On a very sunny Thursday afternoon, we celebrated our fourth round of hero award winners for 2022. The awards are a way for staff to recognise their colleagues for the amazing things that they do, big and small. This month the heroes were chosen for making a difference, whether that’s being a friendly face in difficult times, going above and beyond to support our patients and colleagues or pulling out all the stops to ensure things run smoothly.
The winners we’re invited for coffee and cake, where they got a chance to meet their fellow heroes, find out why they were nominated and take the time to celebrate each other.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to all our Heroes - read their nominations below:
Toni Wright and Rachael Gainey, Pensions Officers
Nominated by Judith French, Assistant Director of Operations
Toni and Rachael have recently helped me to complete a process for a member of staff who was very ill. They were both extremely helpful, compassionate and caring and certainly went the extra mile to help the member of staff and their family. They made a very difficult situation become very straightforward and this was massively appreciated by me, the member of staff and the family. Both ladies should be really proud of the work that they do and I want them to know how much they are appreciated. Thank you just isn’t enough - they truly are heroes!
William Joynes, Pharmacist
Nominated by Susan Bessant, Sister
Will went out of his way to ensure 2 different palliative care patients were discharged home. There were many different hurdles throughout the discharges that needed overcoming from a medication point of view and Will was there to support the Nurses, Dr’s and palliative care team during each different hurdle. He even came to the rescue when a hurdle happened that no-one expected, despite his shift already finishing on the ward, just so we could ensure both patients were discharged safely and there would be continued care at home. A complete pleasure to work alongside someone so dedicated.
Karlene Bewry, Domestic
Nominated by Susan Bessant, Sister
I would like to nominate Karlene for a hero award. Firstly for always doing such a good job, nothing is too much for her. She is always willing to go the extra mile to do something we have asked her to do if it helps the patients or the ward staff.
Secondly, for pointing out to the management team on AMU, that since the living with Covid plan has been implemented and the waste bins in the patients rooms have been changed, staff are not putting waste in the correct bins. She had already spoken to her team leader on more than one occasion, but it was not getting resolved, by informing our team, we could act on the error and come up with a solution. This helps the ward and the trust from a waste disposal point of view and sustainability.
Rebecca Dineley, Senior Analyst
Nominated by Jeannette Baker, Senior Facilities Manager
Over the past several months, we have been experiencing a significant amount of pressure due to hundreds of stock issues caused by the pandemic and Brexit. Before Covid the Materials Management team saw approximately 1 to 2 de-listed items per month which takes a while to secure an alternative and then get clinical approval before purchasing. At present we are receiving approximately 2 to 5 per day and to be able to source products, get clinical approval and purchase the products, takes a significant amount of time, added to the pressure of demand managed goods and staff shortages, being on top of this is no mean feat! Becky has truly gone well above and beyond in her role and is continues to work at 200% to ensure that patient procedures can take place. I am in no doubt that without Becky's determination, lists would have been cancelled and waiting times lengthened.
Lesley Wiley, Assistant Practitioner
Nominated by Amanda McAusland, Sister
Whilst I was on annual leave, Lesley took a phone call from one of the Sisters on ward 33a, asking if we could spare any staff to help out on the ward the following day. So, Lesley took it upon herself to phone all 7 patients from one of the morning nurse-led dressing clinics the following day and asked them to come in the afternoon, giving them each a new time. This freed up a trained nurse to go and help out on the ward and ensured that our outpatients still received the care they needed. This example of teamwork is a reflection of Lesley's dedication, outstanding care, and thinking outside of the box, and I am very proud and pleased that she felt empowered to do so. This is just one of many examples of Lesley's commitment and initiative. She is a star!
Gabrielle Williams, Staff Nurse
Nominated by Amanda Gubb, Trainee ACP
Gabi always excels in the complex management of safeguarding children and adults within the early pregnancy clinic here at Southmead hospital. With some recent distressing cases, she always remains professional and takes appropriate action. Gabi knows her stuff and we can all learn from her actions. Gabi is an advocate for the vulnerable and I want her to know what a fantastic job she does every day. You make a difference and this is often reflected in feedback from patients in the form of thank you cards/notes/gifts. Thank you, Gabi, for all your compassion and empathy towards everyone you meet.
Naomi Day, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Nominated by Caroline Eden, Clinical Nurse Specialist
Naomi has worked tirelessly over the past two years to lead our team of Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) at the Breast Care Centre. Her dedication to the service, our patients and staff has been evident to all who have come into contact with her. She always goes the extra mile to look after those women diagnosed with Breast Cancer, whether that be helping them with clinical problems relating to their treatment, psychological support to help them process their disease or practical problem solving to sort out administrative issues. As well, as her passion, expertise and experience that comes from many years of being a Breast Care Nurse, Naomi has also managed and supported the staff in the CNS Team excellently. She has led the work we do, she has instilled in our service her own sense of individualised, holistic care that makes us so good at what we do and in return we have looked to her for guidance, advice and leadership. She has delivered at all levels and deserves recognition and thanks for her work.
Joelma Horta de Paula Danieletto, Biomedical Scientist
Scott Taylor, Biomedical Scientist
Joelma is and has been for years the hardest working person I have ever met. She works constantly as well as working towards her continued professional education outside in her free time. Since working here, she has progressed from a Band 2 to a Band 5, including going back to university to complete additional modules and completing her portfolio of evidence. In all of this she is always a positive person, providing a positive influence to everyone lucky enough to work closely with her. She has recently had a personal tragedy and yet she is still here chugging away working harder than most of our colleagues. I really feel that she is the definition of what an NBT Hero is and she certainly is my Hero already!
Mary Hannah Bonnett, Clinical Transformation Specialist
Nominated by Phil Clatworthy, Consultant Stroke Neurologist
Hannah is a junior doctor who decided to work in the Clinical Transformation digital team. Both before and since I started as Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, I have found Hannah to be incredibly keen to listen to any issues and do her best to sort them out. She has done this with exceptional tenacity, recognising where she is needed to see things through to their conclusion, including issues that are slightly peripheral to her role in the clinical transformation team. As an example, we had an issue with identifying the on call consultant for entering the new electronic patient record (EPR). As others fell away from the task as not central to the EPR programme, Hannah continued to work to link me with the right people to make it happen. Hannah has always been extremely helpful and answered questions thoroughly and willingly. For instance, when I bumped into her in the staff restaurant she happily sat down with her laptop, gave me a demonstration of one of the IT systems and explained everything! Hannah is definitely an NBT Hero!
James Putt, Porter
Nominated by Janette O'Neill, Matron
Whenever I see James, he is always cheerful and positive, and I have witnessed the impact that this has on patients, families, and colleagues. I would like to share an example; I heard James entering Elgar House talking to a patient, patiently explaining what he was doing and where the patient was going. The commentary continued and when they came round the corridor into sight, I could see the impact this had on the patient. The patient was frail and being moved from one building to another causing confusion and anxiety. James orientated the patient to his surroundings and offered reassurance by encouraging his family to accompany him. This ensured they also had a positive impression and were kept informed. James was knowledgeable and gave confidence in the care the patient would be receiving. This cannot be underestimated as the transition can be a challenge for patients. James’ approach to his role is consistent, he is helpful, kind and delivers compassionate care. I would like him to be acknowledged for the high quality of care he delivers. His interpersonal skill and excellent engagement with the patient continued to the positive interactions with the Elgar team and patients’ family. James’s is a role model, who demonstrates that it takes no extra time to ensure that we can provide a person-centred experience for our most vulnerable patients.
Kamila Pytel, Healthcare Assistant
Nominated by Lee Hulcombe, Security Officer
A massive thanks to Kamila Pytel a professional member of AMU team who took the time to support the security team with an intoxicated patient who struggled to speak English. She stayed with the patient and helped translate what the patient was saying which helped us a great deal. She displayed empathy and lived our value "exceptional healthcare, personally delivered". Thank you, Kamila, for taking the time to help our team. Kamila amplifies the OneNBT family.
Malgorzata Kowalczuk, Nursing Associate
Nominated by Emily Hinchey, Staff Nurse
Gosia is a fantastic member of the NICU team, making time for staff and parents alike. She has a genuine passion for working in the NICU and parents often comment on how organized she is and how happy it makes them when they realize that Gosia is their baby's nurse for the day. One of Gosia's particular strengths is breastfeeding support for new mothers. She will sit with mums for hours supporting them to try new positions, giving them advice and feedback, and many mothers on the unit credit Gosia for giving them the confidence they needed to pursue their breastfeeding goals. Her compassion and dedication to our babies and their families is like no other, and that's why I believe she deserves an NBT Hero award.
Maria Kelly, Domestic
Nominated by Bev O'Dwyer, JUC Administrator/PA
The Joint Union Committee would like to nominate Maria Kelly as an unsung NBT Hero. Maria finds the strength to keep going no matter what pain she finds herself in to ensure she keeps up her very high standard of cleaning within our area. Thank you, Maria, for bringing your best to work every single day and for the last 23 years within NBT. Great job! You are a pleasure to have about the office. Your dedication is shown in your work! We really appreciate you!
Caitlin Harvey, Staff Wellbeing and Engagement Consultant
Nominated by Sophie Evans, People Strategy Team Administrator
Caitlin is an NBT Hero as she made an outstanding contribution to staff wellbeing by leading, coordinating and organising the Women’s and Children’s wellbeing festival. Caitlin worked tirelessly to ensure that our wellbeing providers and external stakeholders were able to attend and deliver fun and interactive sessions for staff which included creative writing, massages, yoga and seeing therapy dogs. Over the 2 days, Caitlin was very enthusiastic, approachable, and friendly and ran the wellbeing information stall and encouraged staff to access our wellbeing support. Over 200 staff attended the festival, and this had a massive positive impact on their health and wellbeing and helped them feel supported in the workplace.
Jennifer Clay, Healthcare Assistant
Nominated by Theresa Brown, Staff Nurse
Jenny is an asset to the Interventional Radiology (IR) team. She is a fountain of knowledge and teaches HCA's and RN's alike. She works incredibly hard and always works above and beyond to ensure the cases run smoothly and all of our patients are well looked after. I wholeheartedly trust her decision making skills and she has been an exceptional help to me, especially in my early days starting out on IR. She is kind and fun to be around. I truly hope she feels valued because she is outstanding! Thank you for everything, Jenny
Cheryl Dyson, Ward Receptionist
Nominated by Michelle Down, Senior Sister
Recently my family and I experienced an event that saw my father in ICU. Cheryl was the receptionist on ICU, she greeted us, made us feel at ease and explained the process of a new ICU admission. Cheryl took the time to get to know us, and a little about my dad and she always without fail greeted us with a smile, a friendly face and an ear when we babbled on. Cheryl is clearly very passionate about her job and the families she meets on a daily basis. She made our journey through ICU a supportive one from the front door. When my dad was on the road to recovery she even popped in to say hello. Cheryl really is a credit to the team on ICU, and she goes above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome. She is amazing and should be recognised for the care and attention she gives to all the families going through the most terrible times. So a massive thank you, for making our experience on the other side a positive one.
Sue Brown, Domestic
Nominated by Quijote Gemma, Staff Nurse
Sue is one of our domestics working in Elgar. One thing that makes Sue unique from the rest is she is very thorough in cleaning the ward and always takes the time to talk to the patients. On one occasion, Sue called me to attend to a patient in a side room by her prompting me and being alert to the situation, she almost certaintly saved that patient from falling. She is on top of everything, including, reporting items or equipment that are broken. Her dedication makes her productive and efficient in doing her job. She has an excellent relationship with the staff and patients and I am proud to work alongside her. She's one of a kind and the work she does is exceptional. She's an unsung hero and a role model to all.
Tracy Wharrier, Community Team Leader
Nominated by Juliette Hughes, Divisional Director of Nursing.
Tracy leads an exemplary team of midwives to deliver great care to antenatal and postnatal women and their families. Our community services are often our unsung heroes. They work incredibly hard, often in physically challenging environments but carry on to make a difference every day. Tracy has been highly praised by her team and her colleagues with all reporting how supportive, caring and inspirational she is. In addition, we have had many compliments sent personally about Tracy including this recent letter which sums up how much she is appreciated. "It was my privilege to have Tracy as my community midwife, she supported me every step of the way through the trimesters up until discharge. She always went above and beyond and worked very hard and diligently to ensure my worries and concerns were addressed and I always felt heard, supported and listened to. As team manager, I know all of Tracy's team feel supported, heard and clear on her high expectations under her strong and caring leadership. She is an asset to the midwifery profession (and Thornbury community) and I would like to personally recognise her many talents and her team that strive so hard to ensure women have safe positive birth experiences every day. Nothing was too much trouble for the team and they often would call back outside clinic hours to ensure wellbeing of the mothers or to answer any queries."
Mary Ilagan, Ward Manager
Nominated by Samantha Glover, Housekeeper
Back in December 2021 my mental health had suffered dramatically. I was signed off work so I could get some help, this ended up with me being off for 5 months. During this time, Mary my ward manager stayed in contact with me and referred me to multiple trust resources for wellbeing and to occupational health for treatment. She never made me feel pressured into coming back to work, but instead focused on my wellbeing and my recovery. When I was ready to come back she facilitated my return to work by putting measures in place so I had the support I needed. She has gone above and beyond her duties as my manger and she has been vital to my recovery and return to work. Without her support, understanding and knowledge of the support I could get through the trust, I would not be back to work now. The last few years have been very trying and has taken its toll on everyone and given that I have little family and support outside of work Mary's actions truly helped me feel not alone in an extremely lonely time. I feel its very important for the support I received to be recognised and praised. In a time where the mental health of NHS staff has taken heavy blows we should highlight those who go beyond to support others.
Paul Davies, Equipment Supervising Officer
Nominated by Claire Weatherall, Divisional Operations Director
I have worked with Paul on and off over a number of years but more recently in relation to the women and children's office improvement works. Paul has pulled out all of the stops to help get us the new furniture and supplies for us. He has moved various desks and kit, here there and everywhere to make the space really work for us. None of this was really for him to do but he has done so with a smile and super positive attitude throughout. Thank you Paul we really appreciate all you do.
John Tucker, Housekeeper
Nominated by Stephanie Goenka, Occupational Therapist
As an Occupational Therapist working on the bank, I get to go across all the medicine wards and thus visit many ward kitchens. However, I feel that the kitchen on 9A was exceptionally spotless, and I feel that the hard work John is putting in to keep the place in such an amazing state has to be recognised. You can tell he's working hard to keep the environment clean and safe and mostly that he takes pride in his work. Thank you for making the work environment even more pleasant John.
Thomas Holloway, Health Care Assistant
Nominated by Jane Searle, Infection Prevention and Control Matron
Tom has shown amazing professionalism, empathy and outstanding support to patients when they are anxious, vulnerable, and unable to be supported by family/visitors due to the covid restrictions. Tom had provided one particular patient with extended time and support when they had been in a severe septic episode when this patient needed them most. His caring attitude and calming approach is evident in everything he does. On several different occasions, this patient reflected that Tom has been there for him in many other disciplines and speciality staff. Tom is a great role model to all staff.