NHS staff celebrated at awards ceremony

NHS staff celebrated at awards ceremony

Some of Merseyside’s hardest working NHS staff have been recognised at an awards ceremony hosted by celebrity chef Simon Rimmer.

More than 400 staff from Aintree University Hospital gathered for the hospital’s annual Aintree Excellence Awards to see the winners announced at St George’s Hall.

Team of the Year went to the Liverpool Diabetes Partnership, which has improved diabetes services for patients across the city by providing individual care programmes to meet the needs of complex and hard to reach patients.

Danielle McDermott, Stroke Data and Quality Coordinator, was named Employee of the Year. She was nominated for the award by her colleagues on the Stroke Unit after taking the initiative to create a relaxation room to help patients combat some of the psychological effects of a stroke.

The Proud of Aintree award, which was nominated for by members of the public, went to Ward 30, which is part of the hospital’s Department of Medicine for the Elderly. The ward staff were described as “hard working, kind, caring and going above and beyond” for patients and their relatives.

Volunteer of the Year went to Eileen Saunderson, who has clocked up more than 4,000 hours volunteering at Aintree in the last decade and who meets and greets patients and visitors to the Elective Care Centre as well as helping with inpatient surveys and the ward trolley service. She is one of more than 800 people who give their time to the hospital as a volunteer.

The Accident and Emergency team was presented with a special recognition award by the Chief Executive, acknowledging the improvements made in four hour performance against the backdrop of unprecedented levels of demand they have faced over the last 12 months.

Steve Warburton, Chief Executive at Aintree University Hospital, said: “I would like to congratulate all of the winners on their achievements. I’m proud to work alongside these incredible teams and individuals who work tirelessly every day to provide outstanding care for our patients. It’s so important to take the time to celebrate their work.”

The event was sponsored by Allocate, Hill Dickinson and the Innovation Agency.

The full list of winners is as follows:

• Divisional Award – Diagnostics & Clinical Support – The Prehab Team
• Divisional Award – Corporate Services – Apprenticeship Team
• Divisional Award – Medicine – Liverpool Diabetes Partnership
• Divisional Award – Surgery – Bowel Cancer Screening Team
• Innovator of the Year – Juliette Palmer, Diabetes Nurse Educator
• Learner of the Year – Emma Greaves, Business Administration Apprentice
• Outstanding Contribution to Safety – Ventilation Inpatient Centre Multidisciplinary Team
• Unsung Heroes – Maureen Wallymahmed, Diabetes Nurse Consultant
• Team of the Year – Liverpool Diabetes Partnership
• Proud of Aintree – Ward 30
• Employee of the Year – Danielle McDermott, Stroke Data and Quality Co-ordinator
• Volunteer of the Year – Eileen Saunderson
• Chief Executive’s Award – Accident and Emergency department

The winners were chosen by a panel including representatives from local Healthwatch groups, staff side unions, Executive and Non-Executive Directors and Governors.