Off-duty clinician recognised for fast action and lifesaving roadside response
A UHDB clinician has been recognised with a Patient Hero Award after her quick thinking helped an injured motorcyclist receive urgent care following a serious collision.
Catherine Brocklehurst, known by colleagues as Kate, is an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Surgical Same Day Emergency Care. After finishing a busy shift in winter, Kate was driving home to Ashbourne when she witnessed a collision involving a car and a motorbike.
Kate was the first person on the scene and immediately stepped in to support the injured motorcyclist. Drawing on her clinical experience and trauma training, she remained calm in a difficult roadside environment, reassuring the patient and help ensure they received timely care when the ambulance arrived.
She also supported the patient’s family by contacting his father to let him know what had happened. Throughout the challenging situation, Kate continued to focus on the patient and provide calm, compassionate and reassuring support.
Her actions are a powerful example of the professionalism, care and commitment shown by colleagues across UHDB, even in unexpected circumstances. The Patient Hero Award recognises Kate’s quick response and the difference she made at a critical moment.
Kate was presented with her Making a Difference Award during a presentation led by Deputy Chief Nurse Mark Hill, who thanked her for the calm, compassionate and professional way she responded in such challenging circumstances.
Mark said: “Kate’s actions show the very best of UHDB. In a difficult and unexpected situation, she stayed calm, used her skills and experience, and put the patient and their family first. This award is well-deserved and embodies our Trust values of compassion to its highest standard.”
Kate commented, "I'm really shocked to be put forward for this - as most people say - I was just doing my job, and what anyone would have done. The accident happened in a challenging location, but I was able to recall my Advanced Clinical Practitioner training to help in the moment. I'm grateful to be recognised for this and being nominated has meant a lot to me."
Would you like to nominate a 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.
Our Monthly Making a Difference Awards celebrate those who have shown exceptional care and who have delivered improvements across safety, quality, effectiveness and patient experience and demonstrated the Trust values of Compassion, Openness and Excellence.
There are three monthly Making a Difference Awards categories:
- Chief Executive Award – chosen by our CEO
- Patient Hero Award – nominated by patients
- Excellence Award - you can nominate colleagues and teams
You can nominate in two ways:
- By completing the Monthly Making a Difference Awards Nomination Form (opens in new window) >, which will be sent directly to our awards team.
- By sending 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