harnessing the amazing expertise, experience and enthusiasm of all of our 10,000 staff and volunteers.
“Our awards ceremony allows us a chance to celebrate the outstanding contributions and exceptional care by individuals and teams across the Trust in the past year and helps to inspire many more. I would also like to thank Imperial College Healthcare Charity for their continued support of our staff recognition programme, through both the in-year awards and this annual ceremony.”
The award winners were:
Louise Davies, haematology blood transfusion quality & governance manager, who was named ‘Individual of the year’ for her outstanding contribution and going above and beyond what is expected.
PALS and complaints team, who were named ‘Team of the year’ for their outstanding contribution and going above and beyond what is expected.
Stella Tysall, play specialist volunteer, named ‘Volunteer of the year’ for her invaluable services for patients while demonstrating outstanding care and compassion.
Jenny Crow, Clinical specialist occupational therapist in stroke, Giuseppe Prima, Digital communications officer, Helen Crawford, Medical secretary,
Anne Hall, General manager, Jacqueline Remeike-Johnson, Labour ward co-ordinator who all won the ‘Unsung hero’ award in recognition of their combined 192 years of service during which they have consistently demonstrated commitment and passion for the service they deliver.
Corporate Cancer Team who won the Chairman’s award for their exceptional contribution towards this year’s theme of ‘Delivering quality improvements.’
Further details about the award winners
Individual of the year: Louise Davies, Haematology blood transfusion quality & governance manager
Louise’s hard work ensures the quality and governance for all our laboratories meets the highest standards. The Trust was recently given a new, more stringent accreditation process. Louise actively worked to prepare for the inspection, updating our documentation to align with the new accreditation standards and briefing the entire team ahead of the four day intensive inspection. Louise produced outstanding results, in record time. The department gained the accreditation for the first time and the inspectors praised Louise, describing her as a great asset to the Trust, owing to her professionalism, stamina and resolve.
Louise Davies said: “I’m very surprised. But this award is about the whole haematology blood transfusion and team, it’s very much been a team effort.”
Team of the year: PALS and complaints team
Following a major review of the way both teams work, all of the Trust’s complaints are now being resolved within the agreed time frame and the average time taken to respond has halved. This exceptional achievement is down to the hard work and determination of the PALS and complaints team. Whilst retaining their separate functions, the teams have transformed the way they work. Instead of investigating and responding to a complaint with a letter, they now act to resolve the patients’ concerns. The teams have a shared goal and decide the best way to help and deliver a prompt and effective intervention together. The new empathetic approach has led to a significant improvement and a fantastic outcome.
Keith Ingram, associate director service quality, complaints dept, said on behalf of the team: “I’m absolutely shocked and very grateful to everybody who nominated us. All the finalists deserved to win. I’m so very proud of my team but this award is also for all the people across the Trust who help us resolve complaints quickly and with compassion, day-in day-out.”
Volunteer of the year: Stella Tysall, Play specialist volunteer
After working as a play specialist throughout her career, Stella has given 25 years of voluntary service to the Trust. She has spent her retirement selflessly volunteering four days a week to help make young patients happy. Stella ensures the play room is safe and clean and goes above and beyond to ensure she sees every child to check if there is even the smallest thing she can do to make their stay a bright one. Reliable and hardworking, Stella has a huge impact on the ward and gives up so much of her time to make the hospital a happy place for children.
Stella Tysall, said: “I am just part of a team. Everybody is so good and the hospital is so good.”
Unsung hero award winners:
Jenny Crow, Clinical specialist occupational therapist in stroke
Jenny has been with the stroke services for over ten years and works tirelessly for her patients providing high quality and professional care. Her excellent relationships with the community services ensure patients receive the best on-going care and she is a representative on several pan London stroke groups, leading innovations for the Trust’s service. Jenny is part of a team that reviews information leaflets for healthcare professionals, as well as those affected by strokes, and is also organising the stroke forum annual conference this year. Jenny goes above and beyond and is a wonderful role model for other therapists.
Jennifer Crow said, “Receiving this award has been the highlight of my career so far. I do not do what I do for the acknowledgement but I have to confess that receiving such a fantastic award has been a thrilling experience and it has inspired me to work towards making an even larger difference to my patients, colleagues and the Trust.”
Giuseppe Prima, Digital communications officer
Giuseppe has been with the Trust for 15 years and joined the communications team, where he works currently, in 2007. In a service that has undergone enormous change he has been a constant and invaluable team member. Giuseppe has been integral in maintaining and developing the source and more recently developing the Trust’s new website. He also works on complex projects such as the new consultant database on the website. Providing on-going support to the 100-plus users, Giuseppe is the ‘go to’ for many for communications support and consistently goes to great lengths to solve problems for colleagues across the Trust. He is a real asset to the team.
Giuseppe Prima, said: “I’m very pleased to have won. The new website was a massive and really important project for the Trust so it was very important that all the information was uploaded in time for the launch. I’m really lucky to be able to work with so many different people across the organisation every day and also to be part of such a great team.”
Helen Crawford, Medical Secretary
Helen’s energy and enthusiasm has been a constant since she took up her role nearly 15 years ago. An essential point of continuity throughout many changes, in the past three years alone Helen has supported the team through the roll out of dictateIT and Cerner as well as throughout the rota and clinic changes for the new medical model. Balancing the needs of a busy department together with the support she provides to Prof Onn Min Kon, Helen also finds time to organise both department and charity events for chest and allergy services. Her tireless contribution helps the whole department function effectively. Testament to her kindness and compassion, patients often come to the department to thank her personally.
Helen Crawford said: “It has been a great honour to receive this award, I am thrilled that I have been recognised for my contribution at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.”
Anne Hall, General manager
Anne has been in the organisation for over 20 years and brings understanding of how to improve the care and experience for our patients. Visible to staff on a daily basis, Anne is the ‘go-to’ for support both within her own division and across the Trust. Anne has created a strong team by developing relationships with staff across her division and being accessible to them whenever they need support. Relishing a challenge, she has even covered general manager roles in surgery and vascular alongside her day job. Anne is passionate about improving patient care, she talks to patients about their complaints and makes change happen through phenomenal commitment and hard work.
Anne Hall said: “I am delighted to receive the award. To me it is all about the patients, their care and the staff I manage and come into contact regularly. I always aim to make a difference and be responsive, cheerful and also willing to go the extra mile for patients and staff. I believe having a sense of humour helps as well with our everyday work challenge.”
“I see this as a team award not just me as an individual. Having worked in the Trust for 27 years has been a privilege and I hope to be here for quite a few more years to come, so that I can contribute fully to the success of the Trust and the services I manage.”
Jacqueline Remeike-Johnson, Labour ward co-ordinator
Jackie has worked at Queen Charlotte’s& Chelsea Hospital since 1991 and is an experienced and respected labour ward co-ordinator. Often working through the night, Jackie’s dedication to the families she cares for, the midwives she nurtures and the staff she leads is apparent. With the ability to turn a labour ward from a chaotic environment into a controlled and calm one, Jackie is an asset to the team. Jackie takes the time to mentor and inspire her staff and is a constant source of advice for her team.
Jacqueline Remeike-Johnson said: “I am really happy to receive this award, as it is great to be recognised for the work I do on this very busy Labour Ward.”
Chairman’s award: Corporate Cancer Team
The team achieved this by restructuring their service and unifying the clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) into one team. The change has enabled the CNSs to have time to contact patients at home, to timetable clinics to review patients’ holistic needs and to be in a clinic to sit down with patients and their families. The team has demonstrated partnership working with Macmillan and Maggie’s, as well as inviting patient representatives of cancer decision-making groups. The team has turned around the way we care for cancer patients.
Gareth Gwynn, Head of cancer performance and improvement said:
“It has been a real honour for the Corporate Cancer Team to receive this award. It shows that all the hard work we have put into making sure people with cancer receive the best care has been recognised.”
Notes to Editors:
Nick Ross is currently non-executive director designate for the Trust, he is also an honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
