We’ve officially launched our BWC Spirit Awards 2024 – an event that’s always a huge highlight in our calendar as we recognise the work of our colleagues across our Trust. We want to make this year our biggest and best celebration.
Thank you to everyone who has placed a nomination for this year's awards.
Over the next few weeks, we're revealing the finalists for each of our award categories. See who's made it as a finalist below.
BWC Spirit Award 2024 Categories
Best Boss – For a manager or team leader who supports, develops and cares for their teams, and whose inspiring leadership motivates their colleagues.
Charity Champion – For an individual or team whose commitment to fundraising knows no bounds, finding creative and inspirational ways to raise money for our organisation.
Commitment to Diversity – For a colleague who has demonstrated a personal commitment to diversity and inclusion with a positive outcome for patients and/or colleagues.
Most Inspiring Colleague – This award is for an individual who puts health and wellbeing front and centre, inspiring those around them through their unwavering support, creative ideas and dedication.
Outstanding Clinical Team – For a clinical team whose care truly is world-leading, delivering the very best service to patients and their families.
Outstanding Support Team – For a non-clinical team who has gone above and beyond in supporting their colleagues to deliver the very best service to patients and their families.
Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement – For an individual or team who has found resourceful, innovative ways to improve, or make positive changes to their service for patients and staff, by either developing research, or finding ways to do things more cost effectively.
Rising Star – For an individual who has been in their role a short time but encompasses our Values and exceeds expectations (including intern, apprentice, work experience trainee or employee).
Unsung Hero – For an individual or team who works behind the scenes, doing fantastic things but who may not always be recognised – this is your chance to let them shine.
Volunteer of the Year – For the most enthusiastic, passionate and caring volunteer, whose selfless contribution we would be lost without.
Brighter Futures - For the individual or team which has helped make Birmingham and beyond a better place by championing health inequalities, sustainability, population health or community engagement.
Moment of Magic – For a member of staff who went above and beyond to make a family’s experience really special. Nominated exclusively by our patients, families or friends.
Best Boss Finalists 2024
Our Best Boss finalists are
- Claire Hodgetts – Ward sister, Urgent care
- Karl Emms – Lead Nurse for Patient Safety
- Dr Katy Robson – Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Dr Matt Nash – Clinical Director of Maternity, Neonates
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Claire Hodgetts — "Claire epitomises the spirit and values of the organisation and her commitment to colleagues, patients and ward is unwavering. She goes above and beyond almost every day, her door is always open, be it for staff or families, and she is the biggest advocate for them. In previous years she has achieved things that have never been done before such as getting a palliative patient home on airvo so that they could spend their final days with their family."
Karl Emms — "Working with Karl over the past three years it is hard not to be ambitious in one's own work, his energy and work ethic is contagious. Karl truly is an inspiring leader who actively seeks and encourages opportunities to develop the team. Karl is always celebrating the team's achievements and is our biggest cheerleader. Karl has a growth-oriented mindset and always supports our development to help us achieve our professional goals. Karl has created a vision for the team and is committed to ensuring its success."
Dr Katy Robson — "Katy leads the Autism Assessment Team (AAT) with high ambitions on what we are able to offer to service users and their families, she always encourages the team by her own example of going above and beyond for service users and their families, questioning how we can improve care and our services. For example, patient experience is the heart of care and in our MDT discussions, Katy will always put this as a priority whether that be encouraging and modelling to us how to be flexible with our services e.g. meeting young people at their homes, spending time to build up relationships so that they come to trust us and come for their assessment. "
Dr Matt Nash — "As a team leader Matt demonstrates qualities that make him an outstanding manager, colleague, friend, and an inspiring leader. His unwavering support, commitment to professional development, and genuine care for his team create a workplace environment that is both nurturing and motivating. Matt is approachable, his door is always open, and he takes the time to really listen, ensuring that every team member feels heard and valued."
Commitment to Diversity Finalists 2024
Our Commitment to Diversity finalists are
- Cultural Awareness Team, BCH
- Lorenzo Magini, Trainee Clinical Scientist, BWH
- Dr Nudrat Rizvi, Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, FTB
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Cultural Awareness Team — “The team has been a fantastic catalyst to help me more thoroughly consider how I can support other people in my work and personal life, and absolutely to live life in a more compassionate way, ensuring that I am considerate, respectful, and inclusive, and also represent the Trust as such.”
Dr Nudrat Rizvi — Nudrat has a deep understanding of autism and is always advocating for the inclusion of patients and staff with ADHD, learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She knows that many people with ASD also experience gender, eating and sensory issues. Nudrat supports them with great care, offering LGBTQ+ resources and she also educated the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) on how to utilize the right resources like Marmad Charity to support these young people with their gender identities.
Lorenzo Magini — Lorenzo has brought together a range of 8 different professionals from across the 3 divisions to show our diversity, cultural journeys, and diverse countries and how our personal experiences can determine where we go. By doing this it supported and challenged biases, educating others on what is behind the identity of the titles we hold and challenging the perceptions that others can have. All of these are our values as a Trust.
Charity Champion Finalists 2024
Our Charity Champion finalists are
- Simulation Team - BWH
- Hand and Upper Limb Team - Andrea Jester - BCH
- Bereavement and Estates Team - Alison Rea and Paul Scott – BWH
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
My nomination is for the amazing BWH simulation lab team who - through their ambition, bravery and compassion - converted an unexpected conversation in the Cotswolds into a £ 1 million gift that will transform the lives of women, babies and their families at BWH and beyond!
Hand and Upper Limb Team — Dr Jester and the Hand and Upper Limb Team have been true champions for our charity, taking the lead on delivering some fantastic events for their patients, including three incredible fashion shows in collaboration with South and City College, Birmingham (SCCB) which have raised over £11K.
These events not only raise significant funds but have a phenomenal impact on the patients and families of the hand and upper limb department that are involved giving them a voice and making them feel both special and recognised. The fashion shows also have tremendous benefits for the college students at SCCB who design and create the garments worn, and the project has helped us to secure a Charity of the Year partnership with SCCB. — Read more about our fashion show.
Bereavement and Estates Team — I'd like to nominate both Paul Scott and Alison Rea for their commitment to getting Woodland House delivered and up and running for our families. The entire space is beautiful and beyond the dreams of our grieving parents, all of which is down to them. — Find out more about Woodland House.
Most Inspiring Colleague Finalists 2024
Our Most Inspiring Colleague finalists are
- Avella Reid – Lead Nurse Referral Management Centre, FTB
- Rev Emmanuel Bwalya – Chaplaincy, BCH
- Kate Edwards – Deputy Nurse Lead, BWH
- Lauren Jones – Learning Disability Liaison Nurse, BCH
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Avella Reid — "Avella is a nurse through and through. She cares deeply about the care young people receive and will always advocate for what's right, even when this is the hardest thing to do. Avella is brave and will challenge the system when it isn't working well for young people. This does require bravery to stand out and advocate for our patients, but this focus on patient experience has led to some significant changes and safety improvements."
Rev Emmanual Bwalya — "Emmanuel did a talk in our NQN day 2 session about chaplaincy and what they do as a team for our patients, families and staff throughout the trust. Emmanuel was absolutely amazing at discussing and the way he spoke was so inspiring. You could sense how much Emmanuel cares so much for the people that he helps and why he values helping people so much."
Kate Edwards — "Kate has been working in the West Midlands Perinatal network as deputy lead nurse for Quality, Safety and Improvement since October 2023. She puts the babies and families at the forefront of everything she does to ensure that outcomes for preterm babies and their families will improve - namely with a HUGE QI project called PERIPrem."
Lauren Jones — "The children and families that have worked with Lauren have been complex, challenging and Lauren's ability to effectively articulate, advocate and provide challenge to our medical teams has improved patient experience and outcomes. Lauren blooms every day and her confidence has skyrocketed. Lauren shows huge amounts of compassion within her work and values every interaction she has with patients. She has also embraced new opportunities to teach staff about learning disability and the role of the Liaison team."
Outstanding Clinical Team Finalists 2024
Our Outstanding Clinical Team finalists are
- Keller Team – BWH
- FTB Learning Disabilities and DICE – MHS
- Palliative Care Team – BCH
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Keller Team — "The Keller Team are leading an exceptional service for women, babies and their families. They have been providing midwifery continuity of carer (MCoC) since January 2020, and in the last six months have ambitiously transformed the service to provide the most vulnerable women in South Birmingham the best possible care."
"They bravely advocated for us as a couple and our baby to ensure our continuity of care was upheld in the face of challenges. Their inclusivity of us as a couple and a whole family unit shines through at every appointment. Their consistency of excellent care was evident from the first antenatal visit to the last post-natal one. If someone I loved told me they were being looked after by the Keller Team, I would feel happy knowing they were in ambitious brave compassionate and safe hands."
FTB Learning Disabilities and DICE — "FTB LD and DICE are amazing MDTs who work together to provide a mental health service offering support, care and treatment for children and young people with a learning disability or autism and their families. The Learning Disability and DICE are a specialist service within Forward Thinking Birmingham."
Palliative Care Team — "They care for children across every department at the children's hospital site supporting medical teams with symptom control, challenging and emotive discussions, end-of-life planning, MDTs, the writing of ACPs, escalation and symptom management care. They also support rapid discharges into the community, including organising hospice care and 24-hour palliative care support in the home to support the patient and family. They also attend patient clinics to provide continuing support, as well as providing trust-wide education."
Outstanding Support Team Finalists 2024
Our Outstanding Support Team finalists are
- Medical Engineering Team (BWH) – Vital services
- Bereavement Team - BCH
- Practice and Clinical Education Team - BCH
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Medical Engineering Team — "The Medical Engineering Team certainly went the extra mile helping me sort out a problem that would affect the service given to our patients, particularly our neo-natal babies. The team were certainly ambitious with a can-do attitude and also compassionate in helping me to help our patients"
Bereavement Team — "Zena and Niki then worked seamlessly and compassionately for several hours to care for the child and her family. They showed immense strength and dignity, as well as professional skills no one else present possessed. Niki continued to run the Hospital at Night system whilst she worked, and Zena also cared for the distraught adults and started the memory-making progress. At one point, the child's mother became unwell with her distress, and Zena rapidly and calmly dealt with the situation."
Practice and Clinical Education Team — "I am nominating BWC's Practice and Clinical Education team as an exceptional support team due to their unwavering commitment to providing high-quality education and support across the trust. The team's dedication ensures that staff and students receive the best opportunities for learning and development, ultimately preparing them to excel in their roles as healthcare professionals within BWC.
The whole team have individual priorities and focuses on groups of learners across the Trust."
Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement Finalists 2024
Our Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement finalists are
- Dr Anandi Singh – Emergency Department (BCH)
- Dr Hannah Titheradge – Clinical Genetics (BWH)
- Lisa Hoare – Medical Day Care (BCH)
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Dr Anandi Singh — "Dr Anandi Singh led a Quality Improvement project that successfully produced induction handbooks to help International Medical Graduate doctors feel at home at BWC.
Anandi joined the Trust as an International Medical Graduate doctor. From her own experience, she understood the importance of supporting colleagues to adapt to life at BWC, on both a personal and professional level."
Dr Hannah Titheradge — "She has been instrumental in starting a Genetics Directorate Research and Development group in BWC to foster better research collaborations between the clinical genetics and laboratory genetics teams."
"She works exceptionally hard for her patients. Such a powerhouse I truly have no idea how she manages to achieve so much for patient care both clinically and supporting patients during research. Hannah has ambitions to develop as a clinical academic and I am excited to see where her hard work on her research aspirations will take her. She is an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham and in 2021 was awarded the West Midlands Clinical Research Network (CRN) NIHR Research Scholar."
Lisa Hoare — "Medical Day Care had an issue with a high volume of DNAs for treatment 49 per month. To improve this situation, Lisa Hoare implemented text reminders via Accurex. This was initially done on a trial basis and had an immediate impact, reducing the number of DNAs to just 12 per month a 75% decrease.
Lisa took responsibility for ensuring that reminders were sent between 8am and 9am the day before the patient admission."
Rising Star Finalists 2024
Our Rising Star finalists are
- Aaliyah Tariq – Pharmacy (BCH)
- Ellie Brewer – Bereavement Team (BWH)
- Isobel Morgan – Vital Services (BCH)
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Aaliyah Tariq — "It is my honour to nominate Aaliyah for the Unsung Hero Award. As an accredited checking technician in our outpatient pharmacy, she embodies our trust values of compassion, ambition, and bravery in remarkable ways.
Working in a paediatric hospital requires a special kind of empathy and understanding, and she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that every young patient and their family feels supported. Her warm demeanour and patient-centric approach have made a significant difference in the lives of countless families, providing them with the comfort and assurance they need during challenging times. She is always ready to lend an ear, offer a kind word, and provide personalised care, making her an invaluable asset to our team."
Ellie Brewer — "Ellie came to us to take on a new role for the Bereavement Team at the Women's Hospital 2 years ago, before her role existed the team did not have the capacity to develop bereavement care within the Gynaecology directorate. She had not worked in women's health prior to this and took on the huge challenge of having to learn about a wide array of healthcare such as histopathology, genetics, and early pregnancy loss. She was brave and dived into this world so that she could learn and provide the best care for our bereaved families experiencing early pregnancy loss. She is passionate about women's experiences and raising standards of care and support for clinical teams."
Isabel Morgan — "Isabel joined the supervisory team in facilities in August 2023 and has grown from strength to strength ever since. Isabel is a dedicated member of the team who goes above and beyond in her role, whether this is looking after staff wellbeing or being out on the wards getting stuck in with the staff. Isabel has organised multiple events for the facilities staff, across all sites, such as Facilities Day 2024 where she led sports day and 'The Great Facilities Bake Off'. No matter the task, Isabel exceeds expectations and does it with a smile on her face. She has led the team across all three hospital sites, and actively took part in every department; taking on switchboard shifts to help with staffing issues, being on the shop floor when the housekeepers need her and helping the porters with their duties. Isabel upholds the trust values to an outstanding level; no task is too big for her, she rises to any challenges she faces and actively cares for staff and patient wellbeing. Isabel has a bright future within our trust and is more than capable of achieving this, her 'can do' attitude makes her shine and she deserves recognition for this."
Unsung Hero Finalist 2024
Our Unsung Hero finalists are
- Angela Salmon (BCH)
- Janet Evans (MHS)
- Victoria Hodgetts-Morton (BWH)
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Angela Salmon — "Angela identified that there was more to this request: the individual had reached out because an unexpected change in personal circumstances meant they were at immediate risk of becoming homeless.
Angela took immediate action to seek a solution, investigating options and requesting flexibility in applying Trust policies so that this colleague could be helped. Over a couple of very challenging days for the individual, Angela worked to find a solution, keeping in touch with the individual at every step and maintaining their dignity."
Janet Evans — "Janet has worked at Parkview since its inception and has become the 'Oracle' and the heart of Parkview. This nomination is to show not only our thanks for all of her experience, wisdom and gratitude but also that, as she is front-facing, she is the person that young people see as they arrive, our visitors and staff as they enter Parkview for the first time.
This can be a very daunting and scary experience for our young people and families and she offers them a safe, friendly, efficient experience and the feedback that we get is always positive. Janet is hugely compassionate, she will ensure that she does her most to seek support requested for all, offering good communications across the clinic and having wellbeing for all of the staff at the heart of what she does."
Victoria Hodgetts-Morton — "Vicky is our preterm prevention consultant. She is very passionate about the care she delivers for our women. Every Tuesday we have a preterm birth clinic and she always spends great time and energy ensuring the women's needs are met and questions answered. She is a great leader and ensures we as a team come together and introduces us to patients who may require extra support. Our service provides support to women and birthing people who have suffered pregnancy losses, or have had previous cervical surgery, or pre-term births.
Essentially any woman who is at risk of going into preterm birth or having a loss. We look after these patients with regular scans, cervical stitches or infection screening and a lot of compassion and reassurance."
Volunteer of the Year Finalists 2024
Our Volunteer of the Year finalists are
- Alan Pickering – ED, BCH
- Ann Hopkins – Chaplaincy, BWH
- Noahs stars – Neonatal, BWH
- Rubina Rehman – ED, BCH
- YPAG – BCH, MHS
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Ann Hopkins — “Ann spends every Friday morning preparing Chaplaincy bereavement packs to send out to women who have experienced stillbirth, neonatal death, or miscarriage. Each one is packed with care and compassion, with religious appropriate cards and stones to help families remember their babies and process their grief. Ann is an integral part of our team, and we could not run our Chaplaincy bereavement pathway without her!”
Alan Pickering and Rubina Rehman (ED Volunteering) — “ Alan has been a volunteer since 2019 and has become a beloved figure in the Emergency Department. When he is not helping in the ED, he can usually be found supporting PAU and delivering breakfasts to the patients there. Always happy to help with a smile, he went above and beyond during winter to ensure patients and their families in ED were well looked after."
“Rubina is a friendly and helpful part of the department and will always offer refreshments, a listening ear, and emotional support. Due to the nature of her role, she can support refreshments for families, maintain the hygiene of play areas and make sure patients are entertained with the arts and crafts activities. Rubina can also speak multiple languages with parents which is a major asset when engaging with non-English speakers in our community.
Noah’s Star — “Noah's Star is a charity that supports volunteers to come to the unit multiple times a week to support the families on the neonatal unit. Noah's Star provides sibling support which allows for parents to concentrate on their baby knowing that the siblings are being looked after. Noah's Star also provides parents with someone to talk to and a drink when they are here.”
YPAG — "YPAG is pivotal to the organisation. They support numerous projects and initiatives within the Trust and provide valid input from their point of view, opening our ideas and thinking to the people we serve."
Brighter Futures Finalists 2024
Our Volunteer of the Year finalists are
- Black Hair and Skin project
- Dr Nudrat Rizvi
- International Workforce Team
Here is a little extract about why they were nominated
Dr Nudrat Rizvi — “I am excited to nominate Nudrat for the Brighter Futures Award in recognition of her exceptional dedication to young people with autism and neurodiversity. Nudrat embodies our values of Ambition, Bravery, and Compassion, significantly enhancing our team's ability to provide effective care.
Recruitment Team: International Workforce Team — "I came to the UK all alone with no family and it was really hard at the beginning but the support I received from the Trust meant a lot to me. I received financial assistance and accommodation for when I initially moved over here which was so great. My team have also been so lovely and supportive. I feel proud at how far I have come. I absolutely love my job, and I feel so settled now.” The programme supports nurses and midwives moving to the UK to join our Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital and Mental Health Services.
Lisa Butcher, Natalie Powell, and Dawn James — “Lisa Butcher, Lead Nurse for Dermatology and Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and Natalie Powell, Inclusion Ambassador, have championed a first of its kind project improving personal hair and skin care for Black and mixed heritage patients while they are in hospital. The project aims to make personal care more inclusive for those staying on wards.”
Best Boss
Winner - Paul Whittaker
Paul is a stalwart of the Communications Team and plays a crucial part – often behind the scenes and under intense pressure – in keeping the operation running as smoothly as possible. He is extremely hard-working, meeting very tight deadlines in a complex role while maintaining diligence and high quality in everything he does. His passionate leadership empowers the team. He is approachable and accommodating in helping colleagues have the best work-life balance possible. Despite the busy workload, morale is always high in the team, thanks to Paul.
Hashim Shah
Hashim has built a team within The Medicine Chest who work well together, are agile and can rotate tasks to ensure the needs of patients and colleagues are met. He has improved patient waiting times, as well as motivating and supporting the entire team. He truly cares; always asking if colleagues are okay and is thoroughly professional – building strong relationships across the hospital. The change Hashim has implemented in the department is immeasurable.
Phil Orton
Phil has been nominated by a member of his team after a significant upheaval in their life away from work. The nominee described the last 12 months as the most challenging period of their life and Phil as “a rock”, showing understanding, kindness and empathy, as well as ensuring that his colleague put themselves first and took time out to consider her wellbeing.
Charity Champion
Winner - Estates Department Fundraising Team
Last year, our Estates department raised more than £13,000 for our Children's Hospital Charity and, as a result, were able to ensure that every sick child in hospital during the Christmas period received a gift. This year they have set a more ambitious target to raise £50,000 taking on challenges such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Our Trust values are at the core of the Estates fundraising team as they are always driving to go over and beyond.
Guirish Solanki
A much-loved Consultant Neurosurgeon, Mr Solanki is an avid supporter of our charity. He has successfully hosted a number of conferences, including the world-renowned ISPN conference (International Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery) and has raised more than £105,000 for our Charity. He consistently lives our values, including showing immense ambition for delivering world-class events and meetings and helping to put our Children’s Hospital on the global stage.
William Lo
Mr Lo has been a huge asset to the fundraising team in the preparation, launch and ongoing promotion of the £1.5million iMRI Appeal, to bring intraoperative MRI technology to our hospital, to support brain surgery. He is a key part of the project team, developing the case for why this technology is needed and how it will help improve treatment for patients. He has also been the public face of the appeal, stepping out of his comfort zone to tell the story.
Commitment to Diversity
Winner - Eudmar Marcolino
Eudmar has demonstrated how dedicated and ambitious he is about the rights and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community. He spearheaded the working group for the LGBTQ+ staff conference, bringing passion and drive to organise events in his own time. He also kept everyone else in check, offering support whenever it was needed it to ensure the conference was a success. It was clearly a cause close to his heart and shows how dedicated he is to inclusion for all LGBTQ+ people.
Hannah Wood
Midwife Hannah is passionate about creating an environment where individuals from all walks of life feel valued. She has been instrumental in leading the Postnatal Ward 3 Team to recognise and celebrate Diversity and Inclusion by way of creating visual displays on the ward. Recent events have included the King’s Coronation, Eid, Pride Month, The 75th Anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush, the Euros, the Women’s Football World Cup and the Disability Pride Month.
Raj Jagpal
Throughout Raj's career he has consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to promoting diversity as was demonstrated in a recent project called 'Changing Places'. The parents of one of our patients at the Children’s Hospital realised that our disabled restrooms weren't adequate for those with life-long brain injuries like their son after he was diagnosed with encephalitis, an uncommon but dangerous condition that left him with a permanent brain injury. After receiving some funding from our Charity, Raj led the project to install a brand-new Changing Place inside Waterfall House.
Moment of Magic
Winner - Nicki Twigg
We could never thank Nicki enough for the support she continues to give our family with warmth, friendliness and professionalism. In times of acute crisis, all we need to do is put out a plea for help, and Nicki will arrange to meet us as soon as she can, often outside of normal working hours - such is her dedication. Nothing is ever too much trouble and she somehow knows how to connect with the boys no matter what state of mind they are in.
Caitlin Ralphs
Caitlin is one of the most exceptional professionals we have encountered in our journey. Her strongest characteristic is the incomparable compassion she has for family-centred care; there are countless examples I could use because everything she does is under the umbrella of our whole family and she doesn’t use “family-centred care” as a buzzword, she lives it. She has on numerous occasions researched additional resources for me around the various challenges surrounding our son’s life as an amputee - he absolutely adores Caitlin.
Dr Lauren Young
Dr Young looked after our son William when he was admitted to NICU just hours old. I watched her do everything she could to save our son and when she couldn’t, she came to look after me and comforted me until my husband arrived. She sat and told us every tiny detail in William’s care with such love and kindness, it made us feel so incredibly privileged to have had her look after our little boy, as we had so little time with him.
Most Inspiring Colleague
Winner - Bob Maxfield
Bob is amazing! He always champions for youth voice, co-production, youth engagement and so much more. He is always enthusiastic and trying to find Think4Brum and YPAG opportunities to make real change within BWC - for example, supporting new suicide prevention training, pride table talks, the big discussion, TeenTalk and so much more. Bob is always here for us and I have heard multiple young people say their trusted adult is Bob. He is a true hero.
Emily Magee
Emily is so inspiring and has recently organised 'Learning from Excellence de-briefs' focusing on the great practice on Irwin, encouraging staff to reflect on the things we have 'got right' and recognizing how strong we are as a team. She will always notice every small breakthrough that happens and she will let that person know the impact of their work, which raises moral on the ward. She is also great fun to work with and we are so lucky to have her!
Hena Syed-Sabir
Hena provides emotional containment, warmth and wisdom in the most difficult circumstances. I am in awe of her work, she inspires me to be a better, more thoughtful psychologist. Recently we worked together with a family where a child had lost his Mum in tragic circumstances and was himself badly injured. The child's father was struggling to find the words to tell his child about his mother's death. Hena guided him through this, an example of her ambition, bravery and compassion in action
Outstanding Clinical Team
Winner - Delivery Suite and Theatre Teams
A lady collapsed on the delivery suite and had to be transferred quickly to theatre for delivery. She was in theatre for several hours while the team tried to stop her bleeding. During this time she had 2 cardiac arrests, lost 8 litres of blood and required a hysterectomy. The team successfully resuscitated her and she was transferred to ITU at QEHB. Saving this woman's life was a massive team effort and everyone should be commended for the part they played however big or small.
Cystic Fibrosis Team
Not only have the CF team cared for me, but they have also cared for my parents and helped them to learn about my condition, manage it and over the years helped me accept my lifelong condition, manage it myself and not just live with it, but thrive with it. They have made me laugh and smile at times when I felt unwell or was worried and have shown me that my life does not need to be limited because of my condition.
Winter Ward (Ward 2) Team
In order to manage the significant increase in both numbers and acuity of patient admissions, Ward 2 was created using a planned but previously untried model of nursing. At no point in time did the teams that came together on Ward 2 display any signs that they were in a place of unfamiliarity. They showed total compassion to each other, so much so that there were numerous positive feedback comments from families about an excellent standard of care.
Outstanding Support Team
Winner - Whole Genome Sequencing Team
The Whole Genome Sequencing clinical team are a transformational service in a complex area of medicine. They have successfully managed and delivered a new service across the West Midlands region. Offering patients and families a powerful way to identify a genetic diagnosis for rare diseases, which involves designing and using a tracking tool to help ensure families are given an invaluable opportunity.
The reduction in waiting times has freed up time for clinics and made the working lives of clinicians so much easier.
Chloe Dixon and Wayne Roberts – Play Services, BCH
My daughter, Molly (15 years) suffered significant burns. Her treatment involved regular dressing changes which took hours. Chloe and Wayne supported Molly while the clinical team did their work. Without them, we don’t know how Molly would have got through her treatment.
Chloe and Wayne arrived early to prepare Molly mentally and distracted her by talking and using the VR through procedures. It was difficult seeing Molly in pain. They had all the right words and reassurances which helped me too.
Vital Services Facilities Domestic Team
Despite a tough year, domestic teams have shown outstanding commitment, resilience, and dedication to ensuring the hospital is clean and safe for colleagues, patients and visitors.
The teams have worked exceptionally to achieve accreditations including supporting Vital Services to accomplish new Cleaning Standards targets and competencies towards the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and Infection Prevention and Control course.
All this was wrapped up in laughter, delivering training and open-mindedness to new ways of working. Thank you to everyone for their hard work.
Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement
Winner - Anand Kanani
Anand is nominated for his exceptional guidance and mentorship. Anand's dedication to fostering growth and development has positively impacted many trainees, and his ambitious nature and ability to inspire others bring out the best in team members.
Eney Mhizha and the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative team
Eney Mhizha and the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative team recognised the issues of referrals for CAMHS Tier 4 beds making it difficult to accurately assess and allocate beds to children and young people in need.
Induction of Labour Working Group
Having introduced a single point of access to the service and a methodical screening process, they have significantly reduced unnecessary admissions, reduced waiting times for Tier 4 beds by at least half and down to zero at one point, which is incredible.
Rising Star
Winner - Daisy Eatwell
Daisy is always family-centred and has helped streamline the discharge planning process ensuring effective discharge of babies from NNU, ensuring the best outcomes for babies. She is always looking for ways to further streamline the discharge processes.
Daisy is a shining star; her passion is supporting families who have challenging or diverse needs which she does successfully. Daisy remains compassionate, despite being under immense pressure. She will always give time to others for the best outcomes for the team, babies and the service.
Bethany Odell
Bethany has provided excellent support for the women’s division. She has immersed herself into the role with a can-do approach and is honest about what is achievable.
Bethany led on the development of a PowerBI Maternity PTL, a one-stop report that enables Maternity to manage caseloads better. Bethany is passionate about colleagues having an effective workspace. She has been vital to the culture changes in local teams, actively listening, ensuring colleagues feel heard and involved which has improved knowledge sharing and reduced isolation.
Ela Ortega
Ela goes above and beyond every day, demonstrating our values through her exceptionally high standard of work. Ela is a model example of an Aspire Graduate. She is full of ideas to improve patient care, and support and develop colleagues in her team and across the organisation, thinking outside the box, with energy and enthusiasm.
Ela is one of the best multi-taskers I have ever seen. Ela is always willing to take on new challenges such as the By Your Side mentoring programme.
Mark Hough
Mark has successfully worked his way through the ranks from Security officer to Porter Team Leader for Vital Services. He has become a key player and achiever that sets challenges for himself and the team as a whole.
Unsung Hero
Winner - Aimee Landon
As head of our legal services team, Aimee supports colleagues through harrowing inquests, court of protection applications and other legal processes. Faced with so many competing deadlines and emotive cases, she handles everything with remarkable determination, compassion and expertise. Aimee goes above and beyond her role to help our staff, patients and families at some of their most vulnerable times. Her bravery and unwavering commitment to doing her job in difficult circumstances are an inspiration to others.
Chad Martin and Juliet Pocock, Heart Valve Bank
The Heart Valve Bank are a small team of two whose hard work has a profound effect on patients for the rest of their lives. Chad and Juliet are always busy behind the scenes, whether they’re dissecting donor hearts ready for heart patch grafts for babies, or preparing tissue or bone to give a child a new lease of life. In theatre, they carry out important procedures like egg retrievals for patients who are about to undergo intense treatment regimes.
Barrie O’Hare
Barrie received multiple nominations, each emphasising his caring and conscientious approach to work. Since joining the Estates team, he has led many major projects, including refurbishments in PICU and radiology, that have made a huge difference in the experiences of staff and visitors. Constantly on the go and always happy to help, Barrie is a true team player. His dedication to finding solutions and delivering the best possible results is appreciated throughout the Trust.
Volunteer of the Year
Nahida Rahman
Nahida was an important member of YPAG for many years. In 2022, after her brother died at BCH having not received the care he deserved, she took on an active role in Think4Brum. Nahida has shown incredible bravery in sharing her brother’s story at many events to help ensure young people are heard and vital improvements are made. Ambitious and eager to inspire change in mental health services, she is now the chair of Think4Brum.
Jobanpreet Atwal
Joban is willing to support in any way she can and does so with a smile. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she responded to a request for support from our Emergency Department during winter pressures and played an important role in offering drinks to families and activity packs to children to help them through long waits. Joban later moved onto a ward-based role where her positive attitude continues to make a real difference.
Rita Woods
Calm, friendly and compassionate, Rita provided invaluable support throughout the pandemic and beyond. At the height of Covid restrictions, she screened visitors across different entrances at the hospital, ensuring staff could focus on clinical duties. Rita’s kindness and professionalism continues to shine through. Since returning to Ward 8, she has encouraged play with children of all ages, proofread patient leaflets and introduced a tea trolley for parents. The team wouldn’t be the same without her.