Winners crowned in Health Heroes awards

The Bay Health and Care Partners (BHCP) has announced the victors of its 2019/20 Health Heroes awards with winners across primary, community and acute health care services.

The annual staff awards were temporarily halted due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and although a face-to-face ceremony could not take place due to the government restrictions, the partners felt it was important to recognise the excellent work and achievements of the winners.

Each winner was sent a certificate and a luxury hamper full of goodies such as Grasmere gingerbread and hand cream.

Local GP Dr Andrew Foster, Joint Clinical Leader of Bay Integrated Care Community (ICC) won the ‘Leader of the Year Award’ along with his colleague Amanda Davey. He said: “Thank you very much to everyone. It is things like this that really put a bounce in one’s step at times like these. The whole team is buzzing from this.”

Karen Wisbach, Care Co-ordinator/Social Prescriber for Bay Medical Group and Bay ICC, won the Going the Extra Mile Award. She said: “I absolutely love my work and helping people. It’s a pleasure to receive this award and to be recognised for the work I do, but I couldn’t do it without all our community partner organisations within the ICC.”

Dr Naseema Begum, Foundation Year 1 Doctor at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), won the Student/Trainee of the Year Award. She said: “I want to thank the Bay Health and Care Partners for the lovely hamper and certificate. I really appreciated what was in the hamper including the gingerbread, hand cream and the effort made to send it to my home.”

Lorna Pritt, Matron for Infection Prevention at UHMBT, commended her colleagues in the Trust’s Cross-Bay Infection Prevention Team who won the Excellence in Patient Safety Award. She said: “The team was really pleased to be recognised especially by colleagues from BHCP. The team has worked so hard to support our clinical and non-clinical colleagues through unprecedented times ensuring that patient and staff safety is always the priority. I am very proud of the team who have been amazing; their positivity, attention to quality, caring and supportive attitudes make me proud every day. To be recognised for our contribution has been so nice and really makes us feel valued, thank you BHCP.”

Dr Asim Ijaz, Consultant for the Emergency Department (ED) at UHMBT, was awarded the Innovation and Research Award. He said: “I am grateful for Bay Health and Care partners to recognise our effort which is important to keep the motivation, especially during the pandemic. Special thanks to my ED and Sepsis team.”

Karen Kyle, System Programme Director for Bay Health and Care Partners, added: “The Bay Health and Care Partners Health Heroes Awards are particularly special because they recognise the excellent work of colleagues across our strong partnerships in our hospitals, the community, primary care and beyond and our networks that help to represent, support and celebrate our diverse workforce.

“Although we couldn’t celebrate with a face-to-face ceremony in 2020 because of the pandemic. We still wanted to do something special for our winners to mark their fantastic achievements in 2019 and early 2020. A big well done to all of our winners.”

 

Categories and winners for 2019/2020 are:

Excellence in Patient Safety Award

• The Cross-Bay Infection Prevention Team at UHMBT was nominated for putting patient and staff safety at the centre of everything they do, supporting and guiding staff to ensure patients are cared for safely and ensuring guidelines and policies are followed.  They were also commended on the work they have done with teams to prepare them for the coronavirus pandemic.  

Outstanding Improvement in Patient Experience Award

• Demi McCreadie, Hepatology Clinical Nurse Specialist at UHMBT, was nominated for her leadership and work with Hepatitis C patients.

Going the Extra Mile Award (winner picked by patients)

• Karen Wisbach, Care Co-ordinator/Social Prescriber for Bay Medical Group, was nominated for her work with Bay Integrated Care Community and with people who need help to coordinate their care and other social issues.

Student/Trainee of the Year

• Dr Naseema Begum, Foundation Year 1 Doctor at UHMBT, was nominated for her dedication to a paper on ‘balance tests’ for the North England Ear, Nose and Throat Society. Dr Begum liaised with the Trust’s Audiology team, collected and analysed data and associated literature for the paper while carrying out her normal role.

Leader of the Year (winner picked by Aaron Cummins, Chief Executive)

• Dr Andrew Foster and Amanda Davey, Joint Clinical Leaders of Bay ICC, were nominated for driving forward Bay ICC and supporting clinicians, volunteers, local organisations and ICC staff to build strong relationships across organisational boundaries that promote the health and wellbeing of the local population.

Innovation and Research Award

• Dr Asim Ijaz, Consultant for the Emergency Department at UHMBT, was nominated for his work around Sepsis and patient safety, a successful CESR program and projects he has undertaken including ‘Job Satisfaction and Retention of International A&E Doctors’ with Lancaster University Business Management School.

Inclusion and Diversity Award

• Yaseen Gani, Physiotherapist at UHMBT and volunteer Social Lead for the Trust’s Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) network, was nominated for his dedication and development of the Trust’s BME network and raising awareness of different cultures and religions.

Team of the Year (under 10 people)

Bay Health and Care Partners Integrated Care Communities Development Leads:

• Cara Stride, Kendal ICC
• Sarah Baines, Lancaster ICC
• Maxine Baron, Barrow ICC
• Georgina Livingstone, Grange and Lakes ICC and Mid Furness ICC
• Jenny Riley, Millom ICC
• Emma Paul, Carnforth ICC and East ICC
• Lee MacNeall, Bay ICC.

The seven ICC Development Leads were nominated for the award for empowering their communities and driving forward initiatives to improve the health of the local populations that they serve.

Team of the Year (over 10 people)

• Bay Integrated Care Community was nominated for the award for its strong partnership working with community and statutory organisations.