Making a Difference - Award Winners

The Security Team at Royal Derby Hospital have been praised by multiple colleagues across the Trust for their work with a young patient on our Children’s Ward.

Our security staff across UHDB do so much more than just making sure our sites are accessible and safe for patients, staff and visitors. They are also trained to provide support to patients who are distressed and need additional support when in hospital.

On this particular occasion, the team were nominated for supporting a long-term patient on one of our children’s wards.

Part of the nomination, submitted by a colleague working on the Children’s Ward, read: “The security team supported us at many stages of this patients’ care. The young person was with us all over the Christmas period before being discharged to another hospital.

“The way that security approached this situation was exemplary. They showed genuine care and compassion for the young person and took time to get to know them and the things that they enjoyed.

“They were familiar with the patients care plan that detailed their interests and would spend time engaging them in the things that they liked to talk about. The team had lots of laughs with the patient and if they had time, would often spend time playing their Nintendo switch, as they knew that this was a high-risk time for the patient to be distressed and they required distraction.

“The team really did everything they could to lessen the distress of the patient and minimise any emotional trauma.  The Security Team also provided support to the staff – nothing was ever too much trouble for them.”

Steve Dakin, Security Manager at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, said: “I am extremely proud of the team for the way in which they have handled some very tricky situations with care and professionalism.

“This case in particular was a very difficult one for the security officers to be involved in.

“To see them in action with this particular patient was touching and emphasises the team’s ability to adapt to any given situation. Any call involving children and the requirement for security intervention is always a difficult thing to deal with.

“Holding their hand, distracting them with jokes to make them laugh and playing their games to take their mind of what is happening. Reducing and eliminating the need to act further by using their personalities and exceptional de-escalation tactics.

“I genuinely believe that they have made a difference to many lives with the way they work. They are an amazing team in a skilled role and are often the unsung heroes within the hospitals. It’s great to see them get the recognition they deserve.

“Having witnessed the care, empathy and compassion they showed this patient, made me think of my own children and whether I would be happy with how the team are assisting with their care. Without doubt the answer is yes.”

Paul Brooks said “You have to do some really difficult tasks as part of your role, but I don’t think there has been anything more difficult than what you have been doing up in our Children’s Hospital over the past couple of months supporting them all up there,

“It’s not just doing the job, its how you do the job and you have made such a difference to this young person’s life that might actually shape their life for the rest of their life

“You guys are more than just a security guard; you are the people here that make a real difference to people in really difficult circumstances.

“I’m so proud of you as a team, I always am, but especially on days like this when I get to come down and hand over an award to recognise you for the work you have done.”

If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.

There are four monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:

• Chief Executive Award – chosen by our Chief Executive
• Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
• Team UHDB Award – you can nominate your team or another team
• Excellent Employee Award – you can nominate your colleagues

You can send a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net.

 

 

The fantastic lengths a Royal Derby Hospital colleague went to in order to help and support a colleague have been recognised by our Interim Chief Executive, Dr Magnus Harrison, with his first ever Chief Executive Award.

Sarah Moss, Deputy General Manager in Trauma and Orthopaedics at Royal Derby Hospital, went above and beyond to support a colleague who was off sick and going through a difficult time after one of their parents passed away.

Part of Sarah’s nomination read: “I‘d really like Sarah to know how much her emails have helped whilst I’ve been off sick, especially when times felt extremely challenging, at home. It’s been great to be able to return to work with the much-needed support. 

“I’ve now managed to return to work but my manager, Sarah Moss, has been extremely supportive during my absence, I just hope she realises that it’s made the last 6 months more manageable.”

Upon receiving the award, which was presented by Dr Magnus Harrison, Sarah said: “I was only doing my job – I really didn’t do anything more than that! This colleague is the real winner, they have been through so much and I’m so proud of them that they have now made it back into work after such a tough time away.”

Dr Magnus Harrison said: “Of course you deserve this, Sarah! This nomination exemplifies everything that we are at UHDB – Openness, Excellence and Compassion. Thank you for being such an exceptional leader and supporting this colleague throughout this time – its my pleasure to present you with my first ever Chief Exec Making a Difference Award.”

Colleagues have said that Sarah always goes above and beyond and is always supporting her staff in whichever way she can.

If you know a UHDB member of staff or team who should be recognised for their exceptional work, you can nominate them for a monthly Making a Difference Award by emailing uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net

Volunteers and the Voluntary Service Team across UHDB have been recognised for their resilience and going above and beyond throughout the Covid-19 pandemic after being awarded with a Team UHDB Making a Difference Award.

In March 2020 we paused many of our volunteering roles as the country went into lockdown. After months of being away from the Trust, volunteers who support UHDB have slowly began to return.

The nomination for our fantastic volunteers read: "Our Trust volunteers, volunteer in our hospitals week in week out by choice to support our patients, staff, and visitors.  Their continued commitment and dedication ensure our Trust services are available to all our patients and visitors. They continuously put a smile on everyone's faces and offer us all a sense of normality within our hospitals after a very challenging time.  

“We have had a small number of volunteers who continued to support the Trust throughout the entire pandemic in between lockdowns, for which we as a service are extremely grateful.” 

Since April 2021, the Trust Voluntary Services Team have restored and brought back just over 200 trust volunteers across our five sites, and this will continue to grow over the coming months until the majority of our volunteers have returned.

Tarlochan, a Patient Buggy Driver who has volunteered for UHDB for over eight years was one of the volunteers who had to stand down his role as volunteer at the hospital throughout the pandemic. He returned a little earlier than others, returning to his role in November 2020.

He said: “I am so glad to be back at the hospital and helping people, I live for helping my community – I want to be present where I can provide support to people, I have missed my volunteering role so much throughout lockdown.

“My main target in life is to help those that need me. Being part of the Sikh Community means putting yourself out there to help others the best you can.

“The Volunteer Co-ordinators have been brilliant at welcoming us back and retraining us with regards to the changes at the hospital – it’s nice to be back with fellow volunteers and my team – we will all count on each other to look after one another.”   

Our volunteers weren’t the only ones to receive an award, as a surprise at the awards presentation, our Volunteer Co-ordinators: Sam, Simon, Sharon and Marina, were also recognised for ensuring regular contacts and updates were given to the volunteers and answered endless queries and worries throughout.

Their nomination highlighted how they have dedicated so much time and effort restoring the volunteer services week by week ensuring a robust, safe return for all volunteers. The team have contacted over 500 volunteers to explain the restoration plan, undertaken over 200 vulnerable worker risk assessments and numerous training sessions to make sure all of the volunteers are fully aware and feel safe on their return.

Paul Brooks, Director of Patient Experience, Estates and Facilities and Cathy Winfield, Executive Chief Nurse, presented the awards to our Derby Teams and Duncan Bedford, Executive Managing Director, Burton, and Jackie Marriott, Assistant Head of Facilities Management, presented the awards to our Burton Teams.

Jackie Marriot, Assistant Head of Facilities Management, said “To date, over 200 volunteers have returned to our hospitals. They have been sorely missed and the return has bought back some normality for each volunteer and our hospitals. I cannot quite articulate how proud I am of such a small, dedicated team to achieve what they have done in a short time.”

The team in Queen’s Hospital Burton’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has been presented with the latest Chief Executive’s Award for their “exceptionally high standard of care and compassion” during the pandemic and extensive recent renovation works in the department.

During the last two years, the team has helped to care for patients who have become acutely unwell, including those who had contracted Covid-19, all while their ‘Pod B’ area underwent £5m of refurbishment works which were completed at the end of 2021.

‘Pod B’ has been expanded from 10 to 14 beds with the inclusion of two additional isolation units which allows patients carrying infectious diseases, such as Covid-19, to be effectively isolated to reduce the spread of infection.

New equipment, such as monitors, has also been installed, with each patient bay also having sufficient space to allow for effective rehab as well as television to improve patient experience.

Get the full story on the recent refurbishment works in Queen's Hospital Burton's ICU > 

The nomination heaped praise on the ICU and stated: “The pressures and challenges of the pandemic, especially within Intensive Care, are well documented, but on top of this the team at had to work in a unit that has had extensive building work going on. While the work is very necessary and the improved facilities will only add to the quality of care that is offered, the noise and disruption has affected their working environment considerably.

“And yet, despite this, they have continued to give of their very best every day. As a team, they have adapted to each new change as the building work has progressed and that has required great resilience and patience. Throughout they have continued to work together to ensure patient care has not been affected and they have remained warm, welcoming and helpful to visitors to their ward.” 

Presenting them with their award, Chief Executive Gavin Boyle said: “I remember coming over to ICU here in Burton shortly after the Derby and Burton trusts merged in 2018 and colleagues telling me the need for these renovation works, so it feels apt that in my final week at the Trust, I’m stood here presenting you with this award in the newly refurbished area.

“When you think about the impact of Covid-19 on our services, particularly in ICU, what you have done while continuing with this work in the department is nothing short of incredible.”

Dr Paul Smith, Intensive Care Consultant, said: “Covid has presented us with many challenges but has also given us lots of things to work with and through. This renovation was much needed and this award is greatly appreciated.”

If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.

There are four monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:

• Chief Executive Award – chosen by our Chief Executive
• Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
• Team UHDB Award – you can nominate your team or another team
• Excellent Employee Award – you can nominate your colleagues

You can send a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net.

The team on Ward 15 at Queen’s Hospital Burton has been awarded December’s Patient Hero Making a Difference Award for the incredible care they offered to a cancer patient and their family.

The team have been praised for showing an “incredible level of care” that was “second to none” for the patient and their extended family over the course of a number of extended stays on the ward following treatment.

The nomination read: “Their dedication, devotion to duty and willingness to go the extra mile was all too apparent on a daily basis. Although they were clearly busy, they always found time to spend five minutes explaining the ins and outs of what was happening and what might happen next.

“When times became especially difficult, we felt encouraged and supported and I am convinced without the loving arms of this team, our experience would not have had the positive outcome it currently has. The compassion, understanding, tolerance and support truly went beyond anything I might rightfully have expected. I felt listened to even when I was at times sobbing, I was given time and encouragement.”

Since the patient has been discharged home, members of the team have called the patient and their family to check in on their progress and pass on their best wishes, which has been warmly received.

Sarah Gittins, Senior Sister on Ward 15, said: “It means the world to receive this award and hear those words. These can be dark times and this will be a huge boost to the ward team, so thank you so much.”

Duncan Bedford, Executive Managing Director, presented the team/s with their award and said: “It is an honour and privilege to present you with this award today. I have had the amazing job of presenting lots of these awards, but this one ranks right up there with the best. Some of the words used in this nomination are just beautiful and you should all be immensely proud.

“Allow me to say a massive thank you for what you have done and what you continue to do on a daily basis.”

If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.

There are four monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:

• Chief Executive Award – chosen by our Chief Executive
• Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
• Team UHDB Award – you can nominate your team or another team
• Excellent Employee Award – you can nominate your colleagues

You can send a 300 word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net.