Nominees and guests gathered at Southampton Football Club’s St Mary’s Stadium for the event that recognises staff who go the extra mile for patients and colleagues at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Moving tributes were paid to those who had been put forward for an award which included individual and team categories, research impact, leadership, inclusivity, charity support and a ‘readers choice’ award, nominated by readers of the Daily Echo.
The event was hosted by chief executive Paula Head, UHS chairman Peter Hollins and director of nursing and organisational development Gayle Byrne with awards presented by BBC journalist Lewis Coombes, whose daughter Edith is currently being treated at Southampton Children’s Hospital.
Lewis spoke about how the excellent care his daughter and family had received had made a difficult time all the more bearable and thanked staff for making his daughter ‘happy’ despite undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
To mark Edith’s sixth birthday, which coincided with the awards ceremony on Tuesday, 26 March, the entire audience joined in with a chorus of happy birthday which Lewis recorded for his daughter.
Click here for a full list of winners
The Piam Brown ward, where Edith has been cared for, were also winners on the night, scooping the Healthwatch patient experience award, while employee of the year was won by Rachel Mcenery for how she supported a family of a patient and team of the year was awarded to ward F5.
There was also a new category of outstanding achievement which was awarded to Caroline Smith for how she dealt with a major road traffic accident whilst she was on holiday in France. She and her husband were first on the scene and did not hesitate to help the wounded with extraordinary care and compassion.
The Daily Echo award was presented to Dr Shelly Haynes and Neelam Gupta. They were part of a team who were credited with saving the lives of
Amanda’s partner Matt Watts said his family would forever be grateful to the team. “They made the worst of times, the best of times,” he added. Newborn baby Charlie and mum Amanda Venters who both needed intensive care treatment after Amanda underwent an emergency caesarean in November last year when complications arose during labour.
