October's NBT Hero Award winners celebrated at the penultimate ceremony of 2019.
The NBT Hero Awards are a way of staff recognising and thanking their colleagues for the small, daily acts of kindness which help to make NBT a brighter place to work. The ceremony is an opportunity for staff to meet with other winners from across different areas of the trust and get to know a bit about their roles, as well as being recognised by NBT Chief Executive, Andrea Young. The Chief Executive opens with a brief introduction to the awards, before reading out a citation for each winner and presenting them with their certificate.
Southmead Hospital Charity fund the ceremony which includes an afternoon tea with cake and sandwiches.
As winners and some of the staff members who had nominated them sat down with a slice of cake, Andrea Young said:
"This is one of my favourite things to do, especially on a rainy afternoon like this. It's a chance to show that your hard work and the amazing things you do every day, has been noticed and has been appreciated by someone that you work with."
Read the full nominations for all of October's winners below:
Tania Bennett - Senior Staff Nurse, Medi-rooms
(nominated by Natalie Ferris, Clinical Matron for ASCR)
Imagine being a patient receiving care in the division you work for. I was anxious and scared. As soon as Tania knew I was scheduled for surgery she asked if I would object to her looking after me. I didn’t mind at all, and this was so reassuring for me and exactly what I needed to put me at ease.
On the day of my operation both Tania and the student nurse working alongside her were professional and friendly at all times and treated me in such a way that I never felt anxious or uncomfortable. The care Tania gave was second to none and I am truly grateful, she made sure I knew exactly what was happening at each stage of my care and did not take for granted the fact that I was her patient and not her colleague during this period. She offered my relative refreshments and a simple explanation as to what the plan was for the day. Despite being one of many patients Tania had responsibility for that day, she made me feel as if I was the only patient she was caring for and her attention to detail and her excellent care made me feel special.
Tania deserves this hero nomination, on the day of my surgery she was my hero and I can’t thank her enough.
Lee Paget - IT Support Technician
(nominated by Raindeep Sohi, System Support Technician, Genetics)
Lee is one of the great team players in the IT service desk team and has helped us on many occasions. Lee plays an important role in the team, from equipment purchases to supporting IT issues or escalating calls when required. I would like to say that Lee is a real asset to our Trust IT department.
Words are not enough to explain the extent of Lee's capabilities and talents. Lee is always positive, supportive and happy to explain the procedures and policies involved in his work. Lee really deserves this nomination because of his positive can-do attitude and willingness to help. We need more ‘Lee's’ in trust!
A big thanks to Lee for his hard work and all the support which he has given us countless times to deal with the many problematic and disruptive IT issues.
All the best for your future.
Amber Mitchard - Ward Manager, Elgar 2
(nominated by Daniel Robson, Student Nurse, Elgar 2)
Amber is always very pleasant and welcoming; she is approachable if anyone ever needs to speak to her (and even if you just see her around the ward). She is always willing to offer her guidance and support to those who need it and is also a very willing teacher.
Amber is kind, compassionate and considerate when dealing with others, colleagues or patients. Nothing is ever too much trouble she will always make time for students in all areas, checking up on how they’re feeling and making sure to answer or solve any questions or problems.
Amber is an absolute asset to the hospital and especially to the team on Elgar 2.
Peter Rapson - Porter, Emergency Department
(nominated by Millie Warrington, Staff Engagement & Wellbeing Consultant)
Pete has helped our team out on two occasions, when we've had unexpected deliveries which need to be distributed across the trust as a 'thank you' for staff.
On each occasion Pete has been amazing to work with - he's always happy, smiling, keen to help and very hardworking! He knows everyone around the hospital, from staff to patients and will say 'Good Morning' to everyone he comes across, stopping to help and hold doors open for patients and direct visitors who are lost. It's been so uplifting to work alongside him, he lives and breathes the trust values and works so hard.
Pete is an asset to the trust and I feel that he deserves to be recognised, he's definitely an NBT Hero!
James Barrett - Physiotherapist
(nominated by Kerry Hunt, Physiotherapist)
James is a newly qualified physiotherapist undertaking his first qualified job at NBT. Since starting his role he has shown excellent learning capabilities and has been keen to get involved in both wards and department projects.
He has taken a key role in the development of an enablement group aimed at the patients in complex care who fall. Within this group he has successfully formulated data collection sheets, and managed his time to ensure once a week he delivers the group as the lead, sometimes working in his own time to achieve deadlines.
James is a valued member of the MDT working hard on his designated ward to ensure the best for his patients, alongside the flow demands of the hospital. He has also started contributing to weekend services as part of his role. Overall he is a very valuable member of the physiotherapy team and a rising star for NBT
Kathryn Wright - ST3 (Medical Registrar), Gastroenterology
(nominated by Kiaran Flanagan, Clinical Director, Medicine)
Dr. Kathryn Wright (or ‘Kat’) is a medical registrar working on gastroenterology. She takes part in the medical registrar on call rota and it is for these duties specifically that I would like to nominate her as an NBT Hero.
Kat is amazing doctor. She is clinically excellent and consistently shows empathy and kindness to patients and carers when they are most vulnerable. She works under the enormous pressure of the AMU and Emergency Zone and is still able to maintain a friendly, approachable and supportive leadership style, coordinating her team and prioritising patients, seeing them quickly and effectively.
Kat makes sure all the team are looked after and supported even when she is extremely busy herself. She has a "can do" attitude and walks into even the most difficult of circumstances with a deep breath and a smile. In addition, she proactively works with Emergency Medicine particularly on night shifts to optimise patient care, share pressure and keep up morale.
Overall, Kat is an amazing trainee and exemplifies "Exceptional healthcare, personally delivered" - even under pressure!
Marie Gibson - Spinal Specialist Nurse
(nominated by Daniel Jones, FT Doctor, Orthopaedic Spines
+ Jessica Pridmore Spinal Specialist Nurse)
Daniel:
Marie has made a tremendous effort in improving the patient experience for spinal patients and has truly put the patient at the heart of this by leading a dedicated ward team which delivers excellent care coupled with accessible hotlines and hot clinics for any spinal patients who need them.
Impressively, she continues to try and improve the service further.
In her individual practice she makes a point of getting to know each patient who comes on to our ward and is dedicated to keeping a close eye on them throughout their stay, popping in to see them every day.
She effectively leads the ward team by acting as a positive role model and fostering a nice, uplifting team spirit. She is very supportive to the junior doctors and other specialist nurses.
Jessica:
I have worked with Marie for a year and a half. She has always believed in me becoming a nurse and supported me when I started my career as a spinal specialist nurse.
All the patients under her care receive outstanding spinal care and she is an advocate for everyone.
She is enthusiastic about the spinal service and always has amazing ideas for improving the service.
Millie Warrington - Staff Engagement & Wellbeing Consultant
(nominated by Sophie Evans, People Strategy Team Apprentice)
Millie always puts others first and is super kind and friendly to everyone. She treats everyone as unique individuals and is really supportive to ensure they have the best wellbeing experience at NBT.
Millie is very intelligent and this enables her to help staff resolve problems. She constantly strives for excellence with enthusiasm and passion about improving staff health, wellbeing and engagement at NBT.
Millie is also a great team worker and an amazing asset to NBT as she goes the extra mile to help everyone.
Samantha Cockle - Administrator, Major Trauma
(nominated by Laura Crowle, Major Trauma Practitioner)
Sam has been with the team for 10 months, and in that time I have really seen her grow professionally. She has done amazingly to support the team and to keep us running smoothly and on track while we have been without a manager.
Sam is very conscientious in her job. She often works solo without asking for support, even when she has a lot of responsibility to manage. I have definitely seen her confidence in herself and her abilities grow, and she has made the role her own.
I would really like her to know that she is doing a fabulous job and for her to believe in herself like we do!
Elaine Williams and Anne Batt - Domestic Operatives, 9A
(nominated by Lisa Broderick, FM Duty Manager)
Elaine and Anne work on gate 9A as domestic operatives and for the past six months have exceeded the expected standard for cleaning. The ward has very high footfall and maintaining such high standards requires a truly dedicated team, especially as Gate 9A can be a very challenging ward to work on as patients can be unpredictable in their behaviour.
Elaine and Anne have built strong relationships with clinical colleagues on the ward over the past five years and their passion and commitment to their work is well observed by all that know them.
As their Manager, I get to see every day the great work that they do and I really feel they embrace the values of putting the patient first and working well together. Both Elaine and Anne are deserving of recognition and our thanks. 100% NBT heroes!
Pasquale Riccio - Domestic Operative, Medi-rooms
(nominated by Jay Jordan, FM Duty Manager)
Pasquale cleans the medi-rooms on level 2 and 3 of the Brunel building. He goes about his work tenaciously and his results are of the highest standard. Pasquale will often finish shift slightly later than is required as he believes in getting the work done. This is not expected of him but as he embraces the value of striving for excellence he wouldn't have it any other way.
I would like to thank Pasquale and let him know that his efforts do not go unnoticed and that the quality of his work is highly commendable. He really does embrace the trusts values. Pasquale is a highly valued member of the team and a model NBT employee.
Bethany Nawrocki - Waiting list Co-ordinator, Gynaecology
(nominated by Sarah Sheppard, Ward Clerk, Women & Children’s)
Beth works tirelessly behind the scenes as an unsung hero. She goes above and beyond to help make sure that patients don't breach their RTT wait times. She is the co-ordinator for 11 consultants and meets with them all individually to manage their work load, while always thinking of the patient's best interests.
For example a patient attended the ward on Monday in tears saying that due to an admin error her pre-op appointment had been cancelled and she was due to have her surgery on Friday. Beth looked into every possible way she could help this patient, including contacting pre-op, trying to reschedule an appointment, speaking to the consultant to see if there was some way the patient could still go ahead with the surgery. In the end Beth managed to book the patient another pre-op appointment and relisted the surgery for the Friday. The patient was so relieved when she left the ward.
More than once Beth has worked late so that she can complete a task ready for the following day. Sometimes there are circumstances that mean that surgeries that have to be cancelled, which creates a lot more work for her but she never complains she just gets on and does what she needs to do.
Holly Stanley - Resourcing Lead, Employment Services
(nominated by George Duffield, Matron, Recruitment & Retention)
Holly maintains a professional, calm and approachable manner and is able to solve all resourcing issues promptly and efficiently. She is also great fun to work with - I have attended a number of recruitment events with Holly recently and she has an infectious positivity that makes her great to work with and is obvious to the candidates.
She has also gone above and beyond in assisting with the overseas nurse recruitment as well- she has helped prepare the accommodation, ensuring our newcomers feel welcomed. She has made sure that each property had flowers which I felt was a lovely touch. She did this in her own time after making alternative childcare arrangements - she truly is a diamond.
Elizabeth Emery - Senior Medical Secretary, Rheumatology
(nominated by Kate Roche, Support Manager, Rheumatology)
My reason for nominating Liz is her complete dedication and commitment to our trust and our service, where Liz always provides our patients with the most exceptional care.
Liz consistently provides such a high level of patient care and it is so apparent that patient experience always at the heart of everything she does.
Patients regularly feedback how fantastic she is and the real difference she makes to them and their daily lives, particularly when they are struggling and don't know what else to do.
Liz works tirelessly, often in her own time, to ensure that all of our patients feel well informed and valued - this really shows in the many positive emails we receive about her. Not only does Liz treat everyone with the dignity and respect they deserve but she does it so compassionately. Liz always comes to work filled with positivity and desire to help.
Thank you Liz.
Helen Cox - HCA, Elgar 2
(nominated by Jackie Binns, Senior Sister, Medical Day Care)
Helen is a Healthcare Assistant on Elgar 2 ward. I first met her when I visited the ward to see a patient. On entering the ward, I could hear music. On closer inspection I then saw Helen in the middle of the bay leading a 'sing song' with great gusto. All patients were animated, smiling and singing along enthusiastically, and before long I found myself joining in.
Helen is obviously passionate and enthusiastic about the mental health and emotional wellbeing of her patients whilst they are in hospital. She told me how she facilitates various entertainment for the patients when her HCA duties allow, but tries to do some activity on a daily basis and feels disappointed when this is not achievable.
Helen also champions care for Alzheimer's patients on the ward and I witnessed her wearing a T shirt on the ward showing support for patients with Alzheimer's.
The impact she has on the patients’ wellbeing should be praised and recognised and aides, I'm sure, to their recovery and making their hospital stay more pleasurable..
I feel proud know that Helen works at NBT and that the patients she comes into contact with will have their hospital lives enriched. Thank you Helen.
Hannah Grainger - HCA, 8A
(nominated by Victoria Hilton, HCA, 8A)
Hannah really is such a lovely lady. She always gives 100% determination and passion in all that she does. Every patient she comes across she gives exceptional care and compassion to, and is also friendly and helpful to everyone she meets.
Hannah is light hearted in her work but always goes the extra mile and works hard. She offers help in any way she can, and is never negative about any situation or any problem. She always manages to find a way around any issues, and on top of that she makes the patients smile and laugh when they're feeling down.
Angie Winter - Senior Staff Nurse, ICU
(nominated by Amber Butterworth, Staff Nurse, ICU)
Angie has worked on ICU at Southmead for many years, and she is an amazing Critical Care nurse. She is always supportive and kind to all the staff she works with, and when there are new members of the team she goes out of her way to make them feel welcome and part of the team. She puts a lot of time into training them to be knowledgeable and ICU nurses who advocate for their patients.
Angie also raises team morale, especially on difficult shifts. She is constantly checking on her team and making sure everyone gets a break before she takes one herself. Her care for patients and their families is exceptional and always her top priority. She is an unsung hero who really deserves this recognition.
Samuel Fenton - HCA, Medi-rooms
(nominated by Estrella Szela, Staff Nurse, ASCR)
Sam is one of the best healthcare workers I know. He always goes the extra mile for patients and is responsible for providing the best quality of care possible for his patients. Even in stressful or demanding situations, he really takes it upon himself to do the best possible for vulnerable individuals, often without any fanfare or recognition.
Those added touches could include anything, from showing interest in someone’s personal history, to asking their family how they like their cup of tea! Sam is very passionate and empathetic, a really good team player. Thoroughly deserves this award.
Craig Spencer – Laundry Assistant
(nominated by Edward Miles, Specialist Trainee in Anaesthesia)
I would like to nominate Craig for recognition of his dedication to his role and the integral part he plays in creating a culture of high-quality patient care at North Bristol NHS Trust.
I encountered Craig in the changing rooms in Obs/Gynae Theatres, laying out the scrubs. When I stopped to ask him why he spent a little longer every day arranging the scrubs in this way, he told me: “If it saves all you doctors ten seconds every morning that adds up to a lot more time spent with patients.”
I shared photos of Craig’s work on Twitter, and the feedback I received unanimously attested to my own belief that his efforts really do contribute to the quality of the care we deliver to our patients. Craig’s work helps countless of my colleagues start the day with a smile on their faces and a sense of joy in a job well done. Asking around my colleagues, I know that this inspires us to go out and do our best in our work; in this way, Craig’s dedication and professionalism really is infectious.
Mandy Tucker - Supervisor, Patient Records
& Steven Lane – Patient Records Clerk
(nominated by Casper Fons, Assistant Director of Informatics)
Mandy and Steve have been instrumental in ensuring that we manage to clear over 1.2 million patient records out of the Cribbs Patient Records library in a very short space of time.
It has taken resilience and strong work ethics to handle new processes, fix problems and overcome challenges, and keep the team on track.
This has been an extraordinary process but both Mandy and Steve have managed to overcome all of the obstacles. It has taken a lot of sweat (but surprisingly no tears) to remove so many records, and this is what (in my eyes) makes these two heroes.
Fiona Callaghan – Radiographer
(nominated by Amanda Fuller, Specialist Nurse Practitioner, Urology)
Fiona is one of our radiographers working in the Urology Lithotripsy unit at Southmead Hospital.
I am nominating Fiona as she has shown great warmth, caring and communication to a vulnerable adult we had in our unit.
She always recognised him as a person, and always made sure that he was informed and comfortable in what we planned to undertake. As he very rarely used verbal communication, Fiona had to learn to react to his body language and facial expressions, which I feel she did extraordinarily well.
Fiona has had to get creative and think of other ways to communicate what she wanted this patient to do. Even though we couldn't perform the task, she never hurried him or put pressure on him to complete the task.
All this seemed to come naturally to Fiona, and is really something you can’t teach. She is a great asset to our team and our hospital.
Leah Mardon – Staff Nurse, 25A
(nominated by Emma Wright, Senior Sister, 25A)
There is a great example of why Leah Mardon is considered a ‘hero’.
A patient became very unwell which resulted in a sudden change of behaviour. This caused him to lash out physically, grabbing Leah and being quite aggressive with her. His behaviour continued to escalate, and Leah was offered the opportunity of moving to care for different patients. She declined as she wanted to continue looking after him and did it in an exceptional way considering the trauma she had been through.
Many staff would have gone home, but although she was offered the chance to do so she wanted to make sure her patients were safe and had continuity of care.
Leah is an amazing nurse who carried out her duties above and beyond and I would like this recognised at a trust-wide level as I believe this is what defines a “hero”.
Amanda Britton – Physiotherapy Technician, ICU
(nominated by Lauren Jennings, Rotational Physiotherapist
+ Emily Adcock, Physiotherapist)
Lauren:
Mandy dedicates a huge amount of her time and weekends to caring for patients within the Intensive Care Unit with a compassion and personal approach that is admirable.
Every patient she sees she brings a smile and works incredibly hard to encourage the rehabilitation of those who need it, as well as being supportive to all of her colleagues.
She treats everyone with respect and dignity and this is reflective of her personality as she is a real delight to be around.
Well done Mandy and thank you for everything you do!
Emily:
Mandy goes above and beyond to ensure that patients receive the best possible care/rehab on ICU and feel respected and welcome. She is a valued member of the ICU physiotherapy team, working hard during the week and on weekends, keeping team moral high and supporting others to improve their wellbeing.
Mandy gets involved in team training, projects and service improvements to develop the ICU physiotherapy service and is passionate about her job.
She always builds a good rapport with patients, gaining their trust and receives regular verbal praise from patients and relatives.
The ICU physiotherapy team would not be the same without Mandy!
Congratulations to all!