The This is Us Awards were an opportunity to celebrate the heart of our organisation—our people.
As someone who is new to the trust, I am overwhelmed by the warmth, dedication, and positivity from my new colleagues, which were reflected in the glowing citations for each award recipient.
Our Long Service Awards honour those who exemplify loyalty and dedication, embodying a lifelong vocational calling that impacts lives every single day.
Meanwhile, the Our Amazing People Awards spotlight extraordinary individuals who go above and beyond, recognised by their colleagues, patients, and loved ones for their outstanding contributions.
For me, the NHS is more than a healthcare system; it’s a community of people who truly make it the nation's most treasured institution. In times of rapid change and challenges, the resilience and adaptability of NHS staff continue to inspire. From navigating new technologies to embracing evolving healthcare models, our amazing people prove that nothing is beyond our reach.
I’m extremely proud to be able to celebrate and appreciate the remarkable people who make the NHS and PAHT a beacon of care and compassion.
Thank you for all you do to uphold our values every day.
Thom Lafferty Chief executive
Our Amazing People Awards
I
am thrilled that we received almost 400 responses for this year’s Our Amazing People Awards 2024.
Nominations were submitted from both our people and the patients that we care for.
Our Amazing People Awards reflect our values and behaviours and recognise our people who go above and beyond.
All entries received were anonymised and scored as part of a highly competitive three-stage judging process. The following pages quote excerpts from the nominations.
Read more about our amazing winners and finalists in this souvenir brochure.
All the nominations were a true reflection of the compassion, collaboration and excellence we embody at PAHT and testament to those who exceed expectations and exemplify our values every day.
A huge congratulations to all of our amazing winners and finalists, you should feel immensely proud and a heartfelt thank you for everything you do.
Giovanna Leeks Interim chief people officer
Patient at Heart Kindness Award winner
Kindness Award
Showing compassion, respect and kindness in responding to our patients’ needs
Our finalists
Elizabeth Jose
Laura consistently goes above and beyond in her role, ensuring that every patient receives the meals they need with care and precision. Laura is not only great at her job but also a kind and compassionate team player who always brings positivity to our work environment.
“Elizabeth always shows compassion to her patients and colleagues and goes the extra mile. She has been part of the NHS for almost 20 years and helped me feel part of the team when I joined last year.”
Julie Corr
“Julie stands out for her compassion and care for our older people. She is a great patient advocate and includes them in conversations. A patient once said how Julie’s pleasant and welcoming personality made them feel less anxious in hospital.”
Taher Besheya
“Taher is responsible for conducting sweat tests, a diagnostic procedure for cystic fibrosis. This can be an anxious time for patients, yet Taher always approaches each case with the utmost care and empathy. He is also an exceptionally kind and supportive colleague.”
Patient at Heart Safety Award winner
Safety Award
Ensuring our places of work are safe for our patients and our people, enabling high quality patient care
Emma was instrumental in setting up advice and refer, championing patient-initiated follow-ups, streamlining and mapping pathways to ensure income and coding are corrected. She is passionate, caring and committed to her role.
Our finalists
Blessy Benny
“Blessy constantly demonstrates meticulous attention to detail. Her efforts have not only improved the department’s efficiency in transfusion safety but also ensured the highest level of patient safety for blood component transfusion and patient blood management.”
Janet Shalini
“Janet works tirelessly to ensure our patients are safe and she played a large role in transfusion being recognised as the top 10 for safety in the country. Janet is also one of the most approachable people in the trust and PAHT are lucky to have her.”
Lisa Greenhalgh
“Lisa has led her team from the front in establishing robust quality assurance within cellular pathology, such that the standards we have in place are commended by external providers. She constantly champions her team’s work and highlights its importance.”
Patient at Heart Speaking Up Award winner
Speaking Up Award
Championing and enabling others to feel safe and confident to speak up when we believe things can be better
Joel is known for always speaking up for the benefit of patients and others. He takes the initiative and strives for high-quality care. Joel is a kind, vocal and passionate colleague who shows confidence when communicating with our patients. He is amazing.
Our finalists
Dimitra Leivadiotou
“Dimitra is deeply supportive of all team members, always taking the time to listen to our concerns and address them with fairness and integrity. She ensures that every voice is heard and that issues are resolved equitably, fostering an environment of trust and collaboration.”
Matthew Rutter
“Matthew has done some fantastic work with the staff since joining radiology. He gives people the confidence to speak up in the workplace, so they not only feel safe but enjoy coming to work.”
Everyday Excellence Learning Award winner
Learning Award
Always learning and developing to be more effective in our work
Sydney’s outstanding dedication to learning and growth has made a real difference in our lab, helping to create a culture of ambition and development. She’s working hard on her level 4 apprenticeship and her goal is to earn a degree.
Our
finalists
Abdelfattah Elnabawi
“Abdel is very dependable and hard-working. He gained qualifications and went out of his way to arrange shadowing and training opportunities. He is shining example of how to develop your career both in the NHS and at PAHT.”
Hannah Brett
“Hannah’s enthusiasm to improve the care of our diabetic theatre patients is wonderful, especially as she hasn’t even been qualified a year. She has identified free diabetes training and she’s exploring the possibility of making it mandatory.”
Dr Pushpa Saajan
“Dr Saajan prides herself on providing safe care in an efficient manner and I have found her to be informative, approachable and clinically excellent. She gave me the opportunity to learn and deliver exceptional care to patients.”
Sian Hadley
“Sian has worked hard to learn new ways of working and dedicated herself to further learning by achieving extra qualifications. Sian has become an integral member of the pharmacy family.”
Everyday Excellence Commitment Award winner
Commitment Award
Committed to challenging ourselves to being the best we can be
Our finalists
BlessyBenny
Godwin is caring and compassionate to every one of our patients. He works relentlessly and has learnt a lot quickly. Godwin is easy to get on with, and dedicated to team building and achieving greater results. He is selfless and always keeps the patient at
Embracing and implementing change by understanding the need to improve and grow
Dr Pushpa is dynamically leading antibiotic stewardship. She has undertaken audits to assess antimicrobial prescribing and identify steps to improve quality. Dr Pushpa is an excellent consultant who is passionate about bringing positive change to care.
Our finalists
Chantelle Brooks
“Chantelle has demonstrated exceptional commitment, innovation and leadership in transforming our onboarding process, particularly for our international recruits. Her work has set new standards and left an indelible mark on PAHT.”
Donna Foster
“Donna used her initiative to completely revamp our invoicing system and was invited to talk at the National EDGE Conference in Birmingham in May. She also made a huge impact on the build of the ‘PowerTrials’ element of Alex Health.”
Fabiana Carrico
“Fabiana is passionate about improvement. She supported children’s services with the paediatric ED transformation programme, which had a positive impact on patient experience.”
Shikha Sharma
“Shikha is committed to improving patient and staff experience and has implemented several projects, the most impactful being the band 5-6 development programme. She is an asset.”
Creative Collaboration Engagement Award winner
Engagement Award
Asking for people’s views and suggestions to make better decisions together
Lina works alongside colleagues and peers in true collaboration to achieve the best outcomes for our patients and has an ability to pull in a range of partners to work through challenges. She shows kindness, compassion and empathy in decisionmaking, and expertly communicates with multiple stakeholders, providing clear and concise detail.
Ensuring everyone feels they are an important part of their team
Kristle’s unwavering dedication to our international colleagues is evident in her tireless efforts to address their needs and concerns. She has served as a mentor, friend and advocate, providing invaluable guidance – from finding accommodation to navigating the healthcare
Our finalists
Janice Bernardo
“Janice demonstrates outstanding enthusiasm and commitment to fostering a truly inclusive workforce environment. Through her visionary leadership, she shows an unparalleled passion for empowering individuals.”
Karen Kingsmill
“Karen has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to connecting with potential employees in our local community. She has gone above and beyond to foster a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals seeking to gain experience in the healthcare sector.”
Silpa Dhaneesh
“Silpa liaises with different departments to put on wellbeing weeks and brings these services to the wards. She is a caring and kind person who goes out of her way to make you feel important and seen.”
Creative Collaboration Teamwork Award winner
Teamwork Award
Supporting each other as one team, working together to create a great place to work by combining our knowledge and skills
Our finalists
Butterfly Volunteers
Harold Ward’s ability to assist one another and handle emergency situations is incredible. Every employee is outstanding and gifted, while the ward manager is amiable and approachable. The way Harold Ward treats patients and works as a team is the
“The Butterfly Volunteers are an amazing group who dedicate their time to support patients and their loved ones at the end of life. This service also makes a massive difference to the nursing team. Nicki Harris, Butterfly Volunteer coordinator, always has time when the team needs a debrief.”
Child Death Review
“The Child Death Review team as a whole are some of the most incredible and inspiring people that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The compassion, empathy and support that the team all shows to bereaved parents, in the most challenging times of their lives, is second to none.”
Tissue Viability
“Your tissue viability nurses were my safety net and always went above and beyond. Not only did they take good care of my injury, updating me every step of the way with their limitless knowledge, they also enthralled me with their wit and charm.”
Management and Leadership Managing for Excellence Award winner
Managing
for Excellence Award
Supporting our people by prioritising health and wellbeing, being approachable, sharing feedback, being visible, encouraging development and enabling achievement
Our finalists
Debbie Orriss
“Debbie has supported countless staff to progress within the department and truly looks for potential. Debbie leads from the front but also alongside; she is well respected and a huge asset.”
Shikha was one of my mentors and an inspiration. She is a visible leader who is there for an informal chat, restorative clinical supervision, career progression support, or to discuss health or wellbeing. Shikha’s primary focus is the development of her team, thus enhancing patient experience.”
Hannah Wauchope
“Hannah’s contributions go far beyond her role. She is a team player who is always willing to lend a helping hand, whether by taking on additional duties or mentoring colleagues. Her dedication to maintaining an organised, high-functioning lab environment is invaluable.”
Judith Butcher
“Judy has led from the front in establishing robust educational governance. She identifies where individuals need more support with wellbeing and doesn’t shy away from the conversations required to ensure her team functions at their usual high level.”
Management and Leadership Emerging Leader Award winner
Emerging Leader Award
Listening to our people, involving people in making decisions, trusting others’ judgement, creating a culture of trust, respect and inclusivity
Lynell demonstrates an active listening style that ensures everyone’s voice is heard and valued. By involving the team in decision-making, she fosters a sense of ownership, enabling collaboration towards common goals.
Inspiring people to help shape and be part of our future vision, championing culture by acting on feedback creating a culture of trust, demonstrating integrity, professionalism and honesty
Johncy goes above and beyond to improve the care for our patients. We have seen improvements on our wards, which is down to her tenacity and passion. Johncy pulled together a support group for the ward accreditation programme she leads on and works outside her role to support the organisation. She is an inspiring leader who is making a difference.
Our finalists
Polly Read
“Polly is inspiring, honest and a great leader. She understands her team, looks after them with empathy and provides equal opportunity for all. She has given me the space to develop ideas and initiatives myself and guided me to success.”
Dr Pushpa Saajan
“Dr Pushpa has amazing clinical leadership and teaching skills. It is a pleasure to have such an experienced, efficient and capable microbiologist at PAHT.”
Dr Salma Al-Ramadhani
“Dr Al-Ramadhani is a shining example of inspiring leadership and a role model for future Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) female leaders. Her work on the ‘too tired to drive’ policy and escalation policies for junior doctors have had a significantly positive impact on patient and trainee safety.”
Patient Panel Champion Award winner
Patient Panel Champion Award
The Patient Panel Champion Award is bestowed upon a staff member who exemplifies the highest standards of patient care.
The judging panel looked for an individual who had consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, empathy, and dedication, ensuring that every patient feels heard, valued, and cared for.
Dr Arunachalam went over and above in his care for me during my stay on his ward. He showed me courtesy and professionalism and above all else, he was patient and kind. He kept my family fully informed about my condition and I am most grateful to him and his team for their outstanding care, all of which exceeded my
Our finalists
Caroline Ashton-Gough
“Caroline’s impact is immeasurable. She demonstrates the trust values daily, taking time to support the medical and nursing team and giving advice on how patients who live with dementia can be cared for where they at times present with complex needs. And her commitment extends to the local community, where she is known to hold coffee mornings for patients and their families.”
Dr Pushpa Saajan
“Dr Saajan amassed the most thank you messages for any one employee during This is Us Week 2024. It was wonderful to see how many colleagues took the time to recognise her for leading by example, prioritising patient safety and living the trust values so beautifully.”
Swati Gupta
“Swati’s dedication to patient safety is unwavering. Her meticulous attention to detail and strict adherence to safety protocols ensure the highest standards are maintained. Swati’s colleagues often describe her as the ‘heart’ of the department.”
