End of life patient's praise for "heroes" on Royal Derby's Ward 301 sees team presented with #TeamUHDB award
A patient who was admitted to Ward 301 at Royal Derby Hospital praised the team for making him feel "safe and not alone" after he was admitted to the ward to receive end of life care.
The patient, who will remain anonymous, wrote his letter that the team had made "an impossibly terrible situation bearable and easier, going well beyond their scope of duty".
He added: "everyone in the ward - from doctors, sisters, nurses, HCAs, student nurses, cleaners and dinner ladies - are real heroes".
Ward 301 is a haematology ward, caring for patients with conditions affecting their blood and bone marrow. The team often cares for some of the most vulnerable patients in our hospitals, who are often immunocompromised.
The heart-warming feedback led to the Ward 301 team being awarded our latest Team UHDB Making a Difference Award, which was presented to them by Executive Chief Operating Officer, Sharon Martin, and members of the management team from our Cancer, Diagnostics and Clinical Support (CDCS) Division.
Among those accepting the award were Lindsay Key and Hayley Sharman, two Sisters on the ward, who said that it felt "amazing" to see their work being recognised in this way.
Lindsay said: "The patients we look after stay with us for a long time and you get to know every single one of them and their families really well, and this patient was no different. It felt like he was a part of our family, and we were family to him. When he was given his diagnosis, he came to the nurses' station and wanted to be with us, and that was incredibly moving.
"It means a lot to us. I feel like our team deserves this recognition, we go above and beyond for our patients every day - and to hear how happy they were whilst we cared for them has made us all quite emotional.
"Making the patient's journey the best you possibly can is our number one priority. Helping them get through it, supporting and encouraging them however we can, keeps us motivated. To be nominated for this award by the patient, and to read his letter, helps remind us why we do this every day.
Hayley agreed, saying: "Our family atmosphere makes it that bit easier for both the patients and us as a team.
"We all know our roles, and that's essential to making a patient's experience here a good one while they're dealing with very challenging conditions and treatments.
"It's really hard when you build up a rapport with a patient, and you can see that things aren't going well for them - but it really is a privilege to be able to provide that last part of their journey, and to come together and give them everything we can."
Mike Goodwin, Divisional Director of CDCS, and Duncan Cameron, General Manager of the Cancer Business Unit, were also in attendance as the team received their award.
Duncan added his praise, stating the team "fully deserved" the moment of recognition:
"I am in awe of this team. You only have one chance to get palliative care right, and time after time they deliver compassionate patient-centred care in what can be very challenging circumstances.
"Ward 301 truly fulfils our collective vision for every patient to have a good experience with us - no matter their pathway or diagnosis."
Sharon Martin said this "inspirational" team were a credit to UHDB. She continued: "Every single one of you makes an enormous difference to patients who are going through an incredibly difficult time in their lives.
"It is no surprise to me that the patient who nominated you felt so looked after here. It couldn't be clearer that your empathy and support, and your ability to always put the patient first, is felt by those who come here for their treatment.
"There's a real family feel here, and our patients must feel so welcomed into that - however challenging things are for them. You work tirelessly to deliver quality care and I hope this award is just one moment that reminds you of the enormous impact you have on the lives of those in our communities. The difference you make is an inspiration to us all."
Nominate a #TeamUHDB colleague for a Monthly Making a Difference Award
If you would like to nominate a colleague or team for a Monthly Making a Difference Award, please let us know.
There are four monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:
- Chief Executive Award – chosen by our CEO
- Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
- Team UHDB Award – you can nominate your team or another team
- Excellent Employee Award – you can nominate your colleagues
You can send a 300-word nomination, along with the name of the team or individual, their job title and where they work, to: uhdb.employeeawards@nhs.net