Staff accolades

Two UHDB colleagues have been praised for their work which aims to teach and raise awareness of critical life-saving skills across Derbyshire's diverse communities - directly addressing health inequalities among ethnic minority and deprived community groups in the region.

Nichola Lightfoot and Nicole Abbott, Resuscitation and Simulation trainers at UHDB, have been working as part of a project to equip our communities with CPR skills, and other life-saving techniques, which can make a vital difference in an emergency.

NHS staff who have dedicated their careers to helping patients have been celebrated for their long service and commitment to caring for others.  

Staff across the Trust received awards for 25, 35 and 45 years' contribution to the NHS at ceremonies held at Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) and Queen's Hospital Burton (QHB) commending a combined 2,265 years of service.  

A specialist nurse at Royal Derby Hospital who treated a patient before they sadly passed away, received recognition by their family for providing the compassionate care that allowed them to "pass away peacefully and with dignity".

Gill Cook, a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Upper Gastrointestinal (known as 'Upper GI') Oncology, first met the patient following their diagnosis of cancer. When the patient's condition deteriorated, she worked tirelessly to move him from A&E to Ward 303 - ensuring he had a private room so his family could be with him in his final moments. Gill stayed late into the evening and went above and beyond to provide additional support to the family, ensuring the patient’s comfort and dignity.

Nursing duo at Queen's Hospital Burton (QHB) are making UHDB a great place to learn by supporting students with essential hands-on experience in our busy Emergency department.

The Ovarian Ultraradical Theatre Team at Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) recently received well-deserved recognition for their dedication and expertise in supporting patients undergoing complex surgeries for advanced ovarian cancer.

The team, whose work has a profound impact on patient outcomes and experience, take on some of the most challenging cases at UHDB - delivering intricate, lengthy procedures on patients with a remarkable level of teamwork and skill.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Royal Derby Hospital were recently recognised for their exceptional care of a critically ill patient, who was the husband of a colleague within their own department.

The Puffin Ward at our Royal Derby Hospital site were recognised for their exceptional care and compassion after a personal letter was shared with Executive Chief Nurse, Garry Marsh, from the young patient's grateful mother - who is a fellow UHDB colleague.

Suzi Thorpe nominated the team after her 14-year-old daughter was admitted to Puffin Ward in March 2024 with severe pneumonia and pleural effusion which are serious conditions that greatly impact the lungs and needs close monitoring care.

A Physiotherapist who made service improvements leading to better outcomes and patient experiences for people with respiratory problems, is the latest colleague to be recognised with the 'Excellence' Making a Difference Award. 

The daughter of a patient cared for at Royal Derby Hospital returned to the site to pay tribute to the compassion shown by colleagues on Ward 203 and within our Dementia teams - after their sheer determination and hard work to reunite her with her husband at their home while receiving palliative care.

The patient, named Mo, was diagnosed with hearing loss and vascular dementia and was admitted to A&E following a fall that required surgery. During her recovery from surgery, she struggled with communication and eating, prompting a referral to the Dementia Team for additional support. 

On Friday 20 September, UHDB held its Annual Making a Difference Awards ceremony at Hilton St George's Park with 280 colleagues from UHDB joining in an evening of recognising achievements from across the Trust.

The ceremony, hosted by actor, singer and weather presenter Des Coleman, saw nominees for 10 awards come together to celebrate clinical and non-clinical members of staff from across a variety of our sites, who have driven improvements in quality, patient care and supported UHDB to be a great place to work.

A colleague whose innovative thinking has led to the delivery of groundbreaking new technology, which is improving patient experience and reducing appointment cancellations for patients whose first language is not English, has been recognised with the Chief Executive's latest Making a Difference Award.

A clinical nurse specialist dedicated to making a difference to the life of patients undergoing treatment for cancer has been singled out by her colleagues for the innovative care she provides for patients and the compassionate leadership she gives to her team.

Two Stores Coordinators based at the Royal Derby Hospital's Renal Unit have been recognised for their exceptional work ethic and dedicated approach to supporting patients and colleagues alike.

Keir Biggins and Andy Redfern help facilitate hundreds of dialysis sessions over the course of the week - as many as 120 a day, six days a week - both within the unit and in the community for patients who require dialysis at home.

Showing compassion, care and flexibility in what can be a challenging role both physically and emotionally, they play a major part in the efficient and smooth running of the unit, working adaptively and flexibly to any logistic challenge they may face - such as the procurement, monitoring and distribution of key consumable equipment.

A 'humble' doctor who helped a patient recently diagnosed with cancer, has been recognised with a Patient Hero award for their compassion and making a significant impact to the patient and his family during their time at the Trust.

An ISS porter at our Royal Derby Hospital site, whose quick-thinking and fast actions helped save a patient's life, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Porter of the Year Award at this year’s National MyPorter Awards, held in association with NHS England.

Dom Attenborough, who was recently presented with a Patient Hero Making a Difference Award for his kindness and compassion when helping a patient and their family, was performing routine checks at the main entrance of Royal Derby Hospital when he was approached by a Security Officer for help with a distressed individual who entered the hospital with life-threatening wounds.

A multi-disciplinary team went 'above and beyond' to support a patient admitted to hospital with complex health issues and are being recognised for their hard work with the 'Team UHDB' Making a Difference Award.

A porter at UHDB has been presented with a special Derbyshire Constabulary award to commend him after his quick-thinking actions helped to save the lives of members of the public in Derby.

Keith Watson, who typically works in the A&E department at Royal Derby Hospital, was walking his two dogs on the way to care for a relative when he spotted some distressed individuals and acted quickly to ensure their safety.

A Stoma Nurse at Royal Derby Hospital has been praised by a patient for being her "NHS Angel" while they undergo extensive treatment for a cancer diagnosis.

In a letter, the patient lauded Lisa Cockram for her holistic support to both themselves as well as their family, amid what they described as "devastating" diagnosis for which they are undergoing extensive treatments and surgeries.

This included following the patient's treatment journey; providing information on support networks and tips on how they can manage their concerns and access resources - including mental health support; and holding difficult yet compassionate conversations with the patient's immediate family, including very young children.

A member of the Car Parking team at Royal Derby Hospital has been praised for his "act of kindness" in helping a patient make it to their appointment on time.

Sue Stocks became stuck in heavy traffic when driving her mother, Margaret Wallis, to her appointment in the Kings Treatment Centre, and was becoming concerned about making the appointment time.

A Senior Sister at Queen's Hospital Burton's Emergency Department has been praised for her desire and commitment to providing a development programme for junior Sisters and Charge Nurses to help them to develop their leadership, clinical knowledge, and managerial skills.

Josie Murphy acted on feedback from colleagues who expressed a desire to undertake more training within the department to aid their career progression after taking on senior roles in the team, such as Sister and Charge Nurse.

The impact of Josie's compassionate approach to leadership and development saw her awarded with our latest Excellent Employee Monthly Making a Difference Award - which was presented to Josie by Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, Simon Crowther, alongside several members of QHB ED in a surprise ceremony.  

A housekeeper who is proactively trying to reduce waste and promote sustainability while also keeping her department clean and safe is now the proud winner of the latest CEO Making a Difference Award.

Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the Trust's Anaesthetics team, spearheaded by Anaesthetic Registrar, Dr Alex Churton, the use of desflurane has been reduced dramatically since 2022 - vastly reducing the amount of CO2 produced by the Trust while continuing to provide safe and effective anaesthesia to patients.

A team of compassionate nurses working to ensure more children can receive end of life care at home with their loved ones has been recognised nationally after winning a Nursing Times Award - as well as being shortlisted for a second award. UHDB's Childrens' Community Nursing Team, working in partnership with colleagues from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and Derbyshire Healthcare United (DHU), formed the 'Derbyshire Paediatric Palliative Care Urgent Response Service', to assist children to die in their own homes with their families and home comforts close by, when they otherwise have been admitted to a hospital or hospice.

An innovative project which embeds medical students into the Patient Experience team to help them gain a deeper understanding of a patient's time spent in hospital has been recognised after being shortlisted for a national award. The Paediatric Medical Students Patient Experience and Quality Improvement Special Study Module (SSM), was developed after colleagues at UHDB identified a gap in the curriculum for students around understanding the full patient journey and the experiences of patients who require admission to our hospitals.

The Neonatal team at Queen's Hospital Burton has been awarded the Bliss Baby Charter Gold accreditation, which recognises exemplary care to the babies cared for in the unit and their families.

The team, which cares for babies who are unwell or have been born prematurely, is one of only 13 departments to achieve Gold accreditation out of 191 units in the UK.

A male breast cancer patient has praised the team at Royal Derby Hospital's Breast Unit for the care they provided to him after his recent treatment for the disease. 69-year-old Mike Burrows, from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, says he felt "out of his depth" as a male undergoing treatment for a condition largely associated with females, and heaped praise on the incredibly "supportive" team who helped him through his treatment.

We are delighted to announce that Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Diabetes, Dr Emma Wilmot, has been shortlisted for a national award for her work to use technology to help people with diabetes to manage their condition with greater ease.

The Liver team at Royal Derby Hospital has been recognised nationally for providing exceptional care for patients with liver disease - becoming the first centre in the East Midlands and the eleventh centre in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to do so. The team demonstrated to Improving Quality in Liver Services (IQILS) assessors that they are providing safe care, improving services to those diagnosed with liver problems and developing plans to continue to evolve the service.  

Congratulations to our colleagues from Joined Up Care Derbyshire's (JUCD) Wellbeing team, who have made the final shortlist in the Menopause Friendly Employer Awards.

The awards, which are also a fund-raiser for menopause-related charities. programmes and research, work to shine a light on organisations that go above and beyond to improve support and facilities for colleagues who are experiencing menopause.

Colleagues and patients alike have heaped praise on Sir Robert Peel Community Hospital's newest ward for the high standards of care provided after opening just 13 weeks ago. Philip Ward, which opened on 28 November 2022, was opened after just six weeks of planning and preparation work by the team.