Making a Difference 2018-2022

Congratulations to all Trust staff nominated for a Making a Difference Award – below are our winners.

See our latest award winners: Making a Difference 2022- present

Click here for details about how to nominate.

November 2022

Ailsa Richards, Ward Sister, Harlow Ward

Ailsa was nominated by a patient who went above and beyond to help them feel safe during their stay and ensured they had a smooth discharge home. She was kind, empathetic and so approachable. She took the time to listen and was easy to talk to about very sensitive issues. She was a shoulder to cry on, day and night! Ailsa is everything and more you need a Ward Sister to be- a fantastic role model for her colleagues. She is an absolute credit to the ward and the trust. The whole team were amazing as well.

Tracey Torrance, Medical Secretary, Same Day Emergency Care

Tracey is efficient, polite, dedicated, thorough, reliable and an integral part of the SDEC team. She is caring and considerate of all staff & members of HDFT that she works alongside, both personally & professionally. She always gives that little bit extra to her daily job. She facilitates the medical rotas, consultant diaries and ensures that care quality meetings are coordinated, with the creation of agendas, and sending meeting invitations to visitors and all relevant staff. Tracey has previously coordinated audits, collated information and sharing integral information & data with the team to guide SDEC progression & services. She checks all the patient’s records and facilitates ongoing referral, investigations and appointments to ensure continuity of care for all the surgical, urology and medical patients that we review in SDEC, of which Tracey is not formally responsible for but takes this on as an additional role.

October 2022

Katharine Speak, Principal Podiatrist – Diabetes and High Risk

Kath continues to push standards for diabetic foot care and prevention of limb loss. It is not just podiatry Kath is trying to influence, but the whole of health in obtaining better outcomes for people with diabetes. Kath was instrumental during Covid in setting up remote training sessions with GP practices educating on the importance of foot screening, recognition of complications and prompt referral. She has also arranged a one day conference involving Tissue Viability Nurses, vascular colleagues and primary care staff. All alongside the day job of supporting and developing podiatry colleagues and developing the new wound care hub in York. Kath works within Podiatry management team to ensure they stay up to date with current national guidance and pathway, works with aligned services to deliver best possible care to patients across the north Yorkshire wide service.

Corina Tugui & Janet Stephenson, Care Support Workers

Corina and Janet were nominated by colleagues who told us about their dedication, hard work and amazing care of patients and the team. During a recent shift, it was clear they were both exactly where they belonged. The shift was very busy, the ward was full with a patient who was End Of Life, and another patient who was put on End Of Life during the shift. It was down to Corina and Janet that the team provided excellent care by keeping on top of everything. Corrina and Janet have always ensured equality in their approach, they are both positive and kind individuals who exhibit an ethos of inclusivity towards everyone and hold an entirely non-judgemental attitude towards all staff.

David Bargewell, Operating Department Practitioner, Theatres

A Patient got in touch with us to nominate Dave for a Making a Difference award, they attended Harrogate hospital for management of a miscarriage. They arrived scared, anxious and tearful, shivering and shaking. But then they met Dave and he just knew how to provide comfort to them in a way that nobody else could. One of their procedures was particularly difficult and Dave took control of the situation, he gave them ‘a look’ that said “don’t worry I am in control of this”. They felt safe and reassured in his care and thank him for his kindness, empathy and skill. Dave has the biggest heart with the kindest soul.

Ginny Beale, Clinical Locality Manager

In everything Ginny does she shows that she puts the team first and foremost.  Ginny has had to adapt to her new role very quickly and has had to support her team members through tough financial times, increasing complexity of patients and a recruitment drought. In a bid to support another team, hers had the option to send staff in to support and to increase their boundary to absorb additional patients. The fact that her team decided that they wanted to all stay together and deal with the challenge as one is also a testament to her leadership and ability to support her colleagues.  During the tough times that the NHS are facing it is the small details such as recognition for long service that really make a difference to peoples day and the relief when this is recognised cannot be overlooked.

September 2022

Louise McGourty, Health Care Support Worker

Louise was nominated for a Making a Difference award on two separate occasions by patient relatives. One person said: “When my mum was on Bolton Ward she lost her husband of 66 years and was too ill to attend his funeral. However Louise did her utmost to get the service live streamed to mum. Louise’s mission is clearly to improve patients’ wellbeing and lift their spirits. She takes the time to chat with patients and get them what they need and has a ready cheery smile whenever you see her”. And another patient relative told us about how kind and compassionate Louise was with a member of their family who was on Bolton Ward, their relative spoke so highly of Louise and believe that without Louise’s assistance, recovery time would have taken a lot longer.

Ruth Whitehead, Nurse Practitioner, ED2

Ruth was nominated by a patient’s relative who contacted the Patient Experience team to tell us about their experience. On their holiday in Harrogate, their father took a tumble and needed to visit A&E, their daughter brought them to Harrogate Hospital and the family expected a long wait. However, their father was seen and assessed within 30mins by Ruth! The family we so impressed and grateful to the quick assessment, but also to Ruth for showing exceptional, outstanding and compassionate care to the whole family. Ruth’s colleagues also added how she is a fantastic asset to the ED Team, Ruth is an ENP and shows willing with the whole ED team on a daily basis, assisting with triage when needed and offering her support in challenging situations – Ruth is always there to help.

Flora Del Core, Maternity Support Worker

Flora is a valued member of the MSW team. Always positive and helpful she is a pleasure to have on the ward. Often she is working across both wards and takes this in her stride, she works hard to ensure that both pannal and delivery suite are given due care and attention and is always happy to complete tasks for and with her colleagues.

Flora has a natural affinity with providing the gold standard of care and is constantly working to improve her skills and knowledge. Flora is a true asset to the team and they are grateful for her hard work.

Emily Birdsall, Ophthalmic Technician, Optical Services

Emily is definitely a great asset to the ophthalmology team, she is always willing to support members of the team in both a professional and personal capacity. Emily first joined the team as an ophthalmic technician when it was a relatively new role. Her feedback has definitely helped in compiling the training for new starters and Emily has been instrumental in welcoming new colleagues to the team and training them up. Emily has a lovely manner with patients, she is always so approachable and willing to help in any way, including helping take patients with mobility problems to the front desk and help them navigate through the hospital. Emily is reliable and dedicated to her role and we could not have continued this valuable service without her skills and handwork.

Olivia Freeman, Medical Secretary, Ophthalmology Department

Olivia was nominated for a Making a Difference award by her Ophthalmology colleagues who are very grateful to Olivia for typing their letters so brilliantly and efficiently! They requested 3 urgent letters in a very short space of time, Olivia typed them very quickly which was really helpful. Olivia is so quick to help with any query and it is lovely to work with her!

Dan Walker, Rota Co-Ordinator, GP Out of Hours

Dan works tirelessly to ensure safe staffing of the GP Out of Hours service. Because of the nature of the service, Dan frequently makes himself available outside of his working hours to support with queries, IT issues, gaps in the rota and has regularly covered support staff shifts himself so as not to leave the service short. This is commitment outside of his normal working hours. He is a star and well respected and liked by all GP Out of Hours colleagues.

Ian Juden, Medical Records Assistant Team Leader

Ian is always so happy and helpful – it makes such a difference being able to have a colleague who is so cheery and it is a pleasure to work with Ian! Ian is very efficient with all queries and notes requests for the eye clinic which speeds up treatment times and responses from staff members. Ian is a great asset to the Medical Records department, he is a hardworking colleague who makes wonderful cakes for the department!

August 2022

Dr Rachael Robinson, Consultant, Dermatology

Dr Robinson was nominated by a patient, via our patient feedback service. They wanted to pass on many thanks to Dr Robinson and the team for the expert care they received. This patient felt listened to, and had more than adequate time to discuss treatment options, which was very important to them; and if they could they would recommend Dr Robinson for all patients, as a patient-centred doctor who really cares for and remembers her patients holistically and with compassion.

Simon Brazier, Sister/Charge Nurse and Roseanne Kirkham, Clinical Operations Manager

Simon and Roseanne were nominated by a patient’s relative who was so grateful to them for their excellent care of their farther. As their farther was staying in ED, Simon and Roseanne took great care and attention of him, checking in and keeping them updated on bed availability. They both went above and beyond to help their farther, without being asked, they instinctively knew what help he needed and always came at the right time. A ward bed became available and the family felt informed and kept up to date; arrangements were made and they were given plenty of time to get themselves ready and settled. Roseanne and Simon were kind and careful, and put the family at ease.

Sarah Ireland, Health Care Support Worker

Recently on Oakdale Ward they had issues with staffing, the late shift had one Oakdale Registered Nurse and one Care Support Worker; they needed to bring four colleagues from other wards. Sarah, who is brilliant at her job and never flaps and is always positive and hardworking, was an amazing support to these colleagues – plus the Registered Nurse who was fairly new. Here is some feedback from the nurse who came to be nurse in charge: “Can you please give my thanks to Sarah CSW. Wow she was fantastic and a credit to your team, I would have been totally lost without her being there.”

Kayleigh Dow, Early Years Practitioner for SEND

Kayleigh is a hard working compassionate, non-judgemental empathetic and hands on practitioner. She works to support families with children who have additional needs. A colleague had the privilege of performing a home joint visit with Kayleigh to a new mum and her son. They were really impressed with the depth of Kayleigh’s knowledge, her compassion and empathy as she engaged with mum at a very vulnerable and worrying period as she adapted to the arrival of her new born and was coming to terms with the needs of her son. Kayleigh not only provided practical advice on how to support these behaviours but also takes the time to explain why the child may display these behaviours.

Kayleigh has the ability to engage with parents often at a point in their lives when they are facing a big unknown as their child has been given a diagnosis. She is kind and empathetic and truly upholds the Trust Values. She also has the ability to allow parents to understand their child and why they may present with some challenging behaviours. Her level of skill and knowledge is unbelievable.

Angela Black, 18 Week Referral To Treatment Patient Tracker

Ange always works really hard but especially in recent months she has put huge amounts of her time and effort into welcoming and training the new starters in the team, going above and beyond. She is always a friendly face who is happy to help the new team members with anything they need and is always on hand to answer their queries – even if it might mean putting her own work on hold! She’s always happy to help any of the newer team members with any questions they have and always makes time for them, letting them know she’s there if they need her!

Hannah Rushton, Ward Manager, Jervaulx Ward

Hannah puts her heart and soul into running Jervaulx ward, she goes above and beyond for her patients and her staff – she is always there if your needing help or even just a shoulder to cry on. The passion and love Hannah puts into every individual patient is just amazing to witness, the passion that goes into her work is such an inspiration to all around her. She really is the hero of Jervaulx!

Joelle O’Neill, Specialist Dietitian – Paediatrics

Joelle has been involved in an especially difficult case recently in which she had to go beyond her usual role and experience. A young person referred, fell between many different services making co-ordinated person centred care very difficult to achieve. Joelle spent a large amount of time explaining the significant risk of re-feeding syndrome to various agencies to persuade them of the risk and encouraged them to change their approach to the management of this young person. This is way beyond Joelle’s usual role and throughout the whole process Joelle’s prime focus was the patients well-being and she never waivered from this. Joelle took the lead in a really difficult complex situation when nobody else stepped up. She worked tirelessly with nothing but the young person’s best interests as her focus.

July 2022

Mr. Jonathan Harrison, Consultant

Mr Harrison makes every colleague feel valued, supported and respected. He treats colleagues with kindness, shows them acknowledgement and listens with empathy and compassion. Mr. Harrison is also encouraging of his teammates, supporting them to realise their abilities and capabilities – he makes a difficult job as easy as it could be!

Rachael Prince, Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Emergency Medicine

Rachael has carried out a fantastic piece of Quality Improvement in our Emergency Department. She attended a silver QI session some months back and came up with the plan to introduce electronic prescribing to the ED – a challenging thing to do as it’s a completely new way of working! She was met with some initial resistance but has persisted in managing the process all the way through. She has engaged with a number of stakeholders including pharmacy and information services and especially the ED team in order to answer ALL the questions and queries – using Q&A sessions, whiteboard, google forms, social media etc. She has supported everyone on the team to complete their refresher training, implemented new laptops in the department and managed a hugely successful roll out day on 18th July. She will be following up as Pharmacy lead for our ED to ensure medicines management is safe for our patients. Rachael has been methodical, thorough, innovative, determined, kind and a great success!

Kerry O’Connor, Delivery Suite Co-ordinator, Delivery Suite

Kerry was nominated for one of our Teamwork awards for putting herself forward to help the team cover shifts, and being supportive and understanding to her colleagues. Recently the Delivery Suite clinical team has been challenged, Kerry has on many occasions swapped her shifts, worked extra shifts and worked in collaboration with the other colleagues to ensure that the unit is safe. She is an outstanding leader and is clearly compassionate about her role. The team could not have managed the cover without her input, and feel that her dedication and commitment to support them should be officially recognised. Kerry has put herself forward and has worked above and beyond to ensure the women and babies, staff and the whole maternity team in Harrogate have the safe care and support they all need. She is an amazing, hardworking, kind and understanding human being, loved by everyone.

Lynda Fussell, Project Manager – At our Best

Lynda has worked tirelessly to design, develop and launch the HDFT Smart phone app. It’s a fantastic innovation that has taken HDFT forward by leaps and bounds. More than half the workforce have downloaded it, the volume of colleagues that access it every day is staggering and provides a wealth of information to keep colleagues connected and informed. Lynda works tirelessly to keep the app up to date and even the developers have remarked that although ambitious, they think the HDFT vision of the app is commendable. This is a singularly unique achievement that has cost the Trust nothing but helped it achieve so much. Lynda is highly deserving of recognition because this is not something that simply evolved overnight or from a pre-existing template. It’s entirely down to her commitment and enthusiasm that we now have such a fantastic platform at our disposal.

Dr Harriet Wilson, Specialty Registrar

Whenever Dr Harri walks through the door, there is almost a sigh of relief across the ward from every single person, knowing that no matter how busy or hard the day is, everything will be okay because Dr Harri is there. The teamwork level and integrity she shows supporting everyone she comes into contact with is outstanding.

In paediatrics, at such a critical time in the world, it has been so important to take the time to talk to young people and reassure them that everything is going to be okay, and over the last few months Harri had exploded with this. Often found playing and singing with patients, wearing the most colourful of uniforms showing children and young people that hospital can be a place of safety and fun. She instantly knows how to cheer up anyone with her jokes and laughter, whilst also ensuring that every patient need, no matter how big or small is cared for.

June 2022

Deborah Wright, Labour Ward Coordinator, Delivery Suite

Debs is a shining example of team work and kindness. She is always willing to go the extra mile. Debs has been so helpful recently, changing her shifts at short notice, taking on extra shifts over her hours and rearranging plans to help keep the service safe. She does all of this quietly and without complaint. Debs is a pleasure to work with and shows fantastic leadership skills and role modelling for junior staff.

Lynsey Hopkins, Midwife, Maternity Services

Lynsey was nominated for her award by a mother for the excellent standard of care she provided prior to and following their birth. This mum had some physical and mental health difficulties throughout their pregnancy journey, and the support that Lynsey provided made a huge difference. Whenever they saw Lynsey for antenatal appointments, Lynsey gave her as much time as she needed, talked about the challenges she was having and how they were feeling; Lynsey offered genuine, sincere words of encouragement. This mum really felt as though Lynsey was “in her corner” and able to devote so much time and attention to each appointment, as well as approaching every situation with a positive attitude, a smile on her face and words of encouragement.

Carol Chatten and Linda Hainsworth, Ward Clerks, Maternity Services

Carol and Linda were nominated for an Integrity Award for collaborating and communicating expertly with the team. Carol and Linda are impossible to split, they must need new shoes due to the amount of times they go the extra mile. They are the fonts of all knowledge and willing to help at the drop of a hat. Without their support, the smooth running of the service would be non-existent. Carol and Linda collaborate their work to ensure that nothing is missed. They work closely together even coordinating their annual leave and their days off. They are often the first point of contact on the ward and can easily make people feel at ease. Together they have amassed a plethora of contacts throughout the hospital, which is a real asset; their teamwork sets an example to all.

Nikki Prosser, Community Nurse, Darlington Health Visitors

Nikki is a fantastic role model and regularly takes students, she always has a positive attitude to work and always displays the trust values. Nikki is an absolute credit to the team and is obviously making a huge difference to families, from the regular thank you cards and excellent feedback she receives. Here’s one example:

“I wouldn’t change my experience with Nikki. She is so bubbly and easy to talk to. She makes you feel completely comfortable and answered all my questions. She took a genuine interest in my little one and cared. I appreciated and respected how she was with me and my baby. She was very helpful and was such a lovely woman.”

Niamh Thompson, Pharmacist, Pharmacy

Niamh was nominated for her award by a patient who wanted us to know what a wonderful, caring, helpful person she has been to them. Niamh was always available to talk to whenever they had concerns or questions, and always made them feel reassured – leaving them less anxious and able to get on with life.

Niamh is a massive asset to the Pharmacy team, she always works with integrity and professionalism both with her patients and her colleagues. She has stepped up on so many occasions over the last few years to make sure that her patients are safe and is constantly evaluating her service to ensure that her patients receive the most appropriate treatments. She has a wealth of knowledge that she uses to inspire and encourage others to learn and develop, all resulting in improvements in patient care.

Dr Sarah Quinn, Chief Registrar HDFT

Sarah is our first Chief Registrar at HDFT and she has set the bar very high! She is universally liked and admired by all who come in to contact with her, as she is always positive and has a great “can do” attitude. She has very quickly become a highly valued member of Team HDFT, and goes over and above to help and support medical colleagues and make positive changes to their working life, whilst always taking time to understand all points of view. Extremely professional at all times, Sarah has tackled some significant challenges during her time with us but has led them to resolution with influencing skills far advanced her years of medical training and an open and honest approach that has commanded the respect of very senior colleagues.

Dr Jo Cunnington, Consultant Rheumatology

Since the Trust was instructed in Jan-22 to set up and run a Covid Medicines Delivery Unit (CMDU) service, Dr Jo Cunnington has gone above and beyond to develop, support and provide the service. Jo has continuously worked hard to ensure delivery of the service to the patients it serves. Jo has spent many hours working on SOPs, reading guidance, attending meetings and prescribing for the CMDU which treats our vulnerable patients who catch Covid to ensure they have the best chance of a healthy recovery from the virus. All this has been done on top of her usual role as a Consultant Rheumatologist. Whilst services should not rely on one person alone, our patients would not be as well served without Jo.

Andrew Whitehead, HR Systems Officer, ESR Team

Andrew has made a massive difference to the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and all the staff in the team. He has taken a huge number of paper driven tasks and streamlined them and moved them onto an electronic tracker. He has reduced the amount of time one person spends on one patients ‘paper/electronic’ journey in the screening process.

Andrew selflessly sat with each member of the team and taught them how to use the tracker. Andrew always smiles and is always happy to give up his time to help and make the screening process from beginning to end as seamless and as uncomplicated as possible.

Sophie Vallance, Speech and Language Therapist, Speech Therapy Adults

Sophie is an amazing therapist and has been a rock for the team and service for many years. She has provided unstinting support and encouragement to each and every member of the team through highly demanding and ever changing times. The team is small but Sophie has always generously given her time, expertise and stood in to keep services going wherever she could. She has listened to colleagues and supported them as best she could. She has advocated for and represented the team to higher management. She is truly a gem and the team would like to pay tribute to her and express their heartfelt thanks; “Sophie, you have made an enormous difference to our working lives and our service as well as being a stalwart ally and friend. You have kept us going.”

May 2022

Katie Johnson, Health Visitor, Gateshead 0-19 Children’s services

During a recent incident of domestic abuse, Katie demonstrated Integrity, and all of HDFT trust values, as well as the 6C’s of nursing. Katie was required to think on her feet, make instant decisions and came up with an immediate solution in a very stressful situation. Katie responding Immediately to the need of the mum and the baby and put her own emotional needs to the side. When with the mum, Katie went above and beyond her duty and purchased some essentials for the baby such as nappies and wipes and some food for the lady, showing extreme kindness and compassion. This lady believes Katie saved her life and the fact that this baby was so young and Katie was the person this lady reached out to in her time of need demonstrated what an impact Katie has made on the life of this lady, and how much trust she had gained. Katie is an amazing Health Visitor, and person. and we are so lucky to have her in our team, and trust.

Dr. William Emery, Consultant Anaesthetist, Day Surgery Unit lead

Dr. Emery is a kind, impressive, very knowledgeable and wonderful doctor, who will go out of his way to help. He exudes a calm and friendly nature. He will always make you feel at ease when you are working with him. A few cases were added to the list in DSU one afternoon, Dr Emery never complained nor showed displeasure, instead was gracious enough to accept them to ensure the patients got their treatments on time. He goes above and beyond for his patients and treats everyone with respect.. Whenever you work with him, he never rushes anyone and offers help at all times. It is always a pleasure working with him. Photo taken following recent changes in mask wearing guidance.

Charlotte Sheriff & Catherine Hunter, County Durham Infant Feeding Paid Peer Support

Since taking up their roles in 2021, Charlotte and Catherine have consistently gone over and above to help families. They have just organised a maternal mental health event as part of mental health awareness week along the theme of ‘the power of connecting’. Charlotte and Catherine recruited local partners such as IAPT talking changes, NCT, Lullaby Trust, Maternity Voice Partnership, Thrive Durham, One point services and the wider infant feeding team to participate in a community event to connect local mothers with these services in order to improve mental health outcomes. The event was a success with great feedback from families. Both Catherine and Charlotte have set up support groups in the more deprived areas of the county in order to provide easy access to infant feeding and healthy childhood nutrition advice.

Catherine and Charlotte always display integrity when dealing with families, colleagues, and with other outside organisations. They are both polite, approachable and warm whilst maintaining professional boundaries. The attitude of both Catherine and Charlotte is always positive and proactive, they are both willing to try something new to benefit the families they support. They are both honest and trustworthy colleagues who have really improved the dynamics of the wider team and the outcomes for local families.

Mandy Redman, Clerical Worker, Outpatients

In an always busy department and clinic, Mandy is professional and knowledgeable; Mandy always has a ‘can do’ attitude and never lets anything get in her way. Mandy has an amazing ability to co-ordinate the service, there is nothing she doesn’t know; she even has the ability to co-ordinate the waiting area, instinctively knowing how long each person has been there. Mandy goes above a beyond for the patients, always giving that little bit extra whether it be getting a patient something to eat and drink or planning how HDFT could make the patients experience better next time. She advocates for the patients and their needs and holds this at the core of all she does. Above all, Mandy brings humour and kindness to work every day – it is a pleasure to work with her – the department and team would be lost without her.

Dr Sarah Craven, General Medical Practitioner, GP Out of Hours

Dr Sarah Craven was nominated by a patient’s mum who was advised to take their son to A&E for an x-ray on his hip; after arriving in A&E, they were offered an appointment with Dr Sarah Craven the out of hours doctors.

After a very short wait, they were called by Dr Sarah Craven and what an ‘absolute delight’ she was, absolutely wonderful. She asked their son questions about his poorly leg, involving him in the treatment and took an interest when he told her about other aspects of his life. She was really funny and their son responded so well to her, Dr Sarah Craven went to extra lengths to really put him at ease. She was extremely professional at the same time and very thorough in her examination. This mum also said “I can honestly say she was the best doctor I have ever seen and truly wish that she was the only doctor I would ever have to see again”.

Dr Rachel Maguire, Speciality Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Rachel is a very hardworking and dedicated Doctor who goes above and beyond her role to assist in the smooth running of the Midwifery Unit, especially during times of escalation or when the unit is short staffed. Rachel is always friendly and happy to help whenever needed and can be called upon to assist with any task required from answering telephones, assisting with births or to simply making beds. Rachel is a much loved member of the multi-disciplinary team and should be recognised for her hard work and enthusiasm to ‘muck in’ whenever times get tough.

Ros Parkinson, Specialist Nurse Practitioner, Paediatric Outpatients 

Ros was nominated by a family for the continued outstanding care she gives their daughter, and all of her other patients. She demonstrates a perfect balance of professionalism and empathy. Ros is always approachable and so caring and consistently strives to provide excellent patient care. She goes out of her way to ensure she knows patients as individuals and treats them accordingly. Ros offers an honest opinion, and ensures child and parent are involved in the decision making process. She is very respectful of other colleagues’ expertise and opinions too and works well as part of the team to ensure best patient experience. The team are extremely busy, but the family are never made to feel like the team don’t have time for us. Hospital visits can be quite daunting, patients are usually feeling unwell and may be anxious or worried, but Ros makes it as painless as possible. Thank you Ros, you are amazing.

Emma Smith, Early Years Practitioner, Middlesbrough 0-19 Children’s Services

Emma has recently taken on the role of 0-19 duty practitioner which has been a new role at Middlesbrough and Emma has embraced everything the role has had to offer. Emma has demonstrated excellent assessment skills triaging calls from parents and other professionals and agencies. She has worked within her capabilities escalating work and concerns when necessary. Emma was overheard on a call to a service user and it was clear that the advice and support she was offering was going to have a positive impact to that young person. Emma continues to be passionate In the delivery of a high class service, maintaining trust values and improving outcomes for children and young people in Middlesbrough.

Sinead Timson, Ward Clerk, Nidderdale Ward

Sinead is an absolute asset to the Nidderdale team. Having spoken to the staff on the ward, they describe Sinead as irreplaceable. From running to the shop to get patients a newspaper, to organising and liaising with family and patients, she excels in all she does. Sinead is also assisting in training our new ward clerks who each have complimented Sinead in her training techniques and patience. We would love for Sinead to be recognised for all her hard work. Sinead is so honest and upholds the same values for staff and patients to ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally.

Dr Sankkita Vivekananthan, Locum Ward Doctor HDFT

Sangie has bene nominated by a group of colleagues who describe her as ‘clinically astute, approachable and enthusiastic, conscientious, sorts out complex patients and is a great team-player’. Sangie is totally amazing and has made an impression on everyone she works alongside, helping out teams and colleagues with anything they need. We also heard some examples of when Sangie has received positive feedback from a patient’s relative – calling them every day about their relative, being kind, understanding and listening to everything they wanted.

Dr James Uttley, General Medical Practitioner, GP Out of Hours

Dr James Uttley received a compliment and award nomination from a patient who has completed an online request for a call back. Dr James Uttley called them promptly, he was very polite, friendly and understanding; even making the effort to personally deliver the patient’s medicine, which they really appreciated.

Romeo Asistol, Health Care Support Worker, Byland Ward

Whilst I was an inpatient at the hospital I have to say all the staff where excellent and all gave such amazing care. Please convey my extreme thanks to Romeo who brightened up my stay and made me laugh again, was always very pleasant to me, and helped me have a wash after a few days of not being able to get out of bed. He truly, along with everyone was amazing and a true credit to the Trust.

Kerry Bush & Sharon Appleyard, Medical Secretaries

Kerry and Sharon were nominated for a Making a Difference award by a patient who has had regular contact with them in the lead up to surgery. They wanted to say a massive thank you to both Kerry and Sharon for being kind, sympathetic and understanding – they couldn’t have made it through the last few months without their input. Kerry recently had a telephone call from another patient thanking her to all the hard work she put in to get the lady a date for surgery and how much it meant to her that Kerry had listened to her. Sharon is very hard working – If she starts a job she always sees it through, making sure things are completed before she finishes.

Clare McNaught, Consultant, General Surgery

Clare received an award nomination from a patient who recently received fantastic care from Clare and her team. They were grateful for the gentle and caring approach taken to their care.

Andrew Dean, Staff Nurse, Woodland’s Ward

Andy was nominated by a mother who wanted to convey their sincere thanks for the care her and her daughter received. They said: “My daughter was admitted to Woodland’s and during her stay I felt that the support and outstanding care offered by Andrew was amazing. He showed all the professional qualities of a medical practitioner but with added empathy and compassion. Even though the ward was extremely busy, Andy ensured that my daughters medical needs were met, she was monitored and looked after – including noting that she required the use of a wheelchair and going that extra mile to ensure one was provided. He was prompt to answer our queries and took time to explain everything to us, what the concerns were and how they were being addressed.  He was extremely efficient and provided amazing care which I feel needs recognising.”

Dr James Uttley, General Medical Practitioner, GP Out of Hours

Dr James Uttley received a compliment and award nomination from a patient who has completed an online request for a call back. Dr James Uttley called them promptly, he was very polite, friendly and understanding; even making the effort to personally deliver the patient’s medicine, which they really appreciated.

April 2022

Olivia Plowman, Midwife, Pannal Ward

Olivia is a newly qualified midwife and since starting she noticed that many of the newly qualified midwives found it challenging to juggle all the needs of taking a patient to elective c-section. Using her own initiative she collated her own document – a cheat sheet if you will – to aid not only herself but others. Since completion this has been used as resource by her fellow band 5 midwives and students of all years in their midwifery training. Olivia clearly spotted a gap where she felt she could be instrumental and was empowered enough to create and promote her work.

Sally Simister, Nurse Consultant, Acute Oncology Nursing, SROMC

Sally joined the team in August 2021 as Team Lead and from her very first day it was obvious to all who had the pleasure of coming into contact with her that she was going to ‘Make a Difference’.

Sally is kind, caring, compassionate and a team player who is not afraid of a challenge.  She welcomes everyone with open arms and is always willing to help and support wherever she can. Her open door policy has made a massive difference; Sally always puts the needs of patients and their families first whilst at the same time supporting colleagues within the team to maintain the exceptional standard of care they provide. She is very enthusiastic, dedicated and incredibly professional in the way she works. Two new team members recently joined the Acute Oncology team and Sally went above and beyond to ensure they settled in and were made to feel that they could ask anything without feeling uncomfortable and that they ‘should know the answer’.  Sally is passionate about training and development and supports the Acute Oncology team with their individual continued professional development. She also champions the Acute Oncology team members developing their skills further by training and supporting other health care professionals.

Dean Smith, Medical Records Team Leader, Medical Records

Dean is a superstar, totally honest, trustworthy and dependable; he leads an incredibly busy department and is great at welcoming and training new starters. Dean is always cheerful, positive and happy to help; going the extra mile for the patients and team as a whole.

Cheryl Evans, Family Health practitioner, North Yorkshire 0-19 Children’s Services

Cheryl recently showed amazing integrity with a young person she had been working with. This young person trusted Cheryl to send a message about an unsafe situation they had been in and asked Cheryl to inform Children’s Social Care. Cheryl demonstrated great understanding of her role and the actions she should undertake, she liaised with numerous Services to ensure the young person remained in a safe environment. Cheryl also clearly documented all of her actions in a timely manner to a very high standard. Cheryl displayed kindness towards the young person, providing reassurance and clearly communicating what needed to take place.

Emma Smith, Early Years Practitioner, Middlesbrough 0-19 Children’s Services

Emma has recently taken on the role of 0-19 duty practitioner which has been a new role at Middlesbrough and Emma has embraced everything the role has had to offer. Emma has demonstrated excellent assessment skills triaging calls from parents and other professionals and agencies. She has worked within her capabilities escalating work and concerns when necessary. Emma was overheard on a call to a service user and it was clear that the advice and support she was offering was going to have a positive impact to that young person. Emma continues to be passionate In the delivery of a high class service, maintaining trust values and improving outcomes for children and young people in Middlesbrough.

Jayne Kiddie, Learning Disability Nurse, Child Development Centre

Jayne was nominated by a mother whose family Jayne has been supporting for a few years, this is what she said…

I honestly cannot imagine life without Jayne in it. She is an amazing lady. Jayne is kind, caring, compassionate, supportive and understanding. She never makes us feel we are judged, which is something we come across a lot as a family with disabled children. Jayne always responds to emails and phone calls promptly. She will do absolutely anything to help and support us; she attends appointments with us and listens to me venting. Jayne has helped me to realise, and accept, that I am a good mum and I am doing my absolute best for my children, she deserves a making a difference award because for our family, that is exactly what she has done.

Mohammed Samow, Project Support Officer, North Yorkshire 0-19 Children’s Services

Samow was nominated by his colleagues for his patience, efficiency, kindness and support with IT training; enabling colleagues to use trust digital systems. Samow has made everyone feel relaxed and that they are not a burden during the training sessions; he has dealt with individual concerns appropriately, he is approachable and professional and is always positive and motivational to the staff about any challenges and changes to IT systems. This has been demonstrated by the engagement he has had with staff to promote the systems to our families and the uptake in North Yorkshire. Samow has had the enormous challenge of setting up, alongside partners, a service APP, virtual clinic access with MS Teams from Attend Anywhere and Dragon medical one training. Samow has made sure there are lots of opportunities to access the training sessions and is supportive 1:1 if staff contact him with any problems.

Mark Hope, Administration Assistant, Discharge Planning Team

Mark is the admin assistant to the Discharge Planning Team and goes above and beyond in every way each day! Mark is incredibly charismatic, polite and supportive to his immediate team, other colleagues at HDFT, Social care and the Clinical Commissioning Group. Throughout each working day, Mark demonstrates a refreshing level of enthusiasm, professionalism and maintains a consistently bright and positive mental attitude which is both exemplary and contagious. Mark has an excellent attendance record, eye for detail and always delivers an extremely high standard of work. Mark is an asset to the team and indeed #TEAMHDFT.

Alexandra Cross, District Nurse, Harrogate North CCT

Ali worked through extreme team pressures when there was a large reduction in staff due to covid. She remained calm, helpful and provided great emotional support to her colleagues. Ali has demonstrated great leadership and is a fabulous role model to all staff. Ali is always responsive to concerns from colleagues, patients, carers and relatives. She regularly checks in with staff members throughout the day ensuring that they are managing their workload and feel supported. Ali’s friendly, calm and kind persona is incredibly uplifting during the most challenging of times.

Kate Southgate, Associate Director of Quality and Corporate Affairs

Kate is a credit to the hospital; her line management is second to none, and she is always there to support the team with a kind and caring approach. Kate organised a team building day to help build strong relationships within the team; as a result, the team can speak freely and openly with each other and always feel like they are heard. There are many little things that Kate does for the team to show her appreciation when they are having a hard week, such as making everyone a cup of tea and providing tasty treats. She really is one in a million, and thoroughly deserves to be recognised for all the work she has done since joining the trust.

Jenny Humphries, Lead Nurse Ophthalmology

Jenny is a great asset to the ophthalmology team, she came in new to the trust and new to ophthalmology! Her brilliant management and leadership skills along with great common sense has enabled her to make such an impact in so short a time. A colleague said “I can think of no- one else as well fitted to the job I am genuinely thrilled to be working with her”; Jenny is not afraid of change and rises to any challenge, she is a real innovator, fantastic team builder and wonderful nurse.

Jenny is a fantastic leader and manager, which enabled her to quickly adapt to her new environment and build excellent working relationships with both the nursing and medical teams. She has expanded her ophthalmology knowledge and frequently works in the clinical environment, supporting the teams but also using these as opportunities to improve the patient’s journey.

Emma Boyes, Programme Manager, PMO Digital Team

Emma has been the project manager for the HealthRoster rollout since 2020. Emma was very much in touch with the ongoing demands, often checking in and being in touch with colleagues’ welfare; listening and offering advice when appropriate, and giving encouragement when needed. She offered support and personally helped teammates work through the issues and options, resulting in a revised approach and the deadlines being achieved ahead of schedule. The team have significant gratitude to Emma, who really has made the difference to not only enabling them to deliver the projhect, but in doing so, providing the much needed support that made it much better. Through all of this, she has always kept a caring and balanced approach between managing the goals and looking after colleagues’ welfare and wellbeing.

Claire Broadbent, Staff Nurse, Same Day Emergency Care

Claire goes above and beyond for both patients and colleagues on a daily basis, providing an outstanding level of kindness, care and compassion in her work – nothing is ever too much trouble. Recently there was a difficult situation regarding domestic violence with a patient, Claire assessed the patient holistically and recognised unusual behaviours and made sure she took the time to carefully and professionally build a report, thus the patient  opened up to Claire and trusted her, and this was a positive outcome on this occasion.

Claire’s character is infectious. She’s extremely bright, bubbly and you always smile when you know you’re on shift with her. She is an outstanding member of the team, and the epiphany of HDFTs trust values. Claire is a role model to her patients, peers and student nurses, and treats everybody as equals.

March 2022

Andrea Bossons, Early Years Practitioner, 0-19 Hetton Children’s Services

Andrea always puts the heart of the families first by supporting, encouraging, and most importantly listening.

Andrea recently worked with a family for about a year who was struggling with sleep & diet for their daughter. Andrea really persevered with her support, encouraging the Solihull approach and finally changes were made improving this family’s everyday life. The mother got in touch with us to share how thankful she was for Andrea’s care: “Hi, I would just like to say a massive Thank you for all your help over the last year, I have had days where I have cried to you on the phone thinking I am a bad mam as my daughter wouldn’t sleep, and you reassured me each time, I honestly don’t think I would be as sane as I am now without you, after already having 3 children I was embarrassed to ask for help but you made me feel so comfortable asking for it, my daughter now sleeps and eats and I couldn’t be more grateful to you, thank you so much.”

Clare Watson, Family Health practitioner, 6-19 North Yorkshire Children’s Services

Clare has been undertaking a delegated piece of work with a young person who has experienced lots of Trauma in their life. She has taken the time to listen to them and understand their concerns worries and anxieties. She has sought support to ensure we are fully supporting this young person and have the correct professionals in their life. The concerns the young person has shared have been very emotional to hear 3rd hand from Clare but Clare has remained very professional during her sessions with the young person. Clare was able to see that the support the young person needs is above what we can offer. This shows her qualities and professionalism although difficult in stepping out of the case when it is very emotive to continue offering support. Well Done Clare. The caseload holder also said; “Clare gained the confidence of the child, who felt able to open up and be honest about their very negative lived experience. Listening to a child with empathy and gentleness is a skill, which Clare has in abundance. This skill really captures the child’s voice, which is at the centre of our work with children, young people and their families.”

Sarah Turnbull, Clerical Officer, Medical Records

Sarah is a rock to the team; she is passionate, never complains and tries her best at everything –  always wanting to do more than sometimes is possible. Sarah will always listen to her colleagues troubles; she’s kind, companionate, motivated and strong willed. The team wanted to show their appreciation to Sarah’s consistent dedication and hard work in the department.

Lisa McCabe, Specialist Nurse for Child Protection

Lisa is a volunteer Race Equality Ambassador and a credit to the HDFT as she has made a significant difference in setting up the Black Asian minority ethnic (BAME) network from a concept to a fully functioning staff support network. She has been Chair for more than 2 years and has contributed to the role and responsibility through determined application and hard work. She has earned the respect from wider colleagues and network members, and has become a role model for many and an exceptional leadership approach. Lisa has led on many debates, events about racism and inequality within the trust, which opened many eyes to the realities of racial injustice across the Trust. Lisa has tirelessly advocated for equality, diversity and inclusion for members of all staff with a focus on ethnicity.

Lisa’s passion for justice is self-evident when she amplifies the voices of ethnic minority staff most likely to have a poorer lived experience within the workplace. She actively seeks out, listens constructively and responds with creative solutions.  She works selflessly to raise awareness and understanding of racial inequalities across recruitment, selection, progression and retention. She is to be commended for her confidence and courage to speak up and challenge with respect the need to do more to promote race equality. Lisa has been a particular advocate for evidence-based data to understand and respond to race equality risks across the organisation.

Aileen Galloway, Named Nurse Safeguarding Children – Northumberland

The Safeguarding Children Team are in the process of establishing a new team and a new approach to working, Aileen has recently been appointed as Named Nurse and her colleagues have nominated her for this award.

Aileen is a kind and generous leader, she is very appreciative of all of her teams efforts and reminds us each day how important we are to the service. Aileen is keen to promote knowledge and experience and goes out of her way to share her insights into service improvement, she is humorous and gentle natured, she is professional and direct when required but always, always with humility. She is full of anecdotes to bring a theory to life and has a wide array of “Galloway-isms” for example when trying to effect change she likens it to eating an elephant, it can only ever be done one bite at a time! In her short time with the service she is demonstrating such a clear vision for how things need to progress, Aileen’s colleagues have learned such a lot from her and really feel she should be recognised as the kind of transformational leader the services benefits from.

Robyn Precious, Charity Administration & Database Officer 

Robyn is a volunteer Chair for the LGBT+ staff support network. He is an Ambassador and a real advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion.  He has a depth and breadth of awareness and understanding of the challenges relating to LGBT+ people and staff members. As a Chair he has been instrumental in developing the LGBT+ staff support network. Raising awareness through annual events to protect and safeguard for equality and inclusion. Robyn has led with his member colleagues the challenges for LGBT+ rights in the workplace promoting equal validity and dignity for all staff regardless of sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.

He has provided a platform for discussion and influenced policy and practice to ensure LGBT+ staff voice is heard and they can feel a sense of belonging within the Trust. Robyn is to be commended for all his work and efforts in constructively supporting the needs of our LGBT+ members with extreme sensitivity and respect. He has worked diligently advocating the need to address fairness and dignity for all, promoting a workplace culture where everyone can bring their holistic self to work.

Laurissa Houweling, Sister, Emergency Department

There was an incident in A&E involving a patient early morning, Sister Houweling ensured the safety of patients in cubicles, evacuated the waiting areas in a calm manner, oversaw the arrival of the Police, was extremely effective in keeping the department calm and running while ensuring positive action to remedy the situation was being taken. She also went around after the matter concluded and asked each staff member if they were feeling OK and that the incident had not had an adverse effect on people. Laurissa showed outstanding management of a difficult situation focusing on patient well-being, but ensuring her team was cared for too. Laurissa dealt with a very challenging situation in a calm and appropriate manner.  Speaking to one of the patients the following day to carry out a welfare check, the patient was incredibly thankful for being made to feel safe in such a volatile situation.

Jackie Scott, Senior Cardiac Physiologist, Cardiology

Jackie is a senior cardiac physiologist in the Cardio-Respiratory department. She has consistently been a moral and educational support to colleagues and has recently taken on mentoring students within the department. Jackie is calm, measured, and assertive yet works with humanity and kindness towards everyone around her. She is an advocate for the students she supports but also inspires them to stand on their own two feet. A colleague said: “We can all probably think of a colleague or senior staff member we look up to and think ‘I want to be like them’. Well, Jackie is mine”. Jackie has certainly made a difference to many colleagues in the Cardio-Respiratory Department.

February 2022

Cibu is a fantastic member of the team and is empathetic towards not only patient’s needs, but to that of staff too. Cibu is approachable, has a great sense of humour, and is a pleasure to work with. He radiates happiness, and has the ability to put people at ease regardless of the circumstances. Cibu always ensures excellent patient care is delivered. He is compassionate, respectful and perceptive to their needs. Returning patients often request if they can see him again. Cibu has excellent communication skills, with both staff, patients and their relatives. He always gets positive feedback from everyone.

Mark O’Kane, Clinical Education Fellow, Acute Medicine

This Junior Doctor had identified and found a workable solution for an area of significant and persistent concern for the acute teams and the general medicine team. Finding himself unable to change the entire IT backend, he led a change to create an incoming/outgoing post take patient board using existing resources. It was a real relief to nursing, management and medical staff to have this in place and will no doubt be a massive benefit to patient care. He had no personal stake in improving this but has a drive to leave the world a better place in all aspects of his encounters with it.

Julie Wilkinson, Health Visitor, Scarborough 0-6 North Yorkshire

Julie has a positive and professional outlook on her role, she is passionate about her role and job and keen to make a difference to all the children and families she works with, she is supportive to her wider team, enthusiastic and approachable. A family Julie supported during their move to the area have contacted the team to say how supportive she was to them, kind, respectful, non-judgemental and professional; Julie was able to give supportive and sound advice to the family around the children’s health needs.

Sharon Mason, Acute Safeguarding Nurse, Safeguarding Children’s Team

Sharon joined the Safeguarding Children’s Team last August from the Special Care Baby Unit and we became aware that she started an initiative last year making bonding hearts and memory bags for babies and families. Sharon continues to do this despite no longer working in SCBU. Sharon is clearly making a big difference by making these gifts for babies and families; providing the materials and doing it all in her own time. In Sharon’s words: “this weekend’s labour of love” which is done out of pure kindness

Alison Roberts, Nurse Colposcopist, Women’s Unit

Alison joined us in 2021 and since joining the team has made a really positive impact. As an experienced Colposcopist she has hit the ground running and made a significant contribution to patient care, not only clinically, but helping drive forward Service Improvements, external reviews and putting the service forward for additional covid recovery funding. Alison is an expert in her clinical area and was recently asked to respond to concerns raised by the mother of a patient. Alison had not been involved in the daughter’s care but she was extremely helpful in speaking to the family to alleviate their concerns. The family were very pleased to speak to Alison directly and this resolved the concern very swiftly. Her kind and responsive approach makes her a wonderful addition to our team.

Lynsey Williams, Assistant Health Visitor Practitioner, North Yorkshire 0-19

Lynsey recently undertook a 2 year review to a family. During this visit Mum opened up regarding her experiences of domestic abuse. Lynsey responded empathetically whilst also acknowledging the impact of this on the Children and the need for an assessment through safeguarding. Lynsey was open and honest with the Mum about next steps and available support. Following the visit, Lynsey returned and presented the case at supervision and received excellent feedback from her colleagues regarding the care she provided. Her documentation was excellent and of a very high quality. It was very clear to see what was discussed, actions and liaison. It was Lynsey’s questions and approach whilst visiting this family, that clearly made Mum feel comfortable to be able to open up to her and ask for help. Mum also messaged Lynsey to say thank you for giving her ‘fresh hope’.

January 2022

Emma Edgar, Clinical Director Long Term and Unscheduled Care and Clinical Lead Nurse For Cardiology

Emma was nominated by a patient’s relative and family who were astounded, and are extremely grateful for the level of care that was been provided at a really worrying time for them. Emma went out of her way to ensure that their dad was seen in a timely manner, put the family at ease, and offered a level of personal assurance that the family feel really warrants recognition. Even under massive pressures, Emma and the Cardiology team delivered such a high quality of compassionate care and she is a testament to the Trust.

Sarah Walters, General Manager, Paediatrics

Sarah is an incredible leader, she works extremely hard keeping the patients and her colleagues at the forefront of all that she does. Sarah supports all of her many teams and she approaches problems in a methodical, pragmatic, considered and empathetic way. Sarah has to regularly change her mind set from thinking of her community teams to thinking of her acute hospital teams. Sarah isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and make beds to support colleagues. Most recently Sarah offered to come in and support with an end of life patient in Paediatrics on her weekend off. Sarah has been very supportive of the staff as she knows how challenging they have found spending time on the ward during that time. Sarah is very supportive of her teams and really balances the ability to progress the most complex strategic changes with the most operational day to day support. Sarah demonstrates the epitome of our Trust values and we as a team would be lost without her.

Kate Mortimer, Community Midwife, Midwifery

Kate’s passion and commitment to promoting birth place choice has resulted in an increased number of planned home births. Her individualised care, reassurance and belief in her women is evidenced in the safe, uncomplicated deliveries of numerous babies at home. Kate has covered six on-call shifts in two weeks to provide continuity of care and this level of dedication is admirable. Kate’s commitment and dedication to her women is absolutely astounding, her efforts do not go unnoticed and I am very proud to work alongside her. One of Kate’s patients shared with us their pregnancy journey with Kate; describing the personal and individualised care they received. This mother felt listened to and understood; Kate swapped her shift so she was working the night her patient went into labour, going over and above to make sure she was there for the family and words cannot describe how much this mean to them.

Jacqui Pearse, Health Visitor, Stockton 0-19 Children’s Services

Jacqui was nominated by many of her colleagues for her exemplary actions during a very difficult safeguarding case. Jacqui’s excellent record keeping enabled her to give a clear account of her input during the Raid Review meeting; Jacqui demonstrated that she is a reflective practitioner – in her current practice and her practice moving forward – she is analytical and able to identify risk, she is a credit to the Health Visiting team. One colleague wrote:

“I was really impressed with the practice of Health Visitor, Jacqui Pearse and the way in which she conducted herself and represented HDFT. Jacqui had challenged appropriately, pulled together all of the cumulative risk factors, made referrals at the right time, provided extensive support, used her safeguarding supervision well – I felt that it was exemplary practice. A huge well done to Jacqui.”

Ellie Batchelor, Medical Secretary, Ophthalmology

Ellie was nominated by her colleague Amelia for the hard work and dedication she has shown developing a new system. Ellie recently took on the responsibility of managing Advice and Guidance requests in the department and has managed to develop a system where 100% of the requests are responded to within 48hours – exceeding the 80% target!

Karen Harrison, Health Visitor, 0-19 Middlesbrough (bottom right)

The Trust Values shine through in everything Karen does. She is someone who you warm to instantly through her kind and selfless nature. The 0-19 Middlesbrough team have recruited recently and describe Karen as a shining example for new staff to follow, she has embraced the new skill mix model with passion and enthusiasm.     Karen always makes time to check on the wellbeing of others and is instrumental in training, supporting and developing the team. Karen’s colleagues feel a sense of energy and ‘being in it together’ when working alongside her and this helps their workplace to feel a good place to be. She is patient, kind, inclusive, supportive, values the contributions and skills that new staff bring to the team and most of all creates a positive, caring, inclusive team spirit.

Jo Burns, Matron

Jo was nominated for a Making a Difference ward by her colleagues on Byland Ward who told us about Jo’s incredible leadership and how she steered the team through a hard time – making a huge difference to their well-being and the care of their patients. Jo puts her patients and colleague first every single day; and nurtures her team, supporting them to be the best they can. She is always the first one to put an apron on, help with patient care, assist at mealtimes, medicines, and anything else she can to support her teammates. Jo recently received a promotion from Ward Manager of Byland Ward to Matron and while the team are delighted for her they are also sorry to lose her as their manager – but they know that she will continue to provide the same support and reassurance, not only to Byland Ward, but her other wards as well.

December 2021

Rowena Fellingham, Principal SLT, Specialist Feeding Clinic

Rowena was nominated by a family who received her support with feeding after their child was diagnosed Autistic. Rowena has not only given dedicated support and understanding of their child’s complex needs, she has gone above and beyond by liaising with colleagues to think ‘outside the box’ and designed a very individualised plan for the family. On many occasions, Rowena has been there for them in times of crisis, often last minute and in addition to her clinic times. Rowena has supported the family with feeding challenges at home, school and advising the local education authority in order to ensure their child’s needs are met. Rowena is a perfect example of someone who truly makes a difference to patients’ lives and the family cannot thank her enough.

Graham Easby, Care Support Worker, Nidderdale Ward

Graham was nominated by a colleague whose family member was cared for on Nidderdale Ward. All of the staff on the ward did their utmost to make their relative as comfortable as possible; Graham really went above and beyond to support the family whilst visiting, and make sure that they were as well cared for as possible.

Viv Evans, Patient Safety Administrator, Quality Team

Viv is always so helpful, however one of the main reasons for her nomination is that she has an enormous task of preparing, chasing and combining RCA reports twice monthly for the quality panel. Often this means that she has to liaise and organise several people to ensure that the reports are completed and ready for panel. By the time panel happens, everything runs like clockwork, and this is due to the hard work and effort that Viv consistently puts in. She is calm and caring to other team members and has a lovely sense of humour which has really been needed over these last few months. Viv works with colleagues across the organisation and is understanding and helpful to everyone who encounters her. She also on occasions has to speak to patients and / or their relatives and in these interactions she is always gentle and compassionate where needed. Viv espouses the Trusts values in everything she does, she is hard working and kind and through all of the recent changes has remained positive and upbeat.

Maryann Heads, Emotional Resilience Nurse, Growing healthy 0-25 services (bottom middle)

Maryann always goes above and beyond in her role, in her team and supporting her colleagues. She does it always with a smile on her face! Maryann has been a valued member of the NHS for many years and is well known in the community. Not only is she an amazing support for the children she works with but she also provides massive support for her colleagues. Anytime they feel down and exhausted, she always has a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on and wise words to lift their spirits.

Bony Thomas, Care Support Worker, Oakdale Ward

Bony is an amazing Care Support Worker who goes about his work in an organised quiet manner no matter how busy or under pressure the ward is. He always puts the patients first and treats them with great kindness as he tends to their individual needs. He is never rude, he is always courteous and polite, and he supports his colleagues when they require help. Bony is a much valued member of the team, his commitment does not go unnoticed.

Lorna Brizzolara, Physiotherapy Assistant, Women’s and Men’s health physiotherapy, Therapy Services Department

Lorna has worked beyond her team’s expectations this year. They have experienced staff shortages and Lorna has stepped up and been flexible with the increasing service demand. She has also taken on additional tasks to help her teammates and continues to be an integral part of the service. Lorna is reliable and has maintained a positive attitude despite on-going challenges. She is an inspiration and the team feel very lucky to have her working in their department.

Lydia Overend (left) and Malgorzata Rozyc (right), Medical Records Clerks, Medical Records
Lydia and Marg were nominated for awards by their colleague for their hard work in Medical Records. They are both reliable, keen and quick to learn new ways of working. Marg has made several suggestions on how the department can improve the way they work; such as attaching a blood request form to each new referral for the consultants to check. Lydia has worked non-stop, since returning to work, to make sure all notes are pulled and prepped in a timely manner; and has covered lunchtimes in SROMC to help her teammates out. Both colleagues are friendly, polite, flexible and helpful, and do a fantastic job which is appreciated and recognised by those around them.

Kirsty Laing, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Respiratory Team
Kirsty was nominated by her colleagues for being one of the most dedicated and passionate professionals they know, she works so hard and takes on a lot of responsibility of the respiratory team. She is fully committed to her role as a respiratory ACP and strives for excellence every single time. Kirsty supports and empowers ward teams in providing the best care to respiratory patients. At the heart of everything she does is ensuring the best patient care and empowering others around her to do the same. Outside of the organisation she is involved with respiratory network groups and ensuring best practice is shared and developed.
Kirsty is always involved in improvement projects – she previously did the chest drain education package, she developed the training for verification of death by non-medical professionals, she has contributed to the covid pathways and she is currently undertaking an improvement project to ensure oxygen is prescribed and administered safely. On top of all this she is one of the educational supervisors for a trainee ACP. She is approachable and the Consultants and medical team find her contribution invaluable. Her colleagues said they are in ‘awe’ of how she manages to do everything and think that she is ‘superhuman’.

November 2021

Jean Eastwood, Community Midwife, Midwifery

Jean was nominated for an award by a mother whom she supported through a very difficult pregnancy. She went above and beyond to help them with advice and guidance, they had no mental health support and Jean really stepped up to help. She made them feel calm and treated them like a friend, they felt like they could always ask anything however big or small. Jean helped this mum get a referral to the Perinatal mental health, enabling them to create a mental health plan for labour and postpartum. Even after giving birth, Jean did regular check-ups as well as the standard after birth appointments, they built such a fond relationship with Jean and were sad to be discharged from the service.

Lizzie Leslie, Public health nurse lead, 0-19 Northumberland

Lizzie’s assistance during the TUPE process has been invaluable, and Lizzie has gone well above expectations to assist not only her colleagues and those waiting to receive Northumberland colleagues at HDFT. Lizzie shows passion for the role and the services she is responsible for; as well as amazing teamwork and kindness to her colleagues. One of the main concerns for staff transferring to HDFT was that they would not have access to systems, including the electronic patient record. Lizzie was able to support staff and answer their questions; attending the venues where the laptop rebuilds were in progress, storing laptops and posting kit back to Harrogate where needed – none of which were expected of her but have been greatly appreciated. Lizzie is a valued member of the 0-19 Northumberland team, responding proactively and positively to different requests.

Brenda McKenzie, Unit Manager, SROMC 

Brenda was nominated by her colleague for being a fantastic mentor! Brenda’s wealth of knowledge and approachability makes working with her a joy. She always has time in her busy calendar to meet and offer guidance through any issues and offering a friendly ear and a voice of reason. She is a wonderful human being and an absolute asset to this trust. Brenda is a hugely supportive manager for her team and has created a culture of compassion and respectfulness towards all patients. She encourages her staff to become knowledgeable, skilled practitioners who take real pride in their work. The unit has had to adapt to many challenges over the last few years and Brenda has the skills to adapt and be flexible whilst not allowing standards to drop.

Siji George, Registered Nurse, Rowan Ward

A Patient on Rowan Ward asked if there was a way of recognising Siji George on Rowan Ward, for her kindness and general excellence. In particular relating to the time when she accompanied them to their treatment, she reassured them when they were anxious and stayed with them for the whole 17 hour period – phoning her husband to rearrange plans she had at home. They couldn’t have done it without Siji and wanted her kindness, compassion and dedication to be recognised. They were very impressed with the care from all staff on Rowan Ward and has total confidence in them. Siji is a remarkable nurse who always goes the extra mile for her patients and colleagues. She is a beautiful and kind person and anyone would be lucky to have her care for them or to work alongside.

Ruth Wilde, Physiotherapist
Ruth was nominated by a colleague, Caroline (pictured), who was looked after by Ruth. Caroline was admitted to hospital and Ruth was the physio on call, Ruth saw how upset she was and showed Caroline outstanding care and kindness at the most important time. Ruth went to see her on several weekends whilst on call, spending time helping Caroline transfer into a chair so she could get out of bed. This helped Caroline enormously both physically and mentally at a time of great distress. Ruth took the time to talk to her, reassure her and was a great comfort to the whole family during a very difficult time and Caroline will always very grateful for this.

Mandy Beecroft, Health Visitor, 0-19 Children’s Services Stokesley, North Yorkshire
Mandy was nominated by a colleague who shared with us a message received from a Mum who had been looked after by Mandy. They wanted to say a huge thank you to Mandy; she was one of the most kind, caring, understanding and competent health professionals they have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Mandy’s colleagues also told us about how immensely proud of her they are; soon after qualifying as a Health Visitor Mandy went on maternity leave and returned to a volume of significant changes. Mandy returned passionate, driven and willing to make a difference in children and families lives; she is an excellent team player and supportive of all her colleagues.

Stuart Wilson, IT Support Team Leader, IT Services
Stuart has been the face of HDFT in Northumberland as the staff TUPEd over to HDFT; he relocated to Northumberland for 3 weeks so he could spend every minute of the working day supporting staff and ensuring that they could deliver a service from Day 1. Stuart represented the Trust with professionalism and a solution focused approach which all the new staff appreciated and made their transition over to HDFT so much easier. Stuart provided daily updates to the mobilisation team, enabling prompt and effective action to address issues and escalating appropriately when required. Stuart is friendly, honest and proactive approach enabled the smooth transition of staff and has laid the foundations not only for the IT solution but for the future relationships between new staff and the Trust. Northumberland colleague also nominated Stuart for a Making a Difference award; telling us about how kind and understanding he was whenever there was an issue. Stuart assisted Northumberland Management Teams to co-ordinate site visits and laptop builds as conveniently as possible for the teams, working outside regular hours and going above and beyond to support them.

Dr Cait’lin Passmore, Doctor, ED
Dr Cait’lin Passmore’s nomination came from the mother of a patient who shared with us their experience in A&E.
Dr Passmore’s manner with my son was so incredibly caring and she spoke directly with him rather than with me; she explained to him very calmly what she was going to do and was so gentle. Dr Passmore was thorough, kind, reassuring and organised in her work. She told me when my son was next due a review so I knew how long it would be until I would be seen again. Just as the Dr had planned, she reviewed my son at the times she said she would.
The care Dr Passmore showed to not just us, but all the patients around us was outstanding. She clearly has a genuine care for people and wasn’t afraid to get stuck in and help the nurses. She is a true credit to Harrogate Hospital and I feel very lucky to have had her as the Dr for my son.

Ellie Kaye, Midwife, Antenatal Clinic
Ellie was nominated by a patient who wrote to us and told us about the wonderful care she received during the birth of her child. After being induced, the birth was progressing rapidly, the mother was panicked and had little options for pain relief. Ellie came on duty about 45 mins before her baby was born and quickly made her feel at ease, less panicked and like the situation was totally under control. Ellie immediately knew what was needed and was a fantastic birth support, she was amazing, calm and reassuring and felt like their own personal cheer leader. After giving birth, the mother had to go to theatre and again Ellie was amazing, respecting her and her husband’s wishes and reassuring the family that everyone was doing okay. Ellie went above and beyond to make what was quite a traumatic experience, and not the birth they had planned – into an experience which they will forever be grateful for. She made them feel in control again, at a time when they felt most vulnerable.

Monika Jania & Evangeline Tatlonghari, Rehabilitation assistants, Oakdale Therapy
Monika and Vangie have worked tirelessly to maintain standards of care and therapy input to patients on Oakdale ward and consistently receive excellent feedback from patients and relatives. They never say “no”, and support the whole team even in times of high pressure and personal challenge. They use their excellent clinical skills to give patients the best possible experience and outcome. Over the last year, they have both volunteered to support other wards and therapy teams when they have been short staffed. They have gone from a team of 3 to a team of 2 and continue to provide an excellent service on Oakdale ward; sharing out duties and learning new skills to ensure things continue to run smoothly. There was one Monday morning when neither Vangie nor Monika were working, and this really highlighted how essential they are to the smooth running of the therapy team, they do things with ease and much more efficiently! As well as supporting the therapy team, they also work hard to support the wider ward team where resource allows, assisting with cohorting at risk patients, helping to deliver meals and feed patients, and assisting with personal care tasks. Above all, they are both incredibly skilled practitioners. They are able to implement rehabilitation programmes to a very high standard, and build excellent relationships with their patients.

Abi Clapham, Nurse, Woodland’s Ward
My daughter was admitted to Woodlands back in August with an unknown Illness that the doctors could not get to the bottom of. As a family we were very fortunate and extremely lucky to have Abi looking after our daughter. Abi not only made a difference to the amazing care of her but also to myself and our family; she became someone I could cry to and would calmly reassure me when I need it. Abi always listened to my concerns over our daughter’s health and easily recognised the signs that she was having an ‘episode’ and quickly got her the medication she needed. It may seem as though she was “only doing her job” but to me and my family she made such a difference to us during that awful time.

October 2021

Dintle Mokgatle, Nurse, Jervaulx Ward

Dintle colleagues told us about how she is one of the most outstanding nurses they have ever had the pleasure to meet. She is an irreplaceable and exceptional member of Jervaulx ward team, the mother figure on the ward and supports everyone around her. Dintle is hard working and has a patient bedside manner – you would gladly have Dintle look after any of your own family in a heartbeat. She has changed shifts last minute, picked up extra shifts and stayed late to support the team and her colleagues. A nurse of over 20 years, Dintle is a true diamond and is the trust values in human form; he colleagues are proud to say she is a member of their team.

Laila Bouabidi, Midwife & Cory Taylor-Wheeler, Community Team Leader
Laila was nominated by a family who spent some time in the Delivery Suite and received outstanding care and attention from the team. During their stay, they felt lucky to come under the care of Laila who couldn’t have been more efficient, proficient, professional and caring. They were overjoyed when on the morning of the planned delivery, Laila was back on shift and would be with them during the delivery. The family were privileged to have her welcome their new born son into the world and she made the whole thing seem like she was a member of their family. They were sad to say goodbye to Laila at the end of her shift.

Cory was nominated by her colleagues for her expert and sensitive handling of a really difficult safeguarding case for a mother and baby. Cory worked with all the agencies involved to gather information and she has been a shining light at meetings. Cory has been outstanding – thorough, proactive, diligent, and so kind and patient focussed throughout this whole case. She has fostered a good relationship with the parties involved despite incredibly challenging circumstances and is an absolute credit to her team and her profession.

Lesley Danby, Matron – Planned and Surgical Care Directorate
Lesley works to ensure our most vulnerable patients are kept safe, ensuring personalised care. Lesley is a linchpin of planned and surgical care directorate, be it ward teams or the management team. She is strong, stoic and supportive in equal measures; you always know where you are with her – she always wears a smile when you need it the most. In everything Lesley does she mentions patients – she has even driven to drop things off for patients and relatives on her way home. Lesley is and has contributed hugely to the success of the vaccination programme and has helped coordinate multiple programmes across our footprint and has travelled to Middlesbrough to support teams there and support education of vaccinators.

Julie Bowes, Healthcare Support Worker, Darlington, Durham & Teeside immunisation team
Julie is always smiling and making all the staff laugh, which is so important at the moment. Julie offers to help all staff, no matter the grade and does this to the best of her ability. She brings a positive atmosphere to the school sessions and the office and she is a joy to have in the team. The immunisation team is so lucky to have her and she goes above and beyond for everyone.
Julie has also recently been really welcoming to new members of the team, making them feel at ease and settle into their new roles. He colleagues describe her as patient and kind, taking the team ‘under her wing’ and helping school session run smoothly. Nominated for demonstrating wonderful teamwork, one example of this is how she has taken on extra tasks such as the Flu rota to support the Immunisation Team alongside the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Tomasz Grzeda, Clinical Support Worker, Emergency Department

Tomasz is such a great and very positive colleague that can influence others by his very energetic voice and lively personality. He always has a smile even on such a busy day in ED. The way he talks and approaches staff and patients is just wonderful. I am blessed to be shadowing him and see how he can make difference on a day to day basis. Tomasz is an absolute delight to work alongside, he has a positive approach at all times and is always willing to go above and beyond!  He has mentored many of our new starters all of whom have given positive feedback.  His smile and humour bring  pleasure to the department on a daily basis.  I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award.

Yoshini Xavier, Nurse, Rowan Ward
Yoshi has embraced the new trust values and has stepped up to complete all her staffs appraisals, ensuring that all of her team not only receive empowering/ compassionate/ supportive appraisals but also have THRIVE conversations to ensure they feel like valued members of her team. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Yoshi she goes above and beyond for her patients, their visitors and her staff. She is constantly checking in on them to ensure they are ok and managing their workloads and even checks in on management to ensure that they are ok too. She works extremely hard to ensure that Rowan is a positive working environment for her team and always takes time out to praise and thank her staff. She is kind, caring , compassionate and a very special nurse who we are proud to have as a member of our team and what makes her so special is that she doesn’t even realise how amazing she is and what a positive difference she makes every day.

Jen Lockwood, Emergency Medicine Consultant, Emergency Department
A patient nominated Jen for showing an incredibly high amount of care, compassion and empathy for them at a time when they were in a lot of pain and very overwhelmed. We are very fortunate to have people like Jen working for us and if she cares for all her patients how she cared for them, then we are extremely lucky. Making a difference isn’t always about the big overt actions. For this patient, on one Saturday afternoon making a difference was the calming, reassuring voice in their ear telling them what was going on. They will never forget how she made them feel and cannot thank her and her team enough for the care they gave. Jen should be incredibly proud of the Doctor she is.

Andy Dennis & Linda Leech, Registered Nurses and Lorraine Dyson, Clinical PPE Lead
Andy, Lorraine and Linda made the ultimate difference to a member of the public who collapsed at a non-work event recently. Their quick thinking, teamwork and life support knowledge enabled them to start resuscitating him. They used a nearby defibrillator and worked together to continue to resuscitate him which they did with great success and have since visited him on coronary care. Andy, Lorraine and Linda well done on acting quickly and effectively to save a life.

Hannah Eaglen, Health Visitor, 0-19 Knaresborough Children’s Services
Hannah’s Line Manager shared with us some feedback from one of the mum’s that Hannah visited. This mum told us that Hannah had managed to maintain face to face visits during the pandemic and this had such a positive impact on her and her baby. They were feeling vulnerable and isolated, as a first time mum things were really scary and challenging, but seeing Hannah was uplifting. They were so grateful that Hannah could continue face to face visits, receiving breast feeding support and maternal mood screenings wouldn’t have been the same if they were virtual. This mum has developed great confidence in breastfeeding and felt able to disclose the nature of her anxiety to Hannah which has enabled her to get the support she needs. Describing Hannah as having a calm manner, professional attitude and kind hearted; she felt safe and reassured and as if she has known Hannah for ages.

September 2021

Marie Turner, Driver Technician, GP Out of Hours

While working at Northallerton GP Out of Hours, Marie was asked to take some medication to an elderly patient that lived alone. When Marie got to the patient’s home she knocked on the door but there was no answer, Marie looked through the window and could see the patient on the floor attempting to pull themselves to the door. Marie was able to get the key press number and gain entry, calling for an ambulance and being advised help was on the way but could take a while. Marie made the patient as comfortable as possible; they were too exhausted to move and Marie could not physically move them out of the cold, so she gathered towels, cushions and blankets to keep them warm. Marie sat on the floor with the patient trying to keep them awake as she noticed a lump on their head; the ambulance arrived and Marie helped the crew to get the patient into the Ambulance so they could be taken to hospital.

David Boys, IT Support, IT Department 
David has supported Middlesbrough 0-19 healthier together staff throughout the pandemic and gone above and beyond for them. David has really helped some members of the team develop and enhance their IT skills while they adapt to working from home. Many colleagues across the service know David and describe his as always working with a smile and nothing ever seems too much trouble; above all, David’s colleagues always feel listened to and communicated with, he calls or emails them with updates – at a time that suits them.

Doug Baston, Physiotherapist and Charlotte Thomas, Occupational Therapist 
Doug and Charlotte where nominated by a patient’s partner who wrote to us to thank them for all of the care, professionalism, expertise and compassion they show. Doug and Charlotte’s approach was inspiring and gave total confidence to their partner. Without your skills, varied experience and knowledge, the patient would not have been able to return home. Knowing that you and the team were there made a very positive difference to their recovery. You also gave them the confidence to help their partner; kindly, patiently and clearly demonstrating some physiotherapy – empowering them to be part of their rehabilitation.

Jodie Norman, Community Staff Nurse, Knaresborough & Boroughbridge Community Care Team
Jodie was nominated for her Making a Difference award by a patient and their son, who spoke very highly of Jodie and wanted to pass on their thanks. This patient had a condition they had been struggling to manage for some time. Jodie visited regularly and ensured the best evidence-based care was given, enabling them to heal and put in place a long-term care plan to help prevent future problems. Both the patient and their Son wanted to specifically highlight Jodie’s impeccable organisational skills and management all the different treatments to ensure there was continuity in the care received. Jodie’s professional manor and “people skills” were second to none.

Lynda Waddell, Community Staff Nurse, Knaresborough & Boroughbridge Community Care Team
Lynda is an excellent clinician who always puts her patients and team above herself, regularly volunteering to take on extra visits and always working later than she should to see urgent patients. Lynda is always willing to stand up for the needs of her patients, her level of care is over and above what is expected. Lynda is also a supportive colleague to everyone in her team, she is a great advocate for equality and makes sure everyone has the same opportunities.

Charlie Kent, Midwife
Charlie was nominated by a patient who told us about the wonderful care she gave them throughout their pregnancy journey. Charlie was incredibly reassuring; listening to and helping them with their anxieties, putting a detailed care plan in place to help them feel confident, comfortable and supported. Charlie was described as ‘attentive, thoughtful and thorough’ ensuring the family received the best care possible, both clinically and emotionally.

Megi Elliot, Midwife

Megi was nominated by a patient who described her as exceptional and a ‘standout professional’, explaining everything clearly and making sure the whole family were cared for and supported before, during and after a C-Section that was not straightforward. The family told us how wise, caring and organised Megi is, with the perfect blend of knowledge, experience and communication skills and how she made a lasting impression on them.

Dawn Smith, Community Administrator

Dawn was nominated by a colleague who told us about how amazing and reliable Dawn has been from her very first day in her role. The team are so impressed at how quickly Dawn has established her role and the hard work she has put in to shaping the role has reduced admin for the clinical team, enabling them more time to focus on caring for patients. Dawn’s colleagues have been very grateful for the positive impact she has made on the team, and the new processes are being considered for wider roll out.

Iona Brown, Midwife

Iona was nominated for a Making a Difference Award by a family who told us about the wonderful care they received during the delivery of their daughter. From the moment the family met Iona, she was calm, caring and instantly made them feel relaxed. Throughout the delivery, Iona was positive, encouraging and explained everything really well. After their daughter was born, Iona continued to check up on them and showed wonderful kindness – they felt loved, cared for and fully supported.

Phill Peplow, IT Support

Phill was nominated for a Making a Difference by many colleague who he has helped and supported with their IT needs. They told us about how Phill is always a friendly face to rely on, he answers ever email, phone call, text message quickly and goes above and beyond to find creative solutions to IT challenges colleagues are facing.  Moreover, Phill takes the time to get to know the teams and colleagues he works with, understand the work that they do and shows everyone a great amount of respect. Phill’s colleagues describe him as committed, positive, patient and honest – demonstrating equality in everything he does.

August 2021

Angela O’Connor and Angela Horner, specialist Parkinson nurses
Angela O and Angela H were nominated by a patient’s relative who wrote to us and told us about how much they and their husband appreciated the helpful advice they received. They both felt such relief knowing that their telephone call would be answered by a friendly voice and they had freedom to chat about their problems. Angela O and Angela H visited the family in their home, giving them expert care and useful advice which they have been entirely grateful for – they felt like the Parkinson’s nurses have really been there for them throughout everything.

Dianne Wallis, Nurse Associate, Knaresborough & Boroughbridge Community Care Team
Dianne always works very hard. She is very patient focused and a great advocate for patients and her fellow staff. Dianne has been invaluable in supporting the team, always willing to pick up extra work to support her peers. Dianne has also taken on shift lead and has led in a professional and effective way which has provided great support to her team. All staff enjoy working with Diane and speak highly of her.

Karen Breckon, Assistant HV practitioner, Northallerton 
Karen was nominated by a patient who told us about the amazing support she was given after giving birth to twins. Everything felt so challenging, with a 4 year old, a national lockdown and now twins; but Karen made her feel confident and reassured, and empowered her to make decisions. The family thank you so much for all the help you gave them.

Jane Reynard, Bank Driver Technician GP Out Of Hours
Jane was nominated for a Making a Difference award by a colleague who told us about a time when Jane went above and beyond to help a patient. After contacting GP Out of Hours Service, a patient had been advice to come in to hospital – they were unable to drive and had no family or friends able to bring them in. The overnight driver arrived and Jane was due to finish her shift but knowing this patient needed to be in hospital, she took it upon herself to drive out of her way and bring them into A&E. Jane made every effort to ensure her car was sanitised, she took clean masks with her and ensured the patient was protected, she made such a difference to that patient that night.

Sara Bourner and Lisa Lewis, Health Visitors, Community Middlesbrough
Sara and Lisa have led on and supported the delivery of Dragon Medical One in the community; they have shown great passion in promoting something new and excelled in getting others excited about the system. Sara and Lisa have both demonstrated a high level of expertise and professionalism, making themselves available to help their colleagues become familiar with the software. The introduction of this software has potential to reduce time spent record keeping and enable practitioners to be more time efficient.

Frankie Midgely, Sister, Emergency Department 
Frankie is an unassuming and inspiring colleague who positively impacts the lives of both patients and colleagues. Every day Frankie turns up to work and truly embodies the KITE values. Frankie’s colleagues told us that on those days when they are feeling overwhelmed, it will almost always be Frankie who places a kind hand on their shoulder, ensuring they have had a drink and actually asking if they are okay. Frankie demonstrates a high level of commitment to patient care and her ability to connect with patients is exemplary; she relates to them and their stories, undoubtedly acting as their ambassador. The Emergency Department feel truly lucky to have her in their team.

Lisa Hubbard, Discharge Coordinator, Jervaulx Ward
Lisa always goes above and beyond for her patients and to help the ward, even when outside of her job role. Most recently a patient, who had been discharged several weeks, contacted the ward to enquire about seeing a dentist. In her own time, Lisa researched where would be easiest for the patient to access, got the contact information and helped the patient arrange an appointment – to which the patient was very appreciative.

Dr Geraldine Bynoe, Consultant Haematologist
Geraldine has worked for the Trust for almost 30 years as a Consultant Haematologist. She is extraordinarily popular with and appreciated by patients. She inspires great confidence through her empathetic nature, true interest in the people she cares for and through her wealth of experience. She is a wise clinician who is able to take sensible, holistic decisions. She is a great source of support for her colleagues and her patients truly enjoy her company. Through her work over decades, Geraldine has made a profound difference to so many peoples’ lives. She can celebrate a truly great career!

July 2021

Sharon Athey, Early Years Practitioner

Because of covid-19, Sharon has been keeping in contact with her core families by telephone, and not having much time in the office with her colleagues. On one occasion, Sharon was overheard talking to mother and her colleague noticed how she was kind, friendly, informative and reassuring. Sharon showed interest in the child, the mother, the family, and was energetic and enthusiastic about her role and our service. Sharon’s responses to the mother were nurturing and she demonstrated passion about working with children. Her communications skills, knowledge and support must have made this family feel individual, care for and listened to.

Susie Smith, Community registered nurse, Community adult nursing Ripon CCT
Susie has worked very hard in her role as continence link nurse. Always acting as patient advocate, recognising the patients condition and being sensitive to their needs; Susie provides outstanding follow ups and quality care for a large number of patients. Susie has without doubt made a difference to so many patients’ quality of life.

Jo Burnside, Nurse, Specialist Continence Service
Jo was nominated for a Making a Difference award by a colleague who called Jo for some advice. After receiving a request for a patient some distance away, they called Jo for some clinical advice to best triage and care for the patient. Jo took it upon herself to review the patients notes, called the patient herself and arranged to visit them later that same day. Jo’s kindness, team work and commitment was great appreciate by her colleague and they are very grateful for her continued support and expert knowledge.

Kate Jones, CSW, Ripon Minor Injuries Unit
Kate was nominated for a Making a Difference award by a patient whom she came across a few years, they recently met again and the patient wrote to tell us about how amazing she is. On the day they met, Kate quietly and confidently assessed the situation the patient was in and knew immediately what to do. Kate offered the patient a safe place to talk and open up; she listened and offered support and reassurance which has changed the patient’s life. They were delighted to see Kate again after the journey they had been on and describe Kate as ‘a diamond’.

Amanda Russell, Quality Assurance Lead
Amanda is a kind person and has always been supportive and approachable when in need; she is a great role model, a hard worker and a good team player. Amanda went the extra mile to guide and support a colleague in their career; helping them to navigate interviews, providing motivation, advice and support at all times. Amanda also supported other colleagues during difficult times, demonstrating true kindness.

Bryony Whiting, Ward Sister, Byland Ward
Bryony was nominated by a colleague on Granby Ward as a huge thank you for coming over from Byland Ward to help one evening. Bryony heard the team were short staffed and showed amazing teamwork by going over to help, in-between her own patients and admissions. By lending Granby Ward an extra pair of hands; Bryony enabled the team to run services safely, provide quality care for patients and look out for staff wellbeing. Bryony’s help that day was hugely appreciated by the team at Granby.

Kareem Abdullah, Specialty Doctor, Trauma and Orthopaedic team
Kareem is an exceptional Speciality doctor on the Trauma & Orthopaedics team and goes the extra mile on a daily basis to ensure excellent patient care. During the pandemic he spent his free time gaining skills necessary to be redeployed, ensuring that he was well prepared for a new, unfamiliar role – showing great adaptability. Kareem continues to go the extra mile by taking on extra clinics, filling rota gaps and is known to run outpatient and theatre lists in advance to ensure that other services are pre-requested. Kareem’s colleagues told us that he is a pleasure to work with, he clearly cares deeply that patients are well looked after and contributes to the smooth, effective running of the clinic.

Michele Pearson, Safeguarding Nurse / Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, North Yorkshire 5-19 Children’s Services
Michele has worked in the safeguarding pillar since September and has gone above and beyond on many occasions; helping her colleagues in other teams and sometimes travelling over 2 hours to ensure health needs are assessed. Michele received a Making a Difference award for always gives 110%, taking on extra responsibilities when needed and being adaptable.

Beyhan Akyollu, Maternity Support worker, Ante Natal Clinic 
Beyhan was nominated by an extremely needle phobic patient, who needed to have a test. The test was supposed to be in the Phlebotomy Department but this would have meant the patients would have been on their own. Beyhan booked them into the ante natal clinic for the test, meaning that the patient could have their partner there and they were in a familiar place which made them feel safe and supported. The patient felt looked after from start to finish, nothing was too much trouble and thanks Beyhan for being so calm and cheerful.

Susie Smith, Community Adult Nursing Ripon CCT 
Susie was nominated by her colleagues for working incredibly hard in her role as continence link nurse. Susie demonstrates amazing integrity by acting as a patient advocate, recognising and being sensitive towards patient’s needs. Christine is always thorough with providing patient follow ups and excellent quality of care, she has without a doubt made a huge difference to the quality of life for so many patients.

Vanessa Brewis, Staff Nurse, Same Day Emergency Care
Vanessa was nominated for consistently provide an outstanding level of care for patients and colleagues. During the pandemic, Vanessa volunteered to help clinically in ITU which was an incredibly brave and humble thing to do; she changed her shift pattern and made adjustments to help the team in ITU, demonstrating amazing teamwork. Christine’s colleague described how she always goes out of her way for the team, often visiting them at home to give advice or assistance or just being there as a friend.

Christine Brindle, Audiologist
Christine was nominated by a colleague who told us about how she helped them return to work by setting out a plan, keeping in touch with them and ask how they were doing. Christine demonstrated amazing equality by enabling them to return to work, ensuring any adjustments were put in place and enabling them to live their dream of being an audiologist. Christine’s colleague also told us about how smoothly she runs the department, gladly helping out anyone who needs it and having a positive attitude that radiates on everyone around.

Charlotte Gannaway, Charge Nurse, Nidderdale Ward

Charlotte was nominated by her colleagues for being an amazing charge nurse! Charlotte goes above and beyond to support all staff on the ward and is always eager to help out whenever and wherever she can. Charlotte’s colleagues describe her as outstanding, approachable and pleasant to work with; always making sure her teammates are comfortable.

Tracey Hull, Care Support Worker, Byland Ward

Throughout the preceptorship programme preceptees are encouraged to ‘praise a practitioner’, during the last Preceptor Day Tracey received this nomination: ‘I have worked alongside Tracey many times and she goes above and beyond on every shift. She is kind, caring and compassionate to every patient she cares for’. Tracey’s colleagues also shared with us many examples of when she has gone above and beyond for patients; helping someone to find something they fancy to eat, taking the time to listen to and reassure someone – Tracey’s team are proud to work alongside her and admire her dedication.

June 2021

Joe Ingle, Head of Information Systems Development, IT Systems Development
Joe did a huge amount of IT work throughout the pandemic; developing the COVID-19 SQL report, which is a hugely powerful tracking tool that has revolutionised the Trust’s ability to manage COVID. Joe also initiated similar projects to track other respiratory viruses; as well as, end to end booking and results reporting systems for patients and staff. Joe and his team have worked diligently to support the Trust and it’s services in doing things differently and to cope with some of the challenges COVID has brought, Joe’s approach is always “Yes I’m sure we can do that, let’s get going”, which is amazing!

Dr Brian Nyawo, Emergency Department
Brian was nominated by his colleagues for being an exceptionally kind and compassionate doctor with amazing patience. Brian always arrives smiling and cheerful; everyone fondly knows him as ‘Red Brian’. The Chief Executive recently received a thank you letter from a patient’s wife, thanking Brian for providing excellent care to her husband and also being attentive enough to notice an eye problem that had been troubling her. Brian’s kind and holistic approach to medicine is wonderful and the team feel so lucky and grateful to work alongside him.

Helen Wildash, Looked After Children Administrator
Helen was nominated by a colleague who told us about how she has made a real difference in the Looked After Children team. Helen has gone above and beyond to ensure that day to day work is running smoothly as well as training new colleagues and being available on her days off to provide reassurance and support to the team. The commitment Helen has shown to her role and the team is fantastic and truly embodies the Trust’s values.

Mandy Harland, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Haematology

During a very challenging year, Mandy has stepped up in so many ways. She has ensured all patients received the highest standards of care and attention, often looking after some of the most vulnerable patients and helping them navigate through the complex care that they receive. Mandy has supported her colleagues, including training two new staff members, and works hard to ensure the service has been maintained throughout the pandemic. The haematology team are very lucky to have her!

Christine Brown, Physiotherapy Assistant, Therapy Orthopaedic team

Christine was nominated by the team at Foresight Residential for the amazing care received by one of their residents. Christine was able to communicate with them via the Deaf Blind manual alphabet, which demonstrates outstanding dedication and care, everyone was so grateful to Christine for making this experience so excellent. Christine’s presence always brightens up the day for patients and colleagues – Christine has also brightened up the ESU garden with new plants!

Dr Sachin Thakur, Medical Consultant, Combined Assessment Team

Dr Thakur was nominated by a colleague who told us about how he has been an integral part of the Combined Assessment Team. Dr Thakur has been pivotal in developing pathways and supporting the team during a time of change and provided clear direction to achieve the team’s goal of becoming SDEC. His colleagues wanted to thank him for always being positive and expertly leading the team.

Sheena Murthick, Sister, Jervaulx Ward

Sheena was nominated by a colleague whose grandmother was spending her 60th wedding anniversary in hospital. Sheena helped to put on a wonderful spread of food, decorate the room beautifully and arrange for their grandfather and family to visit. This gesture and the extra effort Sheena and the Jervaulx team went to, meant the world to the family, and has given them a lovely memory of that occasion. Sheena’s efforts to help this family shows great kindness and compassion.

Maija Moulton, Staff Nurse

Jo Sharratt, Reporting Radiographer

Helen Mitchell, Specialist Radiographer

Congratulations to Radiology colleagues Maija, Jo and Helen who were nominated by their colleague for their outstanding support over the last year.  Maija was described as an ‘outstanding human being’ with a wonderful caring approach, working tirelessly to help patients and to have everything efficiently planned. Jo went to great efforts to organise shifts and the team, offering amazing support to colleagues, on both a professional and personal level, and was described as the ‘rock of the department’. Helen always goes the extra mile for patients and colleagues, is an absolute pleasure to work with and her wonderful calm approach radiates to rest of the team. Well done to you all!

May 2021

Beth Behan, Locality Manager, Sunderland 0-19 children’s service

Beth was nominated by a colleague who told us about how much of a supportive manager Beth is. Beth really care about her team, she is approachable and always listens to their thoughts, feelings and worries. Beth’s colleagues recognise how hard she works to ensure that tasks are distributed fairly and how much effort she puts into find solutions to any problems that arise. Beth is a professional and inspiring leader; leading with compassion by taking the time know her colleagues, building trusting and supportive relationships in the team.

Charly Gill, Service Manager, Knaresborough and Ripon CCT

Charly was nominated by her colleagues in the Knaresborough and Ripon Community Care Team for being incredibly supportive during a time of tremendous pressure. Charly goes above and beyond every day, regularly calling on her experience as a District Nurse to cover night shifts or to enable her team mates to take breaks. Charly is described as compassionate, caring, intelligent, professional; she is the team’s role model and a ‘total warrior’.

Paul Widdowfield, Communications and Marketing Manager, Communications and Marketing

Paul was nominated by the Chairman and the Chief Executive for being one of the unsung heroes of HDFT. Paul has ably and calmly led clear communications to colleagues, stakeholders and patients over a particularly unusual year. Paul also organised this year’s Colleague Recognition awards; managing nominations and logistics, and going above and beyond the call of duty by driving up to Sunderland with a bottle of helium to put up balloons for the winners!

Alison Elsworth, District Nurse, Harrogate North CCT

Alison was nominated for being an incredible leader. Alison’s colleagues told us about how she continually displays compassion, integrity and kindness; she is a great mentor and a true advocate for the District Nurse role. Alison has not been phased by anything during unprecedented and unpredictable times, continuing to lead with good humour and professionalism.

Helen Wales, Health Visitor, Durham 0-19 Children’s Services

Helen was nominated by a patient told us about the wonderful impact she had on improving their confidence with breastfeeding their first baby, Helen was really encouraging and supportive. They are so grateful for the help they received, both mentally and physically. Helen’s colleagues also described how much she goes the extra mile with everyone she sees; Helen is always there to support the wider team and she is an excellent practitioner.

Ralph Boswell, Specialist Podiatrist, Podiatry

Ralph was nominated by a colleague who shared an email they received, from a patient’s family member, expressing thanks to Ralph for the professional, caring and reassuring way he looked after their mum. Their mum has advanced Alzheimer’s and needed to attend the clinic for treatment, this would be the first time she had ever left her care home. Ralph was incredibly caring and understanding, to both her and her mum; Ralph shows great dedication in his work and his colleagues are really proud to have him on their team.

Zoe Bramhald-Denny, Admin Assistant/Receptionist – Ripon Community Hospital

Zoe was nominated by a colleague at Property Services for helping them to carry on providing the best possible service through difficult and trying times. Zoe has been, and continues to be, their eyes and ears on site at Ripon when travelling has been restricted; consistently helping to organise access to the site outside of her normal working hours. Zoe’s colleague described her as a ‘rock’ and a fantastic resource, with a wealth of knowledge and commitment to the building, its staff and patients.

Janice Jones, Ward Sister, Farndale Ward

Janice is a kind and compassionate nurse, leader and colleague. Nominated for a Making a Difference award by her colleague for always begin approachable and reachable; having an ‘open door’ policy was a great support to the team during difficult times. During the pandemic, many of Janice’s team members were redeployed to other areas of the hospital; Janice made a special effort to send everyone personal messages and go to see them in person to ensure they were supported.

April 2021

Jo Ingles, Head of Information Systems Development
Jo was nominated by their colleague, who told us about the huge amount of ‘behind the scenes’ work Jo does. Jo developed the COVID-19 SQL report which is a hugely powerful tracking tool, revolutionising the Trust’s ability to manage COVID – also initiating a similar project to track other respiratory viruses. Jo’s approach is described as ‘Yes, I’m sure we can do that, let’s get going’, which is amazing!

Andy Brown, Midwife, Midwifery
Andy was nominated by a family who told us about how they felt like the luckiest family in the world to have him as their midwife. Andy took the time to answer their questions, explain everything clearly and keep them informed every step of the way; his confidence and experience meant the family had the calm and loving delivery they had hoped for. The family never got to say thank you and goodbye after their delivery but wanted Andy to know how much he is appreciated and the positive impact he has on so many families.

Bryony Glover, Hope Nhuni, Hayley Watson & Arti Sivanandarajah, Registered Nurses, Granby Ward

Bryony, Hope, Hayley and Arti were nominated for a Making a Difference award by their line manager Tammy, who received a letter from a patient’s family. The family wrote to thank the team for their kind care of their relative – and themselves – making a very difficult time much more bearable. Their professionalism, caring and compassionate natures really making a difference to the family.

Nothando ‘Tando’ Tshuma, Nurse, Byland

Tando was nominated by her line manager who shared with us a letter from a patient that described Tando as an ‘amazing, naturally gifted person, devoted to her vocation’. Being newly qualified and having to learn her new career during a pandemic, Tando has risen to every challenge thrown her way. Tando is reliable, conscientious and loved by all staff and patients; having recently completed her Nurse in Charge qualification, she is keen to take on complex challenges on the ward and constantly support her colleagues.

Anie Abraham, ward specialist practitioner, Day Surgery Unit

Anie was nominated by her colleague who told us about how Anie goes above and beyond her role every day. In particular, leading the ward change from a day surgery unit to a 24-hour ward and back again. Anie’s line manager also told us about how Anie has been, and continues to be, a great support to everyone in the team. Playing a pivotal part in the unit’s conversion to an inpatient ward, ensuring all the equipment, supplies and resources were in place in time and make sure everyone knew what they were doing. Anie also goes the extra mile, by calling patients after they have been discharged to check they are okay, picking up extra shifts to support staff who had been redeployed, and even becoming a flu vaccinator!

Mandy Kuunal, Specialist Biomedical scientist, Pathology

Mandy was nominated by her line manager for doing an outstanding job. Over the last 6 months, Mandy has been acting as the Transfusion Manager, which has presented many challenges; Mandy has adapted well and managed new responsibilities in an efficient and determined way. Mandy always finds time to support the staff working in the transfusion lab and develop herself to perform her new role, maintaining a high quality of service.

Neil Buckee, Assistant Costing Accountant, Commissioning and Finance Team

Neil was nominated by a colleague, for being so helpful. Any time someone has a problem with a spreadsheet or something difficult in Excel, Neil always makes the time to help – even though things are really busy and even goes to help colleagues who work in different teams! We want to say thank you for always being so cheerful and helpful, Neil’s line manager added how supportive he is and how he takes great pride in the quality of work he produces.

Beverley Feasey, Nurse, Pre-Op Assessment team 

Beverley was nominated by a patient who wrote to us and told us about how she really helped them with her intuitive approach and genuine warmth and kindness. This patient was really struggling with things outside of their upcoming surgery; Beverley created a caring space where they were able to talk about what they were going through and be treated with compassion. Beverley really listened and made the difference by giving time, kindness and empathy – quietly being there with her wonderful gift.

March 2021

Lauren Heath, Consultant Microbiologist, Pathology – 2 photos

(Lauren also won a Making a Difference award in October 2020)

Lauren was nominated by her colleague who told us about how she has been a continuous help to so many during the Covid-19 pandemic; she always has a smile on her face and is always approachable. Lauren is able to give colleagues advice and guidance on how to manage ward environments as safely as possible, her team feel lucky to have her by their side during the pandemic and feel positive going forward with whatever challenges may be next.

Adele Ameer-Beg, Health Visitor, Growing Healthy Gateshead

Adele was nominated for a Making a Difference award by her colleagues, manager and director. After being recognised by a Children’s Cardiac Nurse Specialist in a partner agency, Adele’s colleagues wanted to make sure she was recognised for the outstanding care she gives. In a complex case, Adele’s nomination told us of how she had ‘demonstrated compassion at its finest’, Adele absolutely went above and beyond to ensure the family continued to feel supported and looked after.

Debra Ambler, Podiatry Technician, Podiatry Scarborough

Debra was nominated by a colleague who described one of many example of when Debra goes above and beyond for a patient. Debra took home a pair of black draco boots and spent a few hours of her own time sewing patch work butterflies onto them, resulting in much more cheerful boots and a patient who smiles every time they wear them. This was completely out of Debra’s ordinary job role and it made such a difference to the patient’s mental health – what amazing work.

Dawn Platts, Health Visitor, Ryedale Health Visiting Team, Growing Healthy North Yorkshire

Dawn was nominated by a mother for the care they received following the birth of their second child. Facing a long road to recovery, both mentally and physically, Dawn demonstrated invaluable support and care, going above and beyond to support her. Dawn always made this mother feel listened to, she never felt like a burden, giving her wonderful advice and helped refer her to other services – for which she will be forever grateful. She said ‘Dawn is knowledgeable, empathetic and an all-round special person, thank you for the amazing job you do and continue to do for many other families’.

Mark Oldfield, Harrogate Hospital Radio Chairman volunteer & Alexander Owen-Hughes, Volunteer

It’s important we celebrate the work and contribution volunteers make across the Trust to the care we provide. Mark Oldfield, one such volunteer, has kept the hospital radio going throughout the pandemic, even donating radios to wards and departments so they can tune in. He has also been volunteering at the mask station, helping keep patients and visitors safe. Pictured next to him here, Alexander Owen-Hughes mans the mask station every week come rain or shine. A fellow volunteer told us how he caring and attentive he was towards two elderly patients who were waiting for a taxi, despite the efforts of many the taxi failed to turn up. He took it upon himself to call an alternative company which got them home safely.

For his maturity, compassion and alert mind, and never faltering on his commitment, Alexander together with Mark has been awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done to both of them and thank you for all your support.

Jackie Dearlove, Ward Sister – Farndale Ward

Jackie Dearlove, Ward Sister at the Trust, has been given the nickname ‘twilight’ by her colleagues for always staying on after her late shift, when the night shift team are short and need support. Jackie’s colleagues say her enthusiasm and approach to challenges is infectious. She always puts the needs of patients first and is quick to support the team through difficult times. Jackie has been recognised for being such a passionate and dedicated member of the Farndale Management Team by being awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done Jackie!

Amelia Walsh, Medical Secretary – Ophthalmology

Amelia Walsh, Medical Secretary in Opthalmology, recently stepped up as line manager to cover maternity leave and her team have said she has done an outstanding job. Amelia helped and supported the team through the various changes faced by instigating regular wellbeing meetings, keeping colleagues updated regularly, making resources available and undergoing many training courses to assist her managerial skills. Amelia also involved the whole team in devising a plan to manage the addition of a new consultant, making the process much easier for everyone to cope with. Following their commendation, Amelia won a Making a Difference Award!

Margaret Manby-Robson, Ward Clerk – Oakdale Ward

Another of our amazing ward clerks, Margaret Manby-Robson, has recently been commended by her colleagues for her outstanding commitment to the team and to providing patient care. They said that Margaret will do anything for her colleagues without complaining – even if it’s home time! On one particular occasion, the team was very short staffed in the afternoon and Margaret offered to stay on until tea had finished being served. Just one example of how Margaret goes above and beyond to make a difference. For this, she won a Making a Difference Award. Congratulations to her!

February 2021

Aly Kemp, Nurse, and Dr Pat Gilbertson, Consultant – Woodlands Ward

Aly and Dr Pat Gilbertson were nominated by a family for the amazing care and teamwork they provided to their son. Baby Joshua, and his twin Edward, spent 18 days on the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) before being discharged home. Unfortunately Joshua was taken ill not long after and returned to SCBU from A&E. Aly worked tirelessly to ensure Joshua was treated with expert care and attention. Dr Pat Gilbertson help Aly with Joshua’s care, as well as helping the family with their well-being and emotions. Together they showed great teamwork, hard work and dedication; truly making a difference to their lives with respect and passion. Joshua spent some time in Sheffield Children’s Hospital but is now home with his family and his twin brother.

Liz Corbett, Community Heart Failure Nurse – Cardiology

Our community teams work hard to provide care for patients in their own homes. Liz Corbett, a Community Heart Failure Nurse, has recently been recognised by the family of a patient for going the extra mile in her role while she was caring for them. They said that support she provided was exceptional, keeping their father well and comfortable in his own home, providing care, attention and a listening ear. She helped the patient through a recent bereavement and the family were so grateful for everything Liz did and continues to do. For this, they nominated her for a Making a Difference Award which she has won! Well done Liz.

Sarah Burns, Capital Design Project Manager – Capital Design Team

We recently finished refurbishing our brand new Intensive Care Unit, a project which took an extraordinary amount of work from many colleagues. Sarah Burns, Capital Design Project Manager, was central to this work and has been commended by colleagues for her efforts to go above and beyond to finish this redevelopment, using wonderful creative skills to develop an environment with colleagues, patients and families at the forefront of everything. They said: “Sarah’s attention to detail (colours, furniture, finishing touches) are beautifully constructed, creating a calming, relaxing space which is modern and functional.” Her colleagues recognise Sarah for being incredibly professional, focused and hardworking and following their feedback she was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Congratulations to you Sarah.

Emma Harvey, Macmillan Nurse – Palliative Care Team

The family of a patient would like to recognise Emma Harvey, a Macmillan Nurse, for making a huge difference to their Mum’s care and family over the past two years. They said that Emma offered so much support, empathy and kindness to all of them, listened to every concern or issue, and importantly, always called when she said she would. Emma was a strong advocate for their mum, assisting with transferring her to St Michael’s Hospice where she received the right care in her final days. The family think Emma is outstanding and offer thanks, from the bottom of their hearts and nominated her for a Making a Difference Award, which Emma has won. Well done Emma!

Kayleigh Hudson, Nurse – Combined Assessment Team

With visiting restricted for such a long period previously at the hospital, patients’ families have relied more than ever on our nurses to care for their loved ones. One family wanted to recognise Kayleigh Hudson, Staff Nurse, for the amazing job she did looking after their Dad in Intensive Care. The family said it was incredible difficult for them to feel connected, but Kayleigh reached out and asked if there was anything the family wanted printing and taking to their Dad. She printed and laminated a photograph which he kept by his bed and gave him the extra fight to keep going. The family wanted to say thank you to Kayleigh for being amazing and thoughtful. Following this, Kayleigh won a Making a Difference Award – well done!

Laura Smith, Unit Manager – Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre

Many of our colleagues were redeployed to new roles or stepped up to take on greater responsibilities during the busiest times of the pandemic, and colleagues from our Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Cancer Centre want to recognise how brilliantly Laura Smith, Unit Manager, stepped up to the Ward Manager role last year. With the uncertain, complex and emotional challenges of leading a team through a global pandemic, Laura has been an invaluable pillar or reassurance, support and dependability to the whole team on the unit. Laura’s colleagues commend her for being kind, caring, respectful and professional – ensuring the safety of staff and patients throughout everything and continuing to do so to a high standard.

Laura won a Making a Difference Award for this amazing work – congratulations!

Charlotte Barker, Lead Advanced Care Practitioner – Elderly Medicine

A team from our Elderly Medicine Department wanted to share the amazing work of their colleague, Charlotte Barker – Lead Advacned Care Pracitioner – who they say has been instrumental in supporting the new team of junior doctors that rotate onto the Elderly wards. They said: “Charlotte worked really had to make everyone feel welcome. She is adaptable and hardworking, always offering guidance and support to the team even when faced with heavy workloads and last minute staffing shortages.” Her team believe she is an example of commitment, hard work, respect and professionalism that inspires and motivates everyone working alongside her. They want to express their admiration and gratitude for everything she does and so nominated her for a Making a Difference Award, which she has won. Congratulations Charlotte!

Suzanne Wilson, Senior Nurse – Supported Discharge Service

Colleagues who work hard to run our Supported Discharge Service have told us what a pleasure it is to work with their Senior Nurse, Suzanne Wilson, who they say always brings so much positivity to the team. Suzanne recently stepped in for a district nurse who was unable to complete a visit out in the community due to severe weather conditions. The team described how she used her previous experience and expert care to visit the patient, on her day off. They said, “What a truly dedicated nurse and an incredibly valued member of the team.” Congratulations on being awarded a Making a Difference Award for this fantastic work, Suzanne.

Bibin Daniels, IT Helpdesk Operator – IT

The IT team at the Trust works incredibly hard to support colleagues every day, and one of our It Helpdesk Operators, Bibin Daniels, has been recognised by colleagues for how patient and helpful he always is when dealing with their issues. They say they are forever grateful and thankful that he always make the effort to reply to them and let them know what is going on; “Bibin’s dedication to his work and his amazing attitude and willingness to help is very much appreciated, especially during challenging and demanding times.” Following this commendation, Bibin was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done Bibin!

Sam Warburton and James Spink, Patient Transport Services – Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Many colleagues and services were affected by the severe snow we experienced earlier in the year, but thanks to colleagues like Sam Warburton and James Spink, from Yorkshire Air Ambulance Service, many were still able to get home after a long shift. Colleagues described how Sam and James went above and beyond their duties, showing amazing compassion and team work by digging out a colleague’s car which had been buried in the snow and clearing a pathway to the exit for them. They have described them both as superstars! Thank you for your amazing work Sam and James, and congratulations on receiving a Making a Difference Award.

January 2021

Katie Stockdale, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Combined Assessment Team Clinic
Katie was nominated by a patient who told us about how much of a wonder woman she is! They describe Katie as attentive, approachable, easy to understand and able to diagnose them within the day – which meant that they were able to relax. They also went on to say that Katie’s bedside manner is wonderful and she made them feel like royalty.

Claire Asquith, Ward Clerk – Wensleydale Ward

Ward clerks are essential to providing high quality patient care and colleagues of Claire Asquith, one of our own ward clerks at the Trust, wanted to recognise her for the outstanding support she provides. Claire shapes and influences the culture of the team, showing compassion and seeing the human side of patients – acting as a link between staff, patients and family members at home – even checking patients progress after the have left hospital. Her colleagues want to thank her for always going above and beyond her role, showing enormous flexibility in responding to changes, adapting to evolving situations and exceeding the needs of staff and patients. They commend her for thinking in a proactive way and going out of her way to support the team, describing Claire as the ‘heart of the ward’. They want her to know that everything counts so nominated her for a Making a Difference Award which she has won – well done Claire!

Patsy Mapplebeck, Staff Nurse – Harlow Ward

In January one of our wonderful staff nurses, Patsy Mapplebeck, retired from her role at the Trust but before she left her team wanted to commend her for what a difference she made on the ward to all her colleagues. They said that Patsy was a fantastic role model, looking after all members of staff and that her dedication to her team was outstanding. Patsy delivered impeccable care and shared her knowledge and experience with others. She was an inspiration to her colleagues and they also thoroughly enjoyed her baking! Following this feedback, she was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done Patsy and happy retirement!

Rachel Holligan, Midwife

A mum who recently gave birth at Harrogate District Hospital described the care and comfort given by her midwife, Rachel Holligan, as like no other. She said it was something very special and wanted to recognise Rachel for this wonderful support throughout her labour. After receiving her nomination for a Making a Difference Award, Rachel won – congratulations Rachel!

Nicola Kinsell, Specialist Podiatrist – Podiatry

We recently received some excellent feedback from a patient who has a rare condition causing them anxiety seeing medical staff. They told us how Nicola Kinsell, a Specialist Podiatrist, was professional, accommodating, understanding and passionate about her job. She made them feel comfortable and reassured, always making sure they were okay – even when their condition was not related to podiatry. They said, “Nicola is caring and knowledgeable, the care she provides is outstanding.” Congratulations on receiving a Making a Difference Award following this feedback Nicola!

Claire Wells, Staff Nurse – Farndale Ward

Our colleagues have had to work extra hard to support patients and their families while visiting to the hospital is reduced, and we recently received a letter from a patient’s family describing the first class care that Claire Wells, one of our fantastic Staff Nurses, gave them. They said that Claire was incredibly attentive and caring to the patient, also offering support, strength and kindness to the family – enabling them to be there for their loved one when they really needed it. During a difficult time, Claire offered her time and knowledge to explain everything carefully. In the letter, Claire was described as ‘family’; she made everyone feel safe and secure.

This is outstanding feedback and for it, Claire was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Thank you to Claire for all she does and congratulations!

Tamara English, Clinical Support Worker – Byland Ward

New qualified practitioners working with Clinical Support Worker, Tamara English, wanted to thank her for all the support she gave them through what they described as really tough shifts. They said that nothing is too much for Tamara who made their shifts much more manageable. She is constantly striving to learn and is so supportive of her colleagues, remaining calm and encouraging of others. After this recommendation, Tamara was awarded a Making a Difference Award! Congratulations to her.

Elizabeth Taylor, Cardiology Coordinator – Cardiology

The Cardiology Team at the Trust want to celebrate the work of Liz Taylor, Cardiology Coordinator, who they say always makes the extra effort for staff and patients. We heard how Liz purchased some magazines for a patient who she knew had a long wait ahead of them out of her own pocket, which really cheered this patient up. The team said: “This thoughtful gesture is typical of the many kind acts Liz performs on a regular basis and the team really want to celebrate that.” Liz was awarded a Making a Difference Award for her amazing work, well done Liz!

Mike Roberts, Volunteer – Medical Day Unit

The Trust receives a huge amount of support from volunteers working with Harrogate Hospital & Community Charity. We recently heard about the brilliant work Mike does on our Medical Day Unit from colleagues who are very grateful for his support. He makes  drinks, gives out lunches, goes back and forth to pharmacy, and most importantly talks to patients and makes them feel at ease. For this Mike was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Here he is pictured at home with his award – well done Mike,  very well deserved!

Eleanor Heald, Ward Sister – Farndale Ward

It can get extremely busy in all wards and departments at Harrogate District Hospital but the colleagues of one of our fantastic Ward Sisters, Eleanor Heald, told us that “she keeps smiling, even in difficult situations, and goes above and beyond for patient care to make a real difference to someone’s life. She is a true hard worker, compassionate and always helpful – even in the busy hours.” Eleanor’s colleagues also think she is an excellent leader with effective communication skills and she has been a great mentor to them. Following their feedback Eleanor has won a Making a Difference Award. Congratulations to her!

December 2020

Emma Gains, Staff Nurse – Byland Ward

One of amazing staff nurses, Emma Gains, has recently been commended by her team for how hard she works to always provide the highest standard of care to her patients. They said, “Emma is kind and compassionate, always willing to help others and works so hard. She is a true team player.” Emma’s compassion and care has a positive influence on those around her, she is a pleasure to work with and her knowledge and skills are immense. To say thank you for her outstanding efforts, Emma was awarded Making a Difference Award in December – well done!

Sharon Morrell, Care Support Worker – Oakdale Ward

The Christmas period was a tough time for many patients in hospital, more so this year as visiting was more limited than usual, and the efforts of colleagues to make those in their care feel comfortable and happy was fantastic. Sharon Morrell, a Care Support Worker on Oakdale Ward, went above and beyond for her patients over Christmas – organising the buying and wrapping of Christmas presents for everyone in her own time, on top of working and organising her own Christmas plans. Helen’s colleagues and the patients on the ward were very grateful and wanted to nominate her for Making a Difference Award, which she won. Well done Sharon and thank you for the amazing care you give.

Helen Salmons, Clinical Support Worker – Combined Assessment Team (CAT clinic)

You may have seen the images we shared of the amazing window art one of our Clinical Support Workers, Helen Salmons, was kind enough to complete over the festive period to brighten up the hospital environment in a clinically safe way. She spent many hours of her own time painting the windows, waiting rooms, doors panels and pillars around the CAT Clinic (and subsequently many other areas once news of her talent spread!). Some of Helen’s colleagues wanted to recognise her for what a difference she makes at work, describing her as “artistic, accommodating, humble, kind, caring and compassionate”. They are proud to work with her and thanks to their nomination she was awarded a Making a Difference Award.

Julia Laws, Sister, Woodlands Ward

Julia Laws, Sister on Woodlands Ward (our Children’s ward), has been described by a mother as a “true hero” following the care she gave her and her family when they came into hospital. They said that Julia met them from the Emergency Department and they instantly felt as though they were in safe hands. She explained everything each step of the way and her passion for expert care was clear – helping put a smile on their faces with humour and a caring attitude. Julia was respectful and understanding at this family’s time of need and with empathy; she showed support and cared for them amazingly. Julia was awarded a Making a Difference Award for this – congratulations Julia.

Dr Natalie Lyth, Clinical Director – Children’s & County Wide Community Care

A family who received care from Dr Lyth, Clinical Director for our Children’s and County Wide Community Care Directorate, have been in touch to thank her for taking a different approach with them during multiple ongoing enquires. They felt let down by other agencies but reached out to thank her for making them feel included and for making the process more collaborative. They felt that the final report was more meaningful to them because of Dr Lyth’s approach and her colleagues subsequently nominated her for a Making a Difference Award which she has won. Congratulations Natalie!

Taha Saleh – IT Support Team

We have heard from many colleagues in our Pathology Department about the amazing work one of our IT Support team has done for them recently – Taha Saleh. They wanted to thank him for the fantastic support he has given them, for being incredibly helpful, supportive, polite and hardworking, and nominated him for a Making a Difference Award to recognise this. Thank you for all your work Taha and congratulations on winning an award!

Caroline Young, Quality Support Officer – Growing Healthy Sunderland 0-19 service

Caroline Young, a Quality Support Officer for the Growing Healthy Sunderland 0-19 service, has been described as “a credit to the service” in the diligent in the work that she does, helping to support children and their families across Sunderland on a day-to-day basis with information and supportive messages via the service’s Facebook page. She is always enthusiastic and motivated and was nominated by one of her colleagues for Making a Difference Award to recognise this. Well done Caroline!

November 2020

Alison Reece, Speech and Language Therapist, Community Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Team

Alison was nominated for a Making a Difference Award by a colleague who told us about how she always goes above and beyond for her team; helping them work through waiting lists and providing excellent care and support to families, nurseries and schools. Having worked for the Trust for over 25 years, Alison’s team wanted to let her know how much she will be missed and how much they appreciate everything Alison has done for them.

Laura Cardwell, First Contact Physiotherapist Service Lead – Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Department

Laura Cardwell is one of our great leaders at the Trust. Recently her colleagues told us how empathetic, approachable and helpful Laura is, always listening and offering a helping hand when others need support. They said she shows great leadership, managing multiple managerial and clinical tasks really well, particularly in a demanding and challenging environment. Laura is highly respected and trusted by her team who consider her an expert and wanted to nominate her for a Making a Difference Award, which she won in November. Well done Laura!

Bryony Shaw, Surgical Pharmacist – Pharmacy

Our Pharmacy Department, like many departments at the Trust, has had a very busy time recently. Bryony Shaw, one of our fantastic Surgical Pharmacists, was acknowledged for her resilience and her caring nature which her colleagues said has helped them get through really tough times on the wards. They said Bryony always ensures patient care is a priority and is always polite and professional in all aspects of her work. She helps wards with dosing, offering to help colleagues cover gaps in staffing, and ensures her team members are okay. They said Bryony is a credit to the Pharmacy Department and for this she has been awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done!

Kath Banfield, Head of Nursing

The colleagues of Kath Banfield, who is Head of Nursing for Long Term and Unscheduled Care at the Trust, have described her as an inspirational colleague and friend, and told us how she has recently shown great leadership, guiding her colleagues through emotional challenges and taking the time to ask how they are ‘really’ doing. There have been many times where Kath has been creative, looking at different angles and approaches on how to manage different situations. She has always been an advocate for her team. They nominated her for a Making a Difference Award, which she has been awarded, for her dedication and support, and being at the side of her team throughout a very difficult time. Well done Kath!

Rachael Stray, General Manager in Elderly Care

Rachael Stray, General Manager in Elderly Care, had recently started at the Trust in November and has been an incredibly proactive manager, encompassing a positive attitude to work, always looking for the best solution for everyone. She has shown amazing drive by recognising areas she can make a difference, offering intelligent solutions and acting quickly. Her colleagues said: “Wherever possible, Rachael takes the time to meet her colleagues in person which makes them feel respected, trusted and empowered.” Following this recommendation she was awarded a Making a Difference award. Congratulations Rachael!

David Duffy, Consultant – Trauma and Orthopaedics 

One of our Consultants from Trauma and Orthopaedics, Mr Duffy, is also the lead Harrogate Surgeon for the national Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams (QIST) study which is aimed at driving improvements in outcomes for knee replacement surgery. Mr Duffy recently produced two infection prevention patient videos in this role which his colleagues recognised for how moving they were and for how excellently they were made. The work Mr Duffy is achieving in this field is highly commended, and he won an award at the QIST celebration event, as well as a Making a Difference Award here at the Trust. Well done Mr Duffy!

Linda Cross, Senior Sister/Unit Manager – Critical Care 

The Intensive Care Unit at the Trust has faced the challenges this year has brought, and the Senior Sister for the unit, Linda Cross has been working extremely hard to support colleagues working and the patients receiving care there. She has often been known to come in on her days off, work late and work overnight to make sure that her colleagues are supported and to make sure everyone has had a break. Linda has demonstrated true and palpable leadership to the Intensive Care team and has genuinely made a difference to her team and the patients. For this, she was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done Linda but more importantly, thank you for all you do.

Philippa West, Ward Sister – Granby ward

Philippa West, who was Ward Sister on Granby Ward until November last year after working at Harrogate District Hospital for 31 years, has retired. Her colleagues have told us how her outstanding dedication, in-depth knowledge and passion have been reflected in how inspirational she has been to student nurses. She has been a role model to her peers and will be greatly missed by everyone, although they say her legacy will remain on the ward!

Before she left, Philippa was awarded a Making a Difference Award for all of her contributions to providing outstanding care. Congratulations Philippa and happy retirement. We wish you all the best.

Pat Stokes, District Nurse, and Amy Watts, Community Registered Nurse – Knaresborough and Boroughbridge Community Care Team

Our Community Care Teams work incredibly hard to provide support to patients at home and outreach centres. Two nurses from our Knaresborough and Boroughbridge Community Care Team have recently been recognised by their fellow colleagues, who wanted to recognise all the amazing work they do.

Pat Stokes, District Nurse, was nominated for being a ‘rock’ to junior staff during the pandemic, always remaining calm and supportive when her colleagues have really needed it. Pat regularly makes time to support her team, even when off duty, and still found time to volunteer to help out with the flu vaccinations this year! Amy Watt, Community Registered Nurse, has shown dedication, leadership and enthusiasm in her role and has reduce the average wait for a continence assessment from over 150 days to now only 22 – she has also reduced the number of patients on the waiting list!

They were each awarded Making a Difference Awards for this outstanding work. Congratulations Pat and Amy!

Donna Dickson, Early Years Practitioner – Growing Healthy Gateshead 0-19

A mum who recently received care from our Growing Healthy Gateshead 0-19 service has described her life with a toddler as being transformed. She couldn’t praise Donna Dickson, an Early Years Practitioner, enough for the excellent care she provided. Her kindness in  supporting the family with a behaviour intervention went a long way, and Donna was recognised for this with a Making a Difference Award.

Dr Lauren Ralston, Year Three Medical Student Lead – Byland Ward

Dr Lauren Ralston, Year Three Medical Student Lead, has worked hard in developing and facilitating the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) at the Trust – exams that medical students are required to take. They consistently receive positive feedback and not only enable colleagues to develop the teaching practice, but have also improved the quality of the placement experience now available at the Trust. For this, Dr Ralston has been awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done to her, and thank you for this great work.

Rachael Andrews, Urgent Care Practitioner – Ripon Minor Injury Unit

We have recently heard about the wonderful work and support that Rachael Andrews, Urgent Care Practitioner at Ripon Minor Injury Unit, gives to her colleagues on the team. She goes above and beyond to support them, managing challenging circumstances and always with a smile on her face. Her colleagues said she is a fantastic team player and that they would be truly lost without her. Rachael has been awarded a Making a Difference award following their nomination – congratulations!

Chris Robinson, HR Advisor – Human Resources

The Senior Midwifery Team at the Trust has recently told us about the supportive and professional manner that Chris Robinson, Human Resources Advisor, provided during some challenging conversations. They said: “Chris always has a patient, calm and profession approach with colleagues and is always happy to offer his advice and arrange meetings to make colleagues working days easier.” For this, Chris has won a Making a Difference Award.

Elaine Harland, Practice Educator

Supporting our colleagues while at work has been ever more important over recent months. Elaine Harlan, a Practice Educator, has won a Making a Difference Award for the unwavering support she recently gave to one of her colleagues going through a very difficult time. Elaine went above and beyond ensuring everything was as easy as possible for her colleague; coaching them, facilitating meetings and constantly being by their side. This kind of support is invaluable and makes all the difference to those going through challenging times. Thank you Elaine, and congratulations for winning the award.

Lynn Morell, Midwife

A colleague of Lynn Morell, one of our midwives, wanted to recognise her for her knowledge and support, and for being “an utterly superb midwife”. We heard how Lynn always shines, responding quickly and calmly to complex situations and supporting her team exceptionally well. She is also a fantastic mentor to student midwives. Thank you Lynn for your amazing work, and well done for receiving a Making a Difference Award following this nomination.

Dariusz Budrewicz, Care Support Worker – Oakdale Ward

Dariusz Budrewicz, a Care Support Worker on Oakdale Ward at Harrogate District Hospital, has recently been recognised for the wonderful treatment and nursing care he provided to a patient during their time in hospital. He was awarded a Making a Difference Award for his outstanding work, after we heard how he provided comforting care – always with a professional approach – as well as being cheerful and chatting with patients to keep their spirits up. Congratulations Dariusz and thank you for everything you do.

Maria Halamova, Team Secretary – Long Term and Unscheduled Care

Maria Halamova, Team Secretary for our Long Term and Unscheduled Care directorate, has been recognised for the wonderful support she provided to the family of a patient at a very difficult time. She went above and beyond to support them in many ways, including helping with communicating information and was able to make a huge difference to the family. For this excellent care, Maria has been awarded a Making a Difference Award.

(Maria is top middle in the photo)

Jane Tasker, Health Visitor – North Yorkshire 0-19 Children’s Services

“Upbeat, funny, caring and kind” is how Jane Tasker, a Health Visitor on the Growing Healthy North Yorkshire 0-19 team was described by a patient she recently cared for. Jane was able to provide the patient with amazing support at a really difficult time, by listening, offering practical advice and information and always being encouraging, supportive and helpful. The patient said that her visits always meant so much to the family, and they nominated her for a Making a Difference Award for her help. Congratulations Jane!

(Jane is top left)

Catherine Wesbroom, District Nurse

The support and dedication that one of our district nurses, Catherine Wesbroom, gave recently to a vulnerable patient was fantastic and she’s has been awarded a Making a Difference Award for providing such excellent care. We heard how she went above and beyond to ensure the patient’s care and support needs were met as well as managing their clinical needs which made a real difference to their experience. Well done to Catherine!

(Catherine is mid-right in the photo)

Amy Hind, Health Visitor  – Growing Healthy Middlesbrough

We have many community-based colleagues providing excellent care to service users in their own homes and in schools. One of our Health Visitors, Amy Hind, recently provided outstanding support to a family in difficult circumstances, continuing to support them while managing personal risk to herself. Amy truly demonstrated the Trust’s values and behaviours throughout, and her actions during what was a difficult experience were greatly appreciated.

In recognition of this, she has won a Making a Difference Award – congratulations Amy!

(Amy is centre of screen in the photo)

October 2020

Gill Wilson, Stoma Nurse – Planned and Surgical Care

A patient recently described Gill Wilson, one of our Stoma Nurses in Planned and Surgical Care, as “a total credit to the organisation” after Gill went above and beyond for them during their time at hospital when they unfortunately experienced a number of setbacks. They complimented Gill’s professionalism and experience, and said they had heard nothing but glowing reports about her from others at the hospital. Following this commendation, Gill was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Congratulations Gill and thank you for all you do for your patients.

Dr Claire Taylor, Respiratory Consultant

One of our Respiratory Consultants, Dr Claire Taylor, has recently been recognised by her colleagues for her tireless work throughout the Covid-19 pandemic to expertly lead her teem with a cheery disposition and can-do attitude. They said that always puts her patients at the forefront of everything she does, their needs always coming first, and that she is a true inspiration to her colleagues. Dr Taylor has been the back bone of the Respiratory Team, looking after the physical and emotional wellbeing of her patients and her team; a truly deserving winner of a Making a Difference Award.

Dr Philip Kerry, Accident and Emergency

We recently heard from the relative of a patient treated by Dr Philip Kerry, one of our fantastic Consultants in the Harrogate District Hospital Emergency Department, who told us about how kind, considerate and respectful he was while treating their mum. They told us how Dr Kerry kept the patient fully informed, included them in discussions and provided explanations when asked. He has been commended for being friendly, approachable and always professional.

Following this commendation, Dr Kerry has been awarded a Making a Difference Award.

Karen Dickens, Health Visitor – Middlesbrough 0-19 service

One of our Health Visitors on our Healthier Together Middlesbrough 0-19 team, Karen Dickens, has recently been highly praised for her professionalism and passion for her role in supporting children and their families in the area. Karen’s excellent record keeping on visits, detailed assessments and hard work liaising with numerous professionals to ensure safeguarding has resulted in her being nominated for and winning a Making a Difference Award. Huge congratulations!

Dr Sarah Mackenzie, Consultant Opthalmologist – Ophthalmology

Departments across the Trust have worked hard throughout the pandemic to ensure services can remain up and running where possible. We recently heard about the hard work Dr Sarah Mackenzie, Consultant Opthalmologist, put in to keep diabetic eye screening in pregnancy continuing over recent months. As resources were limited, Dr Mackenzie took it upon herself to conduct the screening for pregnant and diabetic women so they didn’t miss out. For this amazing dedication, doing it all at a convenient time for the women and keeping them fully informed throughout, Dr Mackenzie was awarded a Making a Difference Award. Congratulations and thank you!

Julie Walker, Matron -Paediatrics

Like many colleagues this year, members of the Paediatric Team at the Trust have faced added challenges of shielding, child care and working from home, and they wish to thank their Matron, Julie Walker, for the tremendous amount of support she has given them. They said: “Julie has been trusting and flexible, and continues to be caring, compassionate and wonderful – advocating for paediatric patients across the Trust and piloting the use of Woodlands as an additional daycase recovery area. Julie rocks!”

She has been awarded a Making a Difference Award for this outstanding work.

Roseanne Hebb, Bed Manager – Corporate Department

Someone who’s recently been a patient with us has been in touch about the excellent care that they received from one of our Bed Managers, Roseanne Hebb. We heard that Roseanne regularly took the time to make sure the patient was settled and went above and beyond to ensure they understood everything. This is an excellent example of the care we strive to provide 100% of the time, and for it Roseanne was awarded a Making a Difference Award.

Helen Mitchell, Radiographer – Long Term and Unscheduled Care

Helen Mitchell, one of our Radiographers, has been working incredibly hard to manage the Radiography Department’s PPE needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her colleagues have shared how her impeccable organisational skills and attention detail in doing so ensured that everyone felt safe with the appropriate PPE. She shared her passion, knowledge and experience with others, and was recognised for this commitment with a Making a Difference Award. Well done Helen!

Arti Sivanandarajah, Registered Nurse – Granby Ward

At the Trust we strive to uphold our values – being respectful, passionate and responsible – in everything we do and one of our registered nurses, Arti Sivanandarajah, has recently been recognised for achieving this, always being “professional, caring and respectful.” Several colleagues have commented on how he always steps up to ensure that the ward is safe and calm no matter how challenging a shift may be, how he never stops smiling and is always kind and courteous to staff, visitors and patients.

Arti was described as a “true gem”; a valued member of the team who always goes the extra mile to ensure that patients have a positive experience.

Huge congratulations to Arti on winning a Making a Difference Award for this hard work and commitment.

Rui Nascimento, Care Support Worker – Byland Ward

A family who have recently accessed services at the Trust wanted to recognise one of our Care Support Workers, Rui Nascimento, for the exemplary care he provided to their father while he was a patient at Harrogate District Hospital. The family commented on the outstanding care and compassion the whole team gave and wanted to thank Rui for his calming influence on their father.

Rui was awarded one of our Making a Difference Awards following this feedback – well done to Rui and thank you for all you do.

September 2020

Nikki George-Powell, Service Lead – Supported Discharge Service

Our Supported Discharge Service is a vital one for helping patients get home safely and with the right support in place. Nikki George-Powell, Service Lead for the service, has been described as a very hard-working and supportive manager, whose door is always open:

“Nikki works tirelessly on behalf of the service and is constantly thinking of new ways of keeping the Supported Discharge Service working as efficiently as possible.”

Thank you to Nikki for all that you do, and  well done for receiving a Making a Difference Award following this feedback.

Podiatrists Sue Bransford, Barbara Lilly, Maxine Wrightson and Robert Haythorn

Our District Nursing Team would like to thank podiatrists Sue Bransford, Barbara Lilly, Maxine Wrightson and Robert Haythorn who were redeployed to their team due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All of them were willing to learn new skills and were described as being very enthusiastic and positive. They said: “they made a massive contribution which the team are very grateful for.”

Sue, Barbara, Maxine and Robert were all awarded Making a Difference Awards following this feedback. Congratulations!

Sara Moore, Senior Pharmacist 

Sara Moore, Senior Pharmacist at the Trust, has worked tirelessly to maintain a robust supply chain for critical medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic, whilst also leading on the supplies of PPE.

Sara was awarded a Making a Difference Award for this work, the Pharmacy Team saying that she led with compassion during such unprecedented times and showed great integrity through her values and behaviours.

Congratulations to Sara.

August 2020

Phil Johnson, IT Service Desk Support

IT support is hugely important at the Trust and Phil Johnson, from IT Services Desk Support, highlighted this when he helped the Antenatal Clinic relocate recently. In such a short space of time, Phil helped the team get all of their systems up and running as well as managing the complexities involved with moving scan rooms and PAX points. Phil showed real patience, skill and commitment and his colleagues think he is a star! He was awarded a Making a Difference Award as a result.

Divia Alex, Staff Nurse – ITU

Describing her as a patient and kind mentor, a colleague of Divia Alex, Staff Nurse on the Intensive Care Unit, has told us how Divia supported them through a return to ITU Nursing after a lengthy break. They said that Divia made their return to nursing enjoyable and worthwhile, giving them confidence and support throughout their journey.

Following this commendation, Divia was Awarded a Making a Difference Award. Well done Divia, and thank you for your work!

Vicky Lister, Woodlands Ward and Special Care Baby Unit Manager 

Vicky Lister, Woodlands Ward and Special Care Baby Unit Manager has recently been working hard on the implementation of a new app – the Little Journey App – for our younger patients and their families to download and use before they come in for surgery. it is hoped this will ease anxiety and help them all prepare for the visit to hospital and took a lot of work from colleagues, including Vicky. She helped to integrate it and train colleagues using it and has been pivotal in creating the information that can be easily shared and updated between teams.

Her colleagues wanted to thank Vicky for all her work. They said: “Vicky has excellent people management skills, remaining positive and supportive during difficult conversations.” Her colleagues feel trusted and trust Vicky to be fair, consistent and visible. For this, Vicky was awarded a Making a Difference Award in November last year.

Dan Turton, IT Desktop Support Engineer 

One of our IT Desktop Support Engineers, Dan Turton, was described by a team of colleagues as a ‘complete star’, after he supported them in working from home recently. They said that Dan was incredibly responsive and patient, cheerfully working through any issues they had with a total can-do approach.

Following this feedback, Dan was awarded a Making a Difference Award – well done Dan and thank you for all your hard work.

Jenny Wood, Care Support Worker, and Kandi Adamson, Staff Nurse – Emergency Department 

Two of our colleagues working in the Emergency Department at Harrogate District Hospital have been recognised by patients for their professionalism and kindness. We were told that Jenny Wood, Care Support Worker, was empathetic and kind while the patients were having tests and examinations and that Kandi Adamson, Staff Nurse, was polite, professional and reassuring at a difficult time. The patients said they and their colleagues were ‘just amazing’ and are a credit to the team.

Both Jenny and Kandi were awarded Making a Difference Awards after these commendations. Congratulations to them both.

Dobrilla ‘Dee’ Nikusevska, Care Support Worker – Oakdale Ward 

After 17 years as a Care Support Worker on Oakdale Ward, Dobrilla ‘Dee’ Nikusevska is retiring, and colleagues wanted to recognise her for her tireless work throughout this time.

They said: “I cannot praise this woman enough; she is loving and caring, works to a high standard and ensures all her patients are looked after to the best of her ability, always taking that extra bit of care as if these patients were her own family.

“Dee has seen many changes over the years, which she takes on without a fuss. She is efficient and methodical…she has been a solid, informative and supportive member of staff.

“Dee is a very humble person and I would like to recognise her amazing input into this hospital.”

Dee was awarded a Making a Difference Award in August after this commendation, and we wish her all the best in her retirement.

Diane Vowles, former Community Health Care Support Worker

Colleagues of one of our Community Health Care Support Workers, Diane Vowles, are sharing what a difference her hard work and dedication has made to them over the years.

Her colleagues said: “Diane always has a listening ear, a friendly smile, a wise word to share or a shoulder to cry on – which has been used on many occasions.

“Throughout her career in the community, Diane has demonstrated amazing resilience. More recently, this has included donning her walking boots and undertaking all visits on foot throughout the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) cycling championships and during recent adverse weather.

“Diane’s passion for delivering first class quality care has never faltered; feedback from patients and relatives is consistently high.

“Her contribution to HDFT, the NHS and community services is huge.”

Diane was nominated for a Making a Difference Award for this work, and has since retired. We hope she is having a happy and relaxed time.

July 2020

Sharon White, Speech and Language Therapist – Autism Assessment Team 

Parents accessing support through the Autism Assessment Team at the Trust have commented on how a member of staff made what could have been an incredibly stressful experience much easier for the family.

Sharon White, Speech and Language Therapist on the Autism Assessment Team, is the lead communicator for the child’s autism assessment, and has been awarded a Making a Difference Award for her work after their parents told us: “Sharon’s passion for what she does and clear understanding of our child and how autism presents has been highly demonstrated throughout.

“Sharon is wonderful with her communication and we have understood every step of the process. She has been so respectful of our position and the sensitive nature of these assessments. Sharon will deal with many families, I’m sure, but for us she is someone who we will never forget from this journey.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

This picture was taken informally after the presentation of the award was made.

Vikki Peacock, Registered Nurse – Byland Ward 

One the Trust’s registered nurses on Byland Ward, Vikki Peacock, has received some excellent feedback from one of her colleagues, who says she consistently goes above and beyond in her role as their Mentor.

“Vikki encouraged me and was also willing to take me under her wing and become my Mentor. Over the last 4 years, Vikki has offered me support, reassurance, guidance and has helped me achieve all of my goals in relation to my nurse training. Her support has been incredible and has enabled me to achieve goals that at points I thought were unachievable.

“In her role as Nurse and Mentor, she is patient, caring, understanding and passionate and she also has a calming influence. I aspire to be as good as she is when I qualify as a trained nurse.

“Vikki, I believe, has gone above and beyond for me and I will be forever grateful to her for her input throughout my training.”

Vikki has been awarded a Making a Difference Award following this nomination. Congratulations Vikki!

June 2020

Lisa Moore, Clinical Lead for Stronger Families – Growing Healthy County Durham 

Lisa was seconded as Clinical Lead to the Growing Healthy County Durham 0-19 service and has been commended for her hard work and dedication throughout this time.

A colleague said: “Lisa always goes above and beyond in her daily work and gives 110% at all times. She is a fantastic support to both staff and the Management Team, and she will be hugely missed once her secondment comes to an end.

“Lisa nurtures staff by focusing on their strengths and encourages them to believe in themselves.

“Without question, Lisa believes in the HDFT values and behaviours and certainly portrays these on a daily basis. She cannot be any more passionate about her role and strives to make a difference for the families across County Durham.

“There is nothing much more to say other than every team needs a Lisa! I would like to thank her for all of her hard work and dedication – it has been great working with you and this thanks extends across the entire team!”

Sharon Brewster, Health Visitor and School Nurse – Growing Healthy County Durham

The support that Sharon (pictured top right) gave to a family in her care was excellent, providing vital public and mental health service advice and ensuring that they were safeguarded. The dedication she showed was excellent.

Sharon was presented with her Making a Difference Award via MS Teams and her colleagues joined to celebrate. Thank you Sharon, and congratulations.

Johanna Nicholson, Respirator Nurse Specialist

Congratulations to Johanna on her Making a Difference Award. She was recognised for her hard work helping to develop and drive forward the post-covid recovery programme for patients. She involved many different specialities in developing this. It is designed for following up all those people who have been admitted to Harrogate District Hospital with Covid-19 or suspected Covid-19, including a holistic telephone assessment, follow up chest x-ray and appropriate referrals onto therapies.

A colleague said: “Johanna is passionate, driven and caring and I feel she deserves this award for all of her hard work developing such a great support network for our covid patients.

“I observed Johanna’s first telephone clinic, and she showed tremendous compassion and empathy with the patients and their families. Without the help of the programme and resource packs she has produced, these consultations would have been much less effective for the patient and also for the clinicians, as we are all still learning about this virus.”

Charlie Ferguson, Clerical Officer – Endoscopy

Well done to Charlie on his Making a Difference Award. Charlie was recognised by a patient’s relative, who said: “I just wanted to say how wonderful Charlie was – incredibly empathetic, helpful and understanding. What a star!” He made a difficult situation so much easier. Thank you, Charlie.

Dr Hannah Ellis, Specialty Trainee

Hannah received her Making a Difference Award for the exceptional contribution she has made this year to acute medicine and undergraduate medical education. She has led on the development of a new post as Education Fellow and fostered a culture of providing excellent education on MAU. She has been involved in numerous quality improvement projects and has been “a fabulous leader of the junior doctor COVID blue team with feedback that she is inspirational.”

Sarah Birkett, Ward Manager – Medical Short Stay (MSS) 

Sarah’s recognised for her dedication and hard work as Ward Manager and for stepping up as Acting Matron. Sarah’s colleagues said:

“Sarah is an outstanding Ward Leader, continuously and very capably championing the safety of patients and staff. Last year she stepped up to Acting Matron to fill a gap and made real headway in the development of the Medical Admissions Unit (MAU) and MSS working as an acute floor whilst balancing the many other aspects of the Matron role. Her support to me as Head of Nursing and the wider Directorate has been outstanding.”

“Sarah is a kind and fair manager and one who is valued at every level throughout the Trust. Sarah has always gone above and beyond. A true example of the Trust’s values and behaviours’.”

“She is very passionate about nursing and delivers exceptional care. As a Ward Manager, she is compassionate, understanding and respectful guiding staff in a professional manner. Sarah is an exceptional nurse – one all nurses and students would aspire to be.”

May 2020

Shannon Arthurs, Care Support Worker – Maternity Services 

Well done to Shannon on her Making a Difference Award. Shannon is recognised for her support of bereaved parents in ways which her nominator told us they would never forget. She took it upon herself to provide exceptional care under such tragic circumstances, supporting both parents and creating much needed memories.

Jonathan Green, Principal Information Analyst

Jonathan (top left, receiving his award via video) was nominated for a Making a Difference Award for going above and beyond to set up and complete the COVID-19 data reporting. This has been a complex task and he has worked incredibly hard to help maintain a high quality reporting service.

April 2020

Stuart Wilson, IT Support Team Leader 
Stuart has been really helpful and supportive towards a team in what has been a very busy time for IT. Not only was Stuart supporting the IT requirements for the NHS Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate, but he gave time to support a team who were not so confident with using certain technology to enable them to work remotely. Through his patience and support, this boosted the Team’s confidence and they were extremely grateful for this.

March 2020

Claire Young, Health Visitor, and Monica Smallman, School Nurse – Healthier Together Middlesbrough 0-19 Service 

Claire (pictured top left) and Monica (pictured bottom left) worked closely together to meet the needs of a family in their care and their communication was described as “exceptional”. They made a big difference to this family, supporting them in distressing circumstances.

They were presented with their award via MS Teams and colleagues joined to congratulate them.

John Havercroft and Jacqui Spence – Supplies Department

Well done to John and Jacqui on their Making a Difference Awards. They’re recognised for their rapid action to ensure the Microbiology Department received some urgent supplies. Their nominator said: “Both Jacqui and John were fantastic and went above and beyond what is expected of them. They stopped what they were doing and responded to my plea for help with ordering supplies…” They really did make a difference.

Julie Franklin, Jonathan Clarkson and Jeff Wilson, Planning Department

Julie was nominated for her Making a Difference Award in recognition of her invaluable support to a time-critical piece of work. Julie is passionate about helping colleagues and patients, where and whenever needed, and is described as “incredibly professional and hardworking, with a compassionate and enthusiastic approach.”

Jonathan and Jeff were nominated in recognition of their hard work in ensuring the Coronavirus Assessment Pods were installed in a timely way. Jonathan and Jeff went the extra mile to get the pods installed and were mindful of how important it was in protecting both staff and the public.

Dawn Findlay-Shaw and Rachel Askey, Midwives

Both Dawn and Rachel received their awards in recognition of the holistic care they provided throughout a woman’s pregnancy. They went above and beyond to provide much needed continuity of care, stability and team work. This was described as a “First-class service”!

A colleague (pictured on the left below) kindly accepted the award on Dawn’s behalf, who dialed in from home. Well done to both Dawn and Rachel.

Liz Corbett and Sally Margerison, Community Heart Failure Specialist Nurses

Liz and Sally work tirelessly to keep complex patients with chronic heart failure out of hospital whilst making a huge difference to their quality of life. This is supported by the many letters of compliment and commendation for the kindness, compassion and expert clinical care they both provide. They work largely in the community and the difference they make to patients’ lives and the support they give to community care teams and to primary care is huge!

Separately, Sally was also nominated by a patient for providing “exemplary” care and attention following a serious fall which subsequently resulted in the patient’s heart failure problems being exacerbated. The patient also told us how during their time as a patient, they “have always received professional and compassionate care from Sally.”

February 2020

Lillibet Barnes, Audiologist – Audiology Department

Well done to Lillibet on her Making a Difference Award. We received some lovely feedback from a patient’s relative following a positive experience in ENT Outpatients with Lillibet.

The patient attended an appointment at ENT with their hearing aid, which unfortunately the patient had snapped at home whilst cleaning it. Whilst attending ENT, Lillibet popped into Audiology to ask if it could be changed/repaired. On further inspection, Lillibet noted the mould was cracking and took new moulds in order to have them ready in the coming weeks. The patient and relative were very appreciative of this and were impressed with the standard of care and commended Lillibet’s “amazing attitude and work ethic.”

Stephanie Pickard, Clerical Officer – Opthamology

Stephanie was nominated for a Making a Difference Award for going above and beyond to create a comprehensive training document for the department. Stephanie has taken the time to create a fantastic document which will be very beneficial to members of the team and in particular, any future new members of staff.

Rowan Haste, Podiatry Assistant 
At the time of nomination, Rowan had been working in the Harrogate Podiatry Team for six months. As a final year Podiatry student, he has consistently put the needs of others first, being kind and patient. He demonstrated this recently by seeing patients who had unfortunately arrived at the wrong clinic. Rowan volunteered to see the patients and treat them under supervision. The patients commended Rowan for his kindness and help – nothing was too much trouble and the patients left feeling much more knowledgeable about their foot care.

Emma Noe, Harrogate Podiatry Team Lead said, “Rowan is due to complete his studies this summer and has been successful in securing a graduate post with HDFT Podiatry. He is a credit to the profession and our service. He consistently delivers a high level of patient centred care. His ability to communicate and build rapport with patients is remarkable. This is just one of many examples of his dedication and flexibility.”

January 2020

Tammy Gotts, Long Term and Unscheduled Care Matron, and Caroline Watkins, Supported Discharge Service Occupational Therapist

Well done to Long Term and Unscheduled Care Matron Tammy Gotts and the Supported Discharge Service’s Occupational Therapist Caroline Watkins for their Making a Difference Award. The following excerpt following their presentation of a patient story at the November Trust Board meeting captures why they both deserve such a prestigious award:

“The meeting started as always does with a patient story. This time, Tammy and Caroline told Board about a patient with a mix of physical and mental ill health. These complex needs, plus a challenging home environment (the patient is a hoarder), meant that it was difficult to find a place for her in a care home. Via our Supported Discharge Service and their expertise in risk assessment, they worked to get everything in place for the patient to return home. This included visiting her home to help to reorganise certain rooms so they’re more habitable. After 75 days in hospital, the patient returned home, only to come back in the next day. A pattern of coming back in and going home continued, but this is improving significantly and the patient is now doing well at home. The story demonstrated just how much effort goes into, and how many different colleagues are involved in, getting someone home safely. It was noted by Board that we’re more and more likely to see patients with complex needs similar to this case study, and we need to continue our work to be able to adapt to this.”

Emma Edgar, Staff Governor 

Emma has come to the end of nine years in her volunteer role of Interim Lead and Staff Governor. As a Governor she has shown a great deal of support when the Council of Governors were experiencing some challenges. She has been very welcoming to all new Governors and takes the time to check in on Governors when they need it the most. Since Emma joined the Council she has helped to shape the it in a way that gives it more structure and support. This is on top of Emma’s very demanding role as Clinical Lead Nurse for Cardiology as well as completing her masters degree.

Neela Scott, Health Visitor – Growing Healthy Stockton-on-Tees – and Ashleigh Sinclair, Family Support Worker, Family Action 

The Trust has a subcontract with Family Action in Stockton-on-Tees to ensure a one team approach and a seamless service to support for families. A Mum who accesses both services got in touch with a compliment about Neela. Mum said that since the birth of her youngest she has been suffering with low mood and mental health problems that she describes as leaving her on the verge of been agoraphobic being unable to feel like she can leave the family home. Mum advised that Neela has been so supportive to her, always making her feel that she is Neela’s priority (Mum advised that she knows Health Visitors are very busy but Neela always has time for her).

Neela had referred her and her family to Family Action who could give her intense practical support with a range of issues that were impacting up on her mental health. Mum said that Ashleigh and Neela have worked with her to help what she described as ‘changing her life’. Mum has said that she has a long way to go but she feels the progress she has made would not have been possible without Neela and Ashleigh.

Jack Mockford, Workforce Information Assistant – Human Resources

Well done to Jack. Support services like HR are essential in helping clinical colleagues provide a high quality service to patients. Jack is one of the most helpful and accommodating colleagues in the Trust. Nothing is too much trouble for him and he is always polite and helpful – a great colleague. The information that he provides on a regular basis (without fail) is accurate, timely and helps colleagues to manage their service to clinicians and patients. He often provides extra information to help interpret the data in a useful and accurate way.

Rob Watt, Purchasing Officer – Stores (pictured on the right)

Congratulations to Rob Watt for his Making A Difference award in relation to the work he has undertaken in redesigning the stores delivery process as part of the decluttering of the hospital environment project. Rob has worked closely with colleagues in Leeds to design a stores end-to-end management process which has started on Labour Ward. This will give tight control over stores and ensure that all stores are no longer kept in cages on the corridors and put away at point of delivery. This new initiative has already started to realise some significant savings. Rob is so passionate and enthusiastic about the project everyone involved is engaged and feels communicated with. Ward staff are delighted with the transformation and the process will be deployed across the Trust. Rob is very calm and his positive approach to work has facilitated a significant change in the way stores will be managed.

December 2019

Rhys Edwards – Service Delivery Matron, Main Theatres & ICU

Due to additional pressures within the hospital Rhys stayed past his shift in recovery and worked until around 11.30pm. He then did a sleep-in shift overnight to so that in the event of a patient needing critical care support he could help. This is the second time that Rhys has done this over the past six months and he does this to ensure that his team are supported and patients are safe.

Jodie Kirby – Programme Co-ordinator, Education Centre, Harrogate District Hospital

Jodie works consistently & tirelessly to support the students on placement with the Trust, ensuring that they are always looked after, organised and that things run smoothly throughout the year. This has been demonstrated by several ‘green cards’ (positive feedback from the university on behalf of the students). Simply put the student placements would not run without her help. 

Julie Fairweather – Project Manager

Julie continues to live the Trust’s values when under pressure to deliver the NHSMail migration, proving that it is possible to treat your colleagues brilliantly even on difficult days. She has dealt with queries out of hours as promptly as she has during the normal working day. And Julie has helped by visiting teams in person to provide quick resolutions herself where possible and signposting to others promptly where necessary.

But what stands out is the way that Julie unfailingly greets others with a smile, assumes immediate ownership of your problem and stays with you until it is fixed. The way she assumes responsibility for problems and treats other with kindness extends beyond her manner in face-to-face contact to the friendly but informative tone of her emails which give just the right of amount of non-technical information to give assurance about progress.

Kathryn Johnson – Lead Diabetes Inpatient Specialist Nurse

Recently Kathryn has designed and implemented a ‘sick day rules’ fridge magnet for people with Type 1 diabetes who may struggle to control their blood glucose at times of illness. By following a flow chart, they may be able to stabilise their diabetes at home and try and prevent an admission, which saves them the trauma of diabetic ketoacidosis and reduces avoidable admissions for the NHS. It’s now being rolled out in clinic and it has had a great response from people living with diabetes.

November 2019

Andy Bell – IT team

Andy has been an absolute asset to the Growing Healthy County Durham team and Growing Healthy Gateshead team.

On a particular project, in County Durham, there have been many obstacles faced in relation to this area of practice and Andy has taken any issues in his stride, overcome these and delivered a high quality service. Andy also resolves any issues he is faced with in a timely manner and ensures staff receive the support they need. Andy is always happy to help and will go that extra mile without even being asked – all of the staff within our teams speak highly of him.

In Gateshead, Andy was one of the first IT members that the team met and he has been there for them ever since. From this day Andy has continued to support the IT structure of all staff across the service. Andy has responded effectively and efficiently to all IT queries. Andy is able to articulate to staff who are not so IT literate and has continued to be a great support to those individuals. Colleagues are happy to contact Andy for advice and Andy is always at hand to give this.

Julie Ingle – Care Support Worker, Byland Ward

Well done to Julie. She was nominated by a colleague who said: “My mother has recently been a patient on Byland and cared for by Julie. I was so impressed by her hard work, patience, dedication and the high standard of care she gave to all the patients. She is truly inspirational and a great role model to the other staff.”

Lucy Hinks – Associate Planning & Business Development Manager

The nominator said: “She was my line manager while I was in Planning and introduced me to working at the Trust. She was always incredibly professional, focused, thorough and hardworking, but balances this with compassion, understanding and supportiveness. She seems to me to an exemplary member of the team in Planning, who works diligently every moment of every day to uphold the values of the Trust. She made learning the ropes for me very easy – she always explained processes clearly, introduced me to stakeholders, always provided support and assistance whenever myself or any member of the team needed it and went above and beyond when called for. She is a real team player. She has oodles of creativity and ideas and works so hard in her role and continues to do so, always with enthusiasm, passion and importantly humility.”

Liz Eagin – Practice Educator

Liz is the Practice Educator for the Minor Injury Unit in Ripon and the Urgent Care Centre in Selby and in April 2019 she started a ‘Grow your own’ Emergency Nurse Practitioner career pathway, starting with three nurses from Harrogate’s Emergency Department. Since the beginning of this Liz has been unfailingly passionate, dedicated, supportive and quite frankly amazing. She is always available to offer you a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen to you and has believed in us all from the get go.

Martin Wingrave – Registered Nurse, Emergency Department

Martin cared for someone’s mother one night after she was brought in by ambulance for a head injury from her care home. He was so caring, enthusiastic, encouraging & kind. He went out of his way to try to cheer the nominator’s mother up by connecting with her, bringing her biscuits & drinks and comforting her.

He was truly inspirational and one of those people who really stands out and boosts the Trust’s reputation to great heights. The nominator was having a tough time with his mother who suffers dementia. Martin helped so much.

Lois Alderson – Clinical Lead Growing Healthy North Yorkshire 0-19 Children’s Services 

Lois was nominated for her response to the recent hepatitis A outbreak in Ripon and for the calm and professional approach she showed in the way she dealt with it as it unfolded, which was testament to her leadership. Mobilising her team to ensure mass vaccination of pupils and staff at the primary and senior schools affected meant that the outbreak was controlled quickly and effectively. Lois has made a significant contribution in ensuring there is a mass treatment and vaccination plan to respond to outbreaks across the North Yorkshire area. Lois has a positive ‘can do’ approach in helping to solve some of the more complex arrangements of providing a service across a wide area.

Sarah Smith – Multidisciplinary Assistant, Supported Discharge Service

Sarah is a shining light in her team. She has just been involved with the early discharge of a particularly complex patient from the Medical Admissions Unit. The patient was reluctant to go home despite being medically fit. Rather than being too direct, Sarah knew the patient and took an empathetic approach to speaking to him. She was able to reassure him that the best place for his care was at home. She always provides superb care.

The patient went home and she went to see him for the next three days where he successfully stayed at home. He had a history of turning away professionals and rejecting offers of help but Sarah’s approach and rapport with him changed this. He agreed to let Sarah attend to his pressure sore and Sarah even assisted clearing out a lot of his rubbish that had piled up (not within the normal expectations of her role but the patient had nobody else…). Sarah is extremely reliable and frequently goes above and beyond the expectations of her.

Natalie Cook – Specialist Nurse for Child Protection, Healthier Together Middlesbrough

Natalie has received the award for her passion and motivation in supporting a child aged 12 years with emotional issues. This child was self-harming and confused regarding her sexuality. She was struggling with her relationship with her parents, who had separated, and she was being bullied at school. Natalie contained this child at her School Nurse Drop In sessions, as the child had been referred by a school teacher.

The case was complex as the child did not want her parents to know she was struggling. Natalie worked with this child and although supported her in school, she continued to risk assess her at every contact. Eventually as she had built a very trusting and open and honest relationship, she convinced the child it would be better to inform her mum, which was agreed. The child didn’t want to be present. Natalie contacted mum and explained just how much her daughter was struggling and harming herself (albeit superficially). Mum was very upset and with support, her relationship began to improve with her daughter who is now aspiring to be in the Olympic Games one day as she attends boxing sessions and her mum is a boxing coach. This child wasn’t enjoying boxing and felt pressurised to be better by her mum, however is now thoroughly enjoying this and has high aspirations.

Sue Westcough – Early Years Practitioner, North Locality team, Healthier Together Middlesbrough

Sue is an amazing Early Years Practitioner, presently she is supporting a family who have two children with significant disabilities. She has really put herself out to help this family and has sourced a charity who will support the family in making their life so much easier and manageable, while also feeling supported. She is also securing funding to purchase a special needs wheelchair for one of their sons, who has severe autism. The younger son has a severe degenerate condition with severe disabilities. Both parents are incredibly thankful and grateful to Sue who as usual has gone above and beyond!

Elizabeth Hunter – Nutritional Assistant, Nidderdale Ward

Elizabeth works extremely hard every day, supports her colleagues, and goes above and beyond for each individual patient. This has been highlighted recently with a patient who had complex needs and Elizabeth excelled in caring for her nutritional needs as well as speaking up to the wider Multidisciplinary Team. Elizabeth displays all of the Trust values in her work and is a huge asset to the team!

Georgia Hill, Sister, and Lindsey Melbourne Brown, Care Support Worker – Medical Short Stay Unit, Harrogate District Hospital

Georgia and Lindsey were nominated to recognise their continuing dedication and hard work in ensuring their patients receive the best possible care. In addition to this, one particular stand-out moment should be recognised. Georgia and Lindsey were recently caring for a female patient who was being cared for in her last days of life. They attended to her in a compassionate and respectful way. In addition to this, as her husband wanted to stay with his wife they also needed to tend to his care needs as he was a frail gentleman who was unable to mobilise and unable to wash and dress himself. Georgia and Lindsey went to attend to the patient and also tended to the needs of her husband. It was the way in which they undertook this that was so heart-warming. Although it was additional to their daily responsibilities they went about it in such an enthusiastic and caring way.