NHS Borders staff took centre stage on Friday at the health board’s Evening of Winners Awards.
Kelso’s Springwood Park was the venue for the first NHS Borders staff awards event to celebrate excellence.
The evening, which was hosted by local businessman and chairman of “The difference” charity, James Marjoribanks, was a celebration of dedication, clinical excellence and person-centred care.
The winners were:
Chairman’s Award – Michael’s Eye Operation Team. The team were nominated in recognition of the skill and care they showed in restoring a patient’s vision. A procedure which carried many risks due to the complex health issues that the patient, Michael, has.
Student of the Year – Kirsty Baxter. The Hawick student has shown excellence in the planning and performance team since she began a 10-week work placement from Borders College. Her IT skills have been particularly sought after and she has helped the web team in designing and creating NHS Borders’ new website which will launch in May.
Person-centred Care – Special Care Baby Unit nursing team. The team actively encourages families to have hands-on involvement with their baby, and their patience and understanding provides vital support to both parents and babies in the Borders.
Working in Partnership – Jenny Baird, IM&T project manager. Jenny has shown a strong commitment to partnership working, delivering on various innovative and improvement changes to the service, always taking her colleagues with her. Her proactive, positive attitude ensures service requirements are met.
Improving Health – Alison Quinn and Kerrie Blake, maternity care assistants. Both women are essential and enthusiastic members of the obstetrics and gynaecology team. They have shown excellence in care by providing targeted one-to-one and group support for women, including teenage parents, women with a learning disability or difficulty, substance abuse issues, those in difficult social circumstances and families where there are child protection issues.
Innovation and Improvement – Gill Lunn, midwife. Gill has also been seconded to be the Scottish Patient Safety Champion for NHS Borders. She has led by example and her work is showcased nationally, in particular for the smoking-cessation work across primary and secondary care. Her continued enthusiasm, optimism, dedication and willingness to go the extra mile made her a deserving winner.
Volunteer of the Year – The Borders General Hospital Participation Group, chaired by Ann Purvis. The group is made up of 12 volunteers who have shown an exceptional commitment to work with the BGH staff to improve patient care. Special thanks was given to Ann Purvis.
Behind the Scenes – Cameron Miles and the Bedbusters team, discharge liaison service. Cameron and his colleagues transfer patients throughout the hospital, ensuring efficient patient movement. Cameron has driven and implemented improvements in Bedbusters and is cheery, friendly and consistently goes the extra mile to support staff on the BGH wards.
Clinical Excellence – Melburn Lodge. The team worked in partnership with NHS Borders Falls Prevention Team to introduce new technology and practice in preventing, reducing risk and management of falls. This resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in falls in first six months and an overall reduction of 75 per cent in the year.
Leading by Example – Rachael Marples, baby-friendly initiative lead. Rachael has led NHS Borders to achieve UNICEF “Baby Friendly” status quicker than any other health board in Scotland. Through her enthusiasm and drive, she has proven herself to be an inspirational team leader.
Reflecting on the success of the evening, chairman of NHS Borders, John Raine, said: “Friday night was a very special night for NHS Borders, our staff, partners, volunteers and invited guests.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who nominated and contributed to making the evening such a success. Celebrating Excellence is now firmly embedded in NHS Borders’ annual calendar of events, and I am already looking forward to next year.”