This afternoon we celebrated the final NBT Heroes of the year. In true 2020 style, the ceremony was held virtually for the first time, in order to comply with social distancing guidance and to keep everyone safe. However, for those staff dialling in from site, we couldn't resist grabbing the now iconic socially distanced photo!
The occasion was particularly special this time around, as it marked Andrea Young's last ceremony as Chief Executive, before she leaves NBT on 11 December. To ensure a smooth transition with her absence, Deputy Chief Executive, Evelyn Barker, took it in turns with Andrea to read out the nominations of those in attendance.
The NBT Hero Awards have been running for 4 years, in which time we have seen a huge range of staff recognised by their colleagues for making NBT a great place to work. This year, COVID has been a running theme in many of the nominations, with staff wanting to celebrate and thank their co-workers for the amazing ways in which they've risen to deal with the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Thank you to Southmead Hospital Charity for providing £5 meal vouchers for all our nominees, in place of the usual afternoon tea which was noticeably missing at the virtual ceremony!
Read the final nominations of 2020 below:
Rebecca Cousins (Research Nurse)
nominated by Elena Bellavia (Research Assistant)
I am nominating Becky Cousins for her commitment and work on the COVID-19 vaccine trial. She continually goes above and beyond for her participants in the trials she works on and is always on hand for advice for staff members too.
Becky was also one of the select few to be redeployed onto the wards to lend a hand to our colleagues who needed additional support back in March. In June, Becky was released from the ward and dove headfirst in to assisting with the COVID vaccine trials. On a ‘normal’ working day (pre-COVID) Becky would be supporting her participants who have volunteered to take part in dementia clinical trials. However, when the pandemic came about, the majority of the research workforce was asked to down tools on our day to day jobs and to focus on vital research relating to COVID-19. Becky has since been a regular clinic nurse on the trial and regularly put herself in for shifts for COVID trial work. Unfortunately, due to the second wave, Becky has been redeployed for a second time - but I know that the ward staff are very fond of her and that she is doing a fantastic job!
Rebecca Pracownik & Natalie Rosewell (Cognitive Disorder Specialist Nurses)
nominated by Elena Bellavia (Research Assistant), Maria Bellavia (Administrator, Facilities) and George Everett (Materials Management Assistant)
and Nazanin Jahed Armaghani (Assistant Psychologist)
Elena, Maria and George: We are nominating the Cognitive Specialist Nurses (Natalie and Beccy) for continuing to provide a five star service for their patients during lockdown. Beccy and Nat have really stepped up to the mark to ensure their patients received the care and support they so desperately needed during this difficult time. They are a credit to their team, vital members of the Brain Centre and have been pivotal to the smooth running of the building. We have heard nothing but positive reviews from their patients and know their patients really appreciate being able to speak to a nurse 5 days a week.
Nazanin: I am nominating our amazing Cognitive Specialist Nurses, Natalie and Rebecca for providing top standard service to our patients every time. During the pandemic, Natalie and Rebecca ensured that the Brain Centre was running as smoothly as possible in the absence of other team members. The nurse helpline was at its busiest during the lockdown period however our nurses managed to deliver a high quality, patient-centred service for each individual. The two of them stepped up as key members of the Brain Centre, making sure our building was "COVID-19 green" and safe for even the most vulnerable members of the public to receive clinical support during these challenging times. As a clinic co-ordinator, I hear how satisfied the patients are all the time with the service Natalie and Rebecca provide and I hope their hard work is also recognised by the other members of the trust.
Sally Hall (Research Administrator)
nominated by Mary Alvarez (Senior Research Midwife)
I would like to nominate our research administrator, Sally Hall. Sally is the glue that keeps the maternity research team together. Sally’s attention to detail allows the team to feel confident that they can concentrate on patient contact, in the knowledge that the administration of the studies (EDGE, site files, CPMS etc.), are maintained to the highest standards. She is innovative and without prompting seeks new ways of working to improve our productivity. Sally is also full of life and has a great sense of humour. She was a very supportive colleague during the lockdown months; always willing to change her working days/hours to meet the needs of the service and go the extra mile. We would be lost without her. Sally's dedication I feel should be recognised outside of our department; particularly at this time when she has processed all the maternity COVID-19 research for the trust.
Carolyn Smith (Clinical Research Centre Manager)
nominated by Emma Gendall (Senior Research Nurse)
Carolyn has worked really hard since we started recruiting to the Oxford Vaccine study. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that all the equipment needed for the study has been ordered and arrives. She also helps with setting up the equipment for the recruitment clinics. Having recruited 540 plus patients to this study this has required a huge amount of time and effort from Carolyn, without this support running the vaccine study would have been extremely difficult. Thank you Carolyn!
Gabrielle Conolly (HCA, Medirooms)
nominated by Lauren Slater (Practice Development Teacher)
I am a Practice Development Teacher based in the L&R. However I also work regular bank shifts in the Medirooms and know first-hand how fantastic the staff there truly are. Therefore, it came as no surprise to hear of the high standard of care my Mother received when she was recently admitted via the Gynae list. My Mother suffers terribly from anxiety and generally finds coming to hospital an extremely challenging experience. However, my Mother could not praise your staff enough, stating from the moment she entered Medirooms, to when she was walked into theatre, to recovery and eventual transfer to the ward, she was treated exceptionally well and her mental health and well-being was paramount to all staff, at all times. The level of reassurance and holistic care she received from one particular member of staff, Gabrielle Conolly, was unbelievable – my Mother believes that without Gabrielle by her side, she would not have gone through with the surgery. COVID-19 has thrown many challenges at all staff during the last few months, and yet it’s obvious how it has not phased Gabrielle’s focus and ability to recognise what matters the most – that humanistic approach! I feel Gabrielle is deserving of an NBT Hero award for efforts, and I would like to nominate her on my Mother’s behalf.
Kieran Morgan (Domestic)
nominated by Liz Varian (Head of Nursing, ASCR)
Kieran has recently taken over domestic responsibility for the Level 0 Ambulance/staff entrance PPE supplies. Prior to Kieran working in this area, bins were overflowing, masks over the floor and there were empty boxes everywhere. Since he has been covering he has identified that due to the set up whenever the doors opened the PPE was blowing off the table and thus being wasted, therefore, he has relocated to PPE to prevent this. He starts his shift in advance of staff arriving to ensure that PPE packets are open and arranged to allow easy access when staff arrive. The effect of this is a reduction in the amount of PPE being wasted, bins are emptied and therefore cleanliness in the area is much improved. Kieran takes huge pride in work, is always smiling with a pleasant word whatever time it is. Kieran has demonstrated he is a real NBT Hero.
Jane Evans (Clerical Worker, Research)
nominated by Katherine Coates (Research Physiotherapist)
As is the case for many people this year, Jane has had to adapt to very different ways of working to accommodate changes in the team’s caseload as a result of the COVID pandemic. She has, throughout this period, maintained her usual calm and professional demeanour at all times, and accepted new duties readily. She demonstrates seemingly infinite patience entering large volumes of invaluable data as part of ongoing COVID19 research, and her meticulous approach means that errors or omissions are picked up in a timely manner. She has coped with endless changes to protocols, as the pandemic has unfolded, and helped to keep other team members up to speed with the latest processes. In amongst this, Jane has continued with her pre-existing duties, consistently conducted with a reliability, flexibility, and autonomy that are much appreciated by all team members. We hope that Jane realises what a valued member of the team she is, keeping everyone afloat, in what has been a challenging year to date!
James Wade (HCA, 7A)
nominated by Garry Pearce (Neuro Oncology Support Worker)
James is an HCA on 7A/neuro wards, and we see him on many occasions when we are on the ward. He is unfailingly cheerful, upbeat and smiling. He always seems happy in his work and gets on well with patients and colleagues alike. Today we witnessed him ‘walking out’ with one of our more cognitively impaired patients – he was gently walking her, arm in arm, and singing to her. His calm approach - even with some of the more challenging patients - sets a great example for everyone. His care and compassion for the patients is clear and we think he thoroughly deserves to be recognised.
Charlotte Kemp (Cancer Services Performance Manager)
nominated by Terri Agnew (Cancer Services Manager)
Lottie has been with cancer services for a number of years and has gained a wide understanding of what is required to ensure every cancer patient is effectively managed and supported through their cancer journey. When COVID hit us the trust Lottie put together a range of safety net procedures using the Somerset cancer register database, which were quickly pulled into training manuals for the cancer service teams to use. Once testing had been completed the safety net procedures were applied to all cancer sites. Lottie ensured that all of the safety nets were implemented across the modalities ensuring that no patient was lost or forgotten in the changing environment that we found ourselves in. At a time which must have been scary and worrying for cancer patients, the safety nets became invaluable in communicating with patients effectively about their next steps and planned pathway. When COVID subsided Lottie ensured that all patients listed on the safety nets were validated and at the end of the validation it was clear that we had not lost any patient during the COVID period and that all patients were correctly added to the backlog clearance plans and were finally getting the treatment or diagnostic procedure that they required. Without Lottie's dedication and quick response to the situation we would not be in the position we are now. Due to the success of the safety netting procedures they were shared with cancer colleagues across the local region to ensure the same level of safety could be applied to all our cancer patients.
Shalayne Giles (Student Nurse, 33A)
nominated by Sabra Thomas-Gray (Junior Sister, 33A)
Shalayne has been a student with the ward since August and has shown time and time again that she is willing to go above and beyond what is asked of her. I know that she has previously worked in ED for over 7 years and so has a lot of experience but translating that to the ward is often a different story. Shalayne is always thinking ahead about what needs doing and how she can help. She's always putting patients first in everything she does and it has been a real boost to the ward having her with us. This has been recognised by everyone I've spoken to about Shalayne. I will often hear people saying "she's amazing isn't she!?", "I couldn't have got through that shift without her" and other lovely compliments. She has recently had her interviews for her first job as a registered nurse and I'm pleased to say she'll be staying with us on 33A.
Callum Allen-Ridge (Senior Improvement Practioner, Perform)
nominated by Steve Bunce (Clinical Head of Therapy Services)
Callum is providing outstanding support to the Enablement Programme. This requires the complexity of bringing together areas of previous enablement work and directing resources with a particular focus on one ward. In establishing this, he is now building the process to take the enablement development structure to wards in the other Divisions. I have been particularly struck by the example Callum sets when faced with the challenges associated with these tasks. He brings a calm, reassuring clarity of thought to his work and networks exceptionally well with all stakeholders. Despite the considerable demands currently faced by our ward colleagues, Callum has been able to maintain and engage a positive commitment to this programme that goes beyond the requirements of the role. For example, covering ward work while HCA's can be released for enablement training. Callum is a shining example of the value of Perform and of providing transformation support to us across NBT.
Carlie John (Senior Administrator, Core Clinical)
nominated by Sharon Maggs & Claire Critchard (Operational Support Managers, Core Clinical)
Carlie has been working within the division as an administrator for just over a year now. She works within both the Outpatients and Interventional Radiology Nursing Teams. Previous to this Carlie worked as a HCA in Outpatients but decided on a change in direction for her career.
During the past year Carlie has grown in confidence and has now mastered the difficult task of building IR's rosters - this is no mean feat. She has gained many skills and has grown not only as a Senior Admin but as part of the CCS operational support team.
There is never a job too big or too small that Carlie will not help with. When she sees that we are really busy she is always the first to offer to help or take work from us (despite having a large workload herself). She cheers everyone up with her Welsh banter and is always looking after us all on a personal level as well as a professional level. She really deserves to be recognised as an NBT Hero as everything that she stands embodies the trust values. She is honest, hardworking and her nursing background means that she has always got the patients at the core of everything she does.
Carlie has had to deal with many changes to her services that she covers in her year of being here. She does this each time with an exceptionally professional attitude and with a readiness to ensure that any change is met with ease for her teams.
Joe Hosty (Finance Business Analyst, NMSK)
nominated by Joanna Smithers (AGM, NMSK Cluster 3)
Joe frequently goes above and beyond his job description and normal duties to help and support divisional teams.
No matter what query we send to Joe, no matter how complex, he always takes it on without complaint and investigates thoroughly. On one occasion I meant to send a request to another manager, but accidently sent it to Joe by mistake. Even though it was not within his remit to help, he took it upon himself to find an answer for me and resolved the issue before I even realised I sent it to wrong person!
Another example of Joe's dedication and hard work is amount of time he spent on supporting our departmental triumvirate with a particular piece of work around consultant budgets. He worked very flexibly, even outside of his normal working hours to ensure that the work had been done to highest standard, working to extremely tight deadlines. Despite the need to change the request several times he did not complain but worked very hard to make sure information was available to support decision making of the senior management team.
Joe has also supported a large number of new staff with training and support in their roles in an area which has seen high turnover recently. His support has been invaluable in getting these staff members up and running in a busy finance department.
As well as this, Joe has led on a project to negotiate payment of around £600k of aged debt with a number of our NHS partners which had been outstanding for a number of years, which was a great achievement.
Jomel Cabilogan (Porter, Endoscopy)
nominated by Zeino Zeino (Consultant, Endoscopy)
and Fayruz Faruk (Support Manager, Endoscopy)
Zeino Zeino: I would like to nominate Jomel, who is one of our Endoscopy Porters. He is always smiling, he always brings a positive atmosphere into the working environment. He is willing to go the extra mile and help. He has developed the awareness and experience to put patients’ safety first. Patients love him, as do all the staff he works with.
Nothing is “impossible” for Jomel; from sorting printers, connections, Co2 cylinders, IT issues... he is an expert in all of it. He will greet you with his cheeky smile from the moment you enter the department, he will always find something to cheer you up when you are stressed. He makes sure patients are brought in and out of endoscopy on time, he has the spirit to win a marathon while doing his job, and I bet he knows how to scope also, if only he had the right training.
We need more people like Jomel in the NHS, and their efforts should be always recognised, that is why I strongly recommend Jomel to be chosen as an NBT Hero.
Fayruz Faruk: Jomel is one of our Endoscopy Porters. He is always willing to help and has a smiling face. Jomel goes beyond expectation to help others both patients and staff alike. I have never seen him tire and he has never made excuses not to help. He cheers everyone up in the unit, especially when we have a busy challenging day.
Jonathan Hall (Apprenticeship Lead Delivery Manager)
nominated by Sally Garbett (Practice Development Teacher)
For the past 8 months, Jon has had 2 jobs whilst awaiting recruitment to replace a manager who left. He supports and directs us, thanking us for our work and always noticing our achievements. He comes in early and goes home late yet never complains. He even teaches when there is no cover for the maths or English teachers. Jon remains steadfast and positive under massive pressure and has to continuously reinforce the benefits of apprenticeships on which the Trust depends to ensure the HCAs are qualified and achieve English and maths qualifications.
Jon manages the tricky interface between our need to have staff released so we can teach and assess them and the Trust’s need to have them at the coalface caring for patients. We have to qualify staff within target dates and deadlines, even when staff are called away from training due to trust pressures.
Jon supports and manages us through all this and is our source of direction and motivation as a department.
In 40 years of working in post 16 education I don’t think I have ever met a more fair, considerate, hardworking and emotionally intelligent manager.
I have heard so many colleagues say they work for Jon - go the extra mile because of Jon. I echo that and believe he deserves to be recognised. We are one of the only Trusts in the country hitting our national target for apprenticeships - these things don’t happen by accident - they happen because of Jon.
Liban Ali (Domestic Operative, Level 2)
nominated by Jay Jordan (FM Duty Manager)
Liban works on the level 2 FM task team. He performs a wide range of duties across all areas and cleaning disciplines. One of Liban’s main duties is to support the substantive ward domestic team maintain the highest standards of cleanliness possible.
Everywhere Liban works I receive incredible feedback from both facilities and clinical colleagues as to the high standard of his work. Without doubt Liban is having a massive positive impact and this inevitably results in cleaner and safer wards for our patients and colleagues.
In addition to a great work ethic he is always polite and friendly and takes interest in what you have to say - Liban absolutely deserves our recognition. Thank you Liban - fantastic work!
Mark Roberts (Porter, Emergency Department)
nominated by Jeannette Baker (Senior Facilities Manager)
Well done to Mark Roberts for receiving recognition in the Southmead Emergency Department ‘PIMS (Positive Incident Management System) of the year.
Mark has gone above and beyond to help deliver the best possible care and support for our patients. It has been recognised that he consistently achieves this as his high standards continue to impress his peers.
Through 2019 Mark received 9 positive referrals for going beyond what is expected in his role. This goes to show just how impressive of an individual Mark is.
A quote from one referral: “Mark is consistently helpful and approachable. Always smiles, never finds anything too much trouble. Raising standards of portering in ED… “
This is a huge achievement so a massive congratulations to you Mark!
Paul Griffiths (Senior Practitioner, Mental Health Liaison Team)
nominated by Ben Ford (Matron, Mental Health Liaison Team)
Paul is one of the longest serving members of the Mental Health Liaison team. When I worked with Paul as a clinical colleague he taught me a significant amount and supported me, the team and everyone who he worked alongside with a kindness and respect that was outstanding, even within such a dedicated workforce at NBT.
It is hard to pick out single specific examples of excellence as Paul constantly, every day and every shift gives 100% to what he is doing. It is often the case that when people function like this we forget to recognise how great they actually are and the impact that they have on the lives of all those they work with, be it patients and carers or their “work family”.
In my years here I have never heard a bad word said about Paul. His energy and humour is infectious. On reflection I am moved to think of the times I have observed Paul in action, for example forging a connection with a patient with mental health issues and a learning disability, gaining their trust and being able to reassure them. I have seen Paul spend hours after his shift has finished ensuring that all aspects of care are in place for a patient, so that they felt safe. I have seen Paul putting an arm around a colleague and spending an hour ensuring they were ok. These are a few examples of how Paul operates as a clinician and as a person.
I am so lucky to have worked with Paul and even luckier to have him as an integral part of the Mental Health Liaison team and we as One NBT are richer for having him in the Trust.
Pauline Gourlay Sheere (Housekeeper, 6B)
nominated by Jean Waldron (Housekeeper, 25A)
I would love for Pauline to receive an NBT Hero award as I and many others have seen how she interacts with patients and their relatives she makes them smile and laugh. Nothing is too much bother for Pauline and I’ve overheard her say if she can make someone smile each day then she’s doing her job well.
She also knows how important her role is as she has been in the hospital as a patient herself after unfortunately collapsing on her ward, ending up having open heart surgery.
Pauline is an amazing asset to the trust and we definitely need people like her on our wards.
Phoebe Collins (Receptionist, ED), Adam Collins (HCA, ED) and Amelia May (Staff Nurse, ED)
nominated by Michael Gammon (Charge Nurse, Emergency Department)
I look after the PIMS Management in the ED (Positive incident management system). I had a referral about 3 people who did something incredible over Christmas. This is the referral:
“A patient in EDOU side room was victim of domestic violence. She had arrived on Christmas Eve with her 9 year old daughter and disclosed abuse that her daughter had witnessed. Daughter was upset on arrival to hospital as it was Christmas Eve and she had seen her gifts unwrapped on the dining room table. This little girl was going to wake up in hospital with her Mum after witnessing her being assaulted, thinking that Santa didn’t exist as she’d seen presents and not having any gifts. I went to discuss with Phoebe at crossroads. We both had lots of extra gifts at home. Phoebe lived closer so she popped home and got a bagful of gifts that she and Adam then wrapped. Also, some gifts from minors for the child. Millie May wrote a letter to the patient’s daughter from Santa stating he heard she was here so dropped some gifts here for her and state she would receive normal gifts and have normal Christmas once her Mum had received hospital care and been sent home. Unfortunately the patient and child woke before I could put it on the end of the trolley so I told them gifts and letter had been delivered to the front desk. It was a really lovely thing to do for a young vulnerable child on a day that should have been magical”
This really is incredible!!! It’s well above and far beyond duty and I feel these 3 people are true heroes!
Tracey Cabey (Domestic Operative, 9A/Gate 27)
nominated by Lisa Broderick (FM Duty Manager)
Tracey has worked as a Domestic since 2007 and increased her hours over the years. She splits her time betweenand works on Gate 9A and Gate 27 isolation.
In November 2019 Tracey received a PIMS of the month award from Gate 9A Clinical team who wanted to take the opportunity to thank Tracey for always being so happy, cheerful and for helping both staff and patients and then in January Tracey received a letter from a patient who recently stayed in Gate 27 Isolation and was thanking everybody for the excellent care she received but made a special mention of Tracey saying ‘Tracey cleaned my room over the days I spent in Gate 27 Isolation and was very cheerful and encouraging and nothing was too much trouble’
Tracey works on both Gate 9A and Gate 27 Isolation where the cleaning audit scores are excellent and I believe Tracey plays a big part in this as she always cleans to a very high standard
As Tracey’s Duty Manager I am extremely proud to have her in my team and feel that Tracey clearly demonstrates commitment to the trusts core values of putting the patient first and striving for excellence and going the extra mile and this makes Tracey a true NBT Hero.She also knows how important her role is as she has been in the hospital as a patient herself after unfortunately collapsing on her ward, ending up having open heart surgery.
Pauline is an amazing asset to the trust and we definitely need people like her on our wards.