UHSussex ‘shining stars’ revealed at NHS awards ceremony

Winners were chosen from more than 1,100 nominations that had been made by colleagues, patients and the public for individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond.

The 12 award categories reflected one or more of the Trust’s values, from compassion, communication and teamwork, to respect, professionalism and inclusion.

Dr George Findlay, UHSussex Chief Executive, said: “Our STAR Awards are a fantastic opportunity to recognise the extraordinary achievements of our staff and the difference they make to patient care.

“The number of nominations we received really reflects not just how much great work is going on across our hospitals, but also how appreciative people are of the efforts that are made daily.

“We heard some wonderful stories of innovation, passion and dedication of individuals, teams, and volunteers. A huge congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who was shortlisted or nominated for an award.”

The awards evening was made possible thanks to charitable funding from the Trust’s dedicated charity My University Hospitals Sussex and corporate sponsorship from Wilmott Dixon Interiors.

Mentor of the Year was awarded to Helen Dobbin, Physiotherapist from Worthing Hospital, for being ‘an inspirational leader’ and using her knowledge and experience to guide others.

Hayley Ellis, Healthcare Assistant on Ansty Ward at Princess Royal Hospital, won Environmental Sustainability Champion of the Year for her passion in reducing her team’s impact on the environment.

Innovator of the Year was awarded to Mel Drayton, Healthcare Assistant at Royal Sussex County Hospital, for introducing and delivering weekend clinics to help reduce liver fibroscan waiting lists.

Baily Ward at the Royal Sussex County Hospital walked away with Clinical Team of the Year award for going above and beyond delivering patient care. Examples of this were highlighted in the nominations and included buying toiletries for patients, bringing in clothes for them and delivering the newspaper to them in the morning.

Non Clinical Team of the Year was awarded to the Electrical & Biomedical Engineering (EBME) Team at Princess Royal Hospital for their expertise and support, which ensures any faults in the hospital’s electrical equipment are fixed promptly so that services can run as smoothly as possible.

Caroline Bailey, Ward Sister on Petworth Ward at St Richard’s Hospital, was crowned winner of the Compassionate Care category for going the extra mile to give the highest care to patients and their relatives. One nomination highlighted an occasion where Caroline was instrumental in ensuring a patient nearing the end of their life was able to marry their partner.

Volunteer of the Year was awarded to David Rochester for his community-spirited commitment to serving his local hospital and making a real difference to patients, relatives, and staff.

Gareth Stone, Pathology IT Support Technician at Worthing Hospital, won Hospital Hero for his ‘round the clock support’. One nomination highlighted Gareth’s instrumental role in getting Pathology IT back up and running when it lost service in December.

The Ride Across Britain Team were crowned Fundraiser of the Year for their monumental efforts cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats in September 2022 to raise more than £8,500 for the Trust’s charity.

Star of the Year is selected from the Trust’s Star of the Month recognition scheme and was awarded to St Richard’s Hospital Laundry Team for their passion and commitment, particularly during last year’s refit of the facility, which saw staff work at other sites around the region to maintain the service throughout the refurbishment.

The Governors’ Award went to the Mortuary Team (Trust wide) for their ‘tenacity and determination’ to ensure patients and their families are treated with dignity and respect. The team’s flexibility during a recent programme of refurbishment was also highlighted.

The Maternity Team (Trust wide) won the final category of the night, the Chairman’s Award, for their collaborative effort following a warning notice from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The requirements of the warning notice were met and during a revisit from the CQC the team received positive feedback for the improvements that had been made.