Staff accolades

Congratulations to UHDB colleague Marion Walker who has been recognised with a national 'Best Trainer' Award by the British Junior Cardiologists Association. 

A registered nurse at Royal Derby Hospital has been recognised for his care of a patient based in the Nightingale Macmillan Unit, after their family described him as "a modern superhero" for his compassion, professionalism and support during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Alex Newby, who works in the Nightingale Macmillan Unit (NMU), was subsequently nominated for a Making a Difference Award, in the Patient Hero category, by the family of the patient - who said the quality of his care helped the whole family feel safe and comforted. 

A former patient and his family shared their gratitude to a "magnificent" UHDB stroke consultant as they were reunited earlier this month, praising the outstanding and compassionate care that he delivered to three members of the same family within 15 months. 

Dr Narendra Karavadara – affectionately known to patients and colleagues as “Dr K” – is a Stroke consultant based at Royal Derby Hospital who delivered care to Derbyshire man John Birds and two of his brothers, supporting them through life-changing strokes and complex recovery journeys.

A team of volunteer buggy drivers who assist people around Queen's Hospital Burton have been celebrated for the role they play in supporting our patients to access care and visitors to be able to see their loved ones by receiving an award from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) Chief Executive Stephen Posey.

UHDB colleagues who support patients with secondary breast cancer are the latest team to receive a Patient Hero award in recognition of their compassionate care. 

The Secondary Breast Cancer Support Group was nominated for a Making a Difference Award by patient Sara, who started using the group following her diagnosis.

Two UHDB teams who collaborated on an innovative campaign to support men who have continence problems, have been praised for going above and beyond to improve patient experience at Royal Derby Hospital.  

A Sister who is embodying University Hospital of Derby and Burton's (UHDB) value of compassion with her kind and personalised approach to care has been recognised with a prestigious Cavell Star Award.

Kristian Powell, Fitness Instructor, is recognised with the 'Patient Hero' Making a Difference Award for going the extra mile to make sure a vulnerable patient could access culturally sensitive and inclusive mental health support.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB)'s Strategic Capital Schemes team have been recognised with a regional award for supporting the development of the £11.6m Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital. 

On Friday 19 September, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) held its Annual Making a Difference Awards ceremony, funded by Derby and Burton Hospitals Charity, at Hilton St George's Park, celebrating 270 colleagues from across the Trust. 

Last month Sue Eyre, Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Navigator, was surprised with a Patient Hero Award for her role in supporting the UGI cancer service at University Hospitals Derby and Burton (UHDB) and ensuring that smooth patient journeys are at the heart of everything they do. 

Three colleagues from Royal Derby Hospital's Emergency Department have been recognised as 'Patient Heroes' by Prem Singh, Chair at UHDB, after he saw their "remarkable levels of compassion and person-centred care" first-hand during an emergency visit with a relative. 

Only months into her first role as a Registered Nurse at UHDB, Agata Chirek has been praised by a family for her care, compassion and support throughout their father's final days. 

Two UHDB colleagues have been praised for their work which aims to teach and raise awareness of critical life-saving skills across Derbyshire's diverse communities - directly addressing health inequalities among ethnic minority and deprived community groups in the region.

Nichola Lightfoot and Nicole Abbott, Resuscitation and Simulation trainers at UHDB, have been working as part of a project to equip our communities with CPR skills, and other life-saving techniques, which can make a vital difference in an emergency.

NHS staff who have dedicated their careers to helping patients have been celebrated for their long service and commitment to caring for others.  

Staff across the Trust received awards for 25, 35 and 45 years' contribution to the NHS at ceremonies held at Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) and Queen's Hospital Burton (QHB) commending a combined 2,265 years of service.  

A specialist nurse at Royal Derby Hospital who treated a patient before they sadly passed away, received recognition by their family for providing the compassionate care that allowed them to "pass away peacefully and with dignity".

Gill Cook, a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Upper Gastrointestinal (known as 'Upper GI') Oncology, first met the patient following their diagnosis of cancer. When the patient's condition deteriorated, she worked tirelessly to move him from A&E to Ward 303 - ensuring he had a private room so his family could be with him in his final moments. Gill stayed late into the evening and went above and beyond to provide additional support to the family, ensuring the patient’s comfort and dignity.

Nursing duo at Queen's Hospital Burton (QHB) are making UHDB a great place to learn by supporting students with essential hands-on experience in our busy Emergency department.

The Ovarian Ultraradical Theatre Team at Royal Derby Hospital (RDH) recently received well-deserved recognition for their dedication and expertise in supporting patients undergoing complex surgeries for advanced ovarian cancer.

The team, whose work has a profound impact on patient outcomes and experience, take on some of the most challenging cases at UHDB - delivering intricate, lengthy procedures on patients with a remarkable level of teamwork and skill.

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Royal Derby Hospital were recently recognised for their exceptional care of a critically ill patient, who was the husband of a colleague within their own department.

The Puffin Ward at our Royal Derby Hospital site were recognised for their exceptional care and compassion after a personal letter was shared with Executive Chief Nurse, Garry Marsh, from the young patient's grateful mother - who is a fellow UHDB colleague.

Suzi Thorpe nominated the team after her 14-year-old daughter was admitted to Puffin Ward in March 2024 with severe pneumonia and pleural effusion which are serious conditions that greatly impact the lungs and needs close monitoring care.

A Physiotherapist who made service improvements leading to better outcomes and patient experiences for people with respiratory problems, is the latest colleague to be recognised with the 'Excellence' Making a Difference Award. 

The daughter of a patient cared for at Royal Derby Hospital returned to the site to pay tribute to the compassion shown by colleagues on Ward 203 and within our Dementia teams - after their sheer determination and hard work to reunite her with her husband at their home while receiving palliative care.

The patient, named Mo, was diagnosed with hearing loss and vascular dementia and was admitted to A&E following a fall that required surgery. During her recovery from surgery, she struggled with communication and eating, prompting a referral to the Dementia Team for additional support. 

On Friday 20 September, UHDB held its Annual Making a Difference Awards ceremony at Hilton St George's Park with 280 colleagues from UHDB joining in an evening of recognising achievements from across the Trust.

The ceremony, hosted by actor, singer and weather presenter Des Coleman, saw nominees for 10 awards come together to celebrate clinical and non-clinical members of staff from across a variety of our sites, who have driven improvements in quality, patient care and supported UHDB to be a great place to work.

A colleague whose innovative thinking has led to the delivery of groundbreaking new technology, which is improving patient experience and reducing appointment cancellations for patients whose first language is not English, has been recognised with the Chief Executive's latest Making a Difference Award.

A clinical nurse specialist dedicated to making a difference to the life of patients undergoing treatment for cancer has been singled out by her colleagues for the innovative care she provides for patients and the compassionate leadership she gives to her team.

Two Stores Coordinators based at the Royal Derby Hospital's Renal Unit have been recognised for their exceptional work ethic and dedicated approach to supporting patients and colleagues alike.

Keir Biggins and Andy Redfern help facilitate hundreds of dialysis sessions over the course of the week - as many as 120 a day, six days a week - both within the unit and in the community for patients who require dialysis at home.

Showing compassion, care and flexibility in what can be a challenging role both physically and emotionally, they play a major part in the efficient and smooth running of the unit, working adaptively and flexibly to any logistic challenge they may face - such as the procurement, monitoring and distribution of key consumable equipment.

A 'humble' doctor who helped a patient recently diagnosed with cancer, has been recognised with a Patient Hero award for their compassion and making a significant impact to the patient and his family during their time at the Trust.

An ISS porter at our Royal Derby Hospital site, whose quick-thinking and fast actions helped save a patient's life, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Porter of the Year Award at this year’s National MyPorter Awards, held in association with NHS England.

Dom Attenborough, who was recently presented with a Patient Hero Making a Difference Award for his kindness and compassion when helping a patient and their family, was performing routine checks at the main entrance of Royal Derby Hospital when he was approached by a Security Officer for help with a distressed individual who entered the hospital with life-threatening wounds.

A multi-disciplinary team went 'above and beyond' to support a patient admitted to hospital with complex health issues and are being recognised for their hard work with the 'Team UHDB' Making a Difference Award.

A porter at UHDB has been presented with a special Derbyshire Constabulary award to commend him after his quick-thinking actions helped to save the lives of members of the public in Derby.

Keith Watson, who typically works in the A&E department at Royal Derby Hospital, was walking his two dogs on the way to care for a relative when he spotted some distressed individuals and acted quickly to ensure their safety.