As the NHS marks its 70th anniversary, the hard work and dedication of local NHS heroes will be celebrated at an Oscars-style ceremony on the 6 July 2018 at the Mercure Bradford, Bankfield Hotel.   The You’re a Star Awards event will honour the outstanding work of staff and volunteers at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Guests will be welcomed to the prestigious evening, where the winners of five award categories will be announced at an awards dinner.  Winners will also receive £1,000 to support their ongoing work to benefit people who use Care Trust services, courtesy of the event’s main supporter Bradford-based Sovereign Health Care.

This year’s five award categories include: Innovation and Quality, Working Together, Non-Clinical Stars, Unsung Hero and Improving Patient Experience.  The work of the finalists in each category will be showcased through short films and many of the people who nominated will be there to cheer on their healthcare heroes.

Amongst the finalists in the Working Together Award Category is the Assessment and Treatment Unit, the multidisciplinary team, based at Lynfield Mount Hospital support people with learning disabilities and mental health problems whose needs cannot be supported at home; Grainne Eloi, Interim Head of Mental Health Services, who has been working together with the local authority, police and voluntary sector agencies to improve urgent and emergency mental health crisis support; and the fluoride varnish team who are committed to improving the oral health of our local communities.

Amongst the finalists in the Improving Patient Experience Award Category are the specialist palliative care team, dedicated to providing peaceful and dignified end of life care for the patients in the community that they care for; Prashant Wasnik a committed assistant ward manager who has been making a real difference to patients by delivering outstanding person-centred care; and the Bingley Medical Practice District Nurse team who go the extra mile to ensure the needs of the patients they serve are met.

The finalists in the new Unsung Hero Award Category are Kimberley Evans, a member of the research and development team whose lifesaving research identified dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the home of a couple who were taking part in a Care Trust research trial. Kimberley’s sharp insight averted disaster and prevented the couple from unwittingly being poisoned by the silent killer; Ruth Wood, an occupational therapist at the Care Trust’s Dementia Assessment Unit, who always puts patients at the heart of  care; and Clive Harrison, a Champions Show the Way volunteer community health and memory bank champion, who is extremely committed to helping others reduce social isolation by leading successful reminiscence sessions and family history sessions in the community that has led to over 100 people researching their family trees.

Amongst the finalists in the new Non-Clinical Star/s Award Category are Emma Greenwood a project support officer within the nursing development team, who has been described by colleagues as ‘the glue which seals the team together’. Emma regularly goes above and beyond to help support colleagues; estates and facilities who have been noted for their customer focus and ‘can do’ attitude in delivering essential support to staff across the Trust, including consistently providing high quality, responsive services on the wards; and administrators Jacqueline Duggan, Tina Sparks and Diane Wright who provide key support to the frontline Children’s Services team in Wakefield to ensure the smooth running of the Trust.

The finalists in the Innovation and Quality Award Category include Wendy Antill a physiotherapist from the complex care team who finds innovative ways to support patients and carers and improve the service to enhance patient experience; the nursing development team for their virtual community placement programme which helps to develop first year nursing students in the infancy of their careers with the NHS; and Annette Whomack-Brown, an activity coordinator at Lynfield Mount Hospital whose innovative idea to open the Four Seasons Café at the hospital has led to patients and their families having a non-clinical space to spend quality time together, out of the ward environment.

Mike Smith, Chair of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The You’re a Star Awards are a time to celebrate the work of outstanding individuals and teams over the last year.  As the NHS marks its 70th year, it is also an opportunity to pause and reflect on the excellent work carried out every day by many more unsung heroes across our organisation who really do go above and beyond the call of duty. Our final 15 are all worthy winners. Their dedication, enthusiasm and skill is making a real difference to the health and wellbeing for the people of Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven.”