Star of the month nominations

Thoughtful act of occupational therapist leads to Star of the Month award

A UHSussex occupational therapist has been awarded Star of the Month for July after organising a voluntary community day that saw students revamp the garden at a neurorehabilitation service, to provide a more accessible and welcoming space for patients. 

Amanda Cornish was nominated for her commitment to creating a tranquil space for patient’s time and time again, having welcomed students to Donald Wilson House, a specialist neurorehabilitation service at St Richard’s, previously in 2019 and again in 2022, to tend to the service’s garden. 

Through a relationship with Seaford College, the group of 14–18-year-olds tidied up the garden to create a peaceful space, filled with beautiful flowers and plants for patients to enjoy. 

Amanda was nominated by Shona Reeve, Head of Nursing for Stroke, Neurology and Neuro Rehab, who was impressed by Amanda’s proactive attitude to creating an outdoor area where patients undergoing neurorehabilitation could benefit from nature-based rehabilitation and her commitment to helping towards their care.

Shona said: “It was a remarkable and special day and the appreciation from the patients has been overwhelming. Thank you so much Amanda for making this day happen again for another year.”

On receiving her award, Amanda said: “I’m really speechless, which is quite unusual for me. It’s a real honour and it’s a real privilege to work here. Helping to make the space the nicest place as possible for patients means a lot and is really important.

“The patients love the students coming in and their support is really lovely.”

The group built a large, raised planter which is accessible for wheelchair users so patients can get their hands dirty, new tables for relatives and friends to enjoy socialising in the garden, as well as a new purpose-built gate increasing safety for the patients. 

The students ended the day making bird boxes alongside patients who have had life changing brain injuries, giving them the opportunity to practice their skills with the support of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and the nursing team.

Amanda expressed: “It’s so important that patients have a space where they can feel calm and relaxed. We have a lot of people with us that have young children and families, so it’s really important that this doesn’t feel like an intimidating space. They can get used to how their life might be because it’s potentially going to be quite different to how it was before they came into hospital.”

If you know an individual, colleague, team or volunteer that has gone above and beyond why not nominate them for a Star of the Month award.

Consultant described as being ‘epitome of team working’ receives Star of the Month award

Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Dr Praneil Patel has been awarded Star of the Month for August after being recognised for his kind and supportive attitude to helping those around him. 

Praneil was nominated by Julie Carr, Midwifery Matron, for being the “epitome of team working” for the countless occasions he has stepped up to support his team and colleagues in their time of need.

Praneil said: “It’s a real pleasure to get this award for what I would say we all do on a daily basis. I think that I’m not unique in the values that I hold, and I know that the Worthing obstetric team and the midwifery team all embody the values of team working and looking out for each other. Even though I know that I’m the one who has received this award, I do feel like this is an award for everyone I work with because I think they make me good at my job and I hope I do the same for them.”

Julie said: “Whenever a request is made for a consultant obstetrician to help us safely move or plan the workload, either due to strikes or due to high-risk cases needing a whole theatre day, then Praneil is always keen to support the midwives in antenatal clinic and delivery suite to do this.”   

Praneil was nominated for his commitment to always putting the patient first, including assisting team members to assess the risk of all the planned and elective work, so they can determine who and how to safely move the planned caesarean sections that had already been booked.

Praneil also joined in making the calls to the women and pregnant people to provide compassionate and clear explanations to them about why their planned caesarean sections were safe to be moved so they felt reassured and clear on what was happening.

Julie expressed: “Praneil is an excellent communicator whom our women and pregnant people trust. He explains everything to patients, families, and the wider multi-disciplinary team in such a way that it is easy to understand.

“The team working amongst obstetricians, anaesthetists and the maternity team at the Worthing site is excellent all around. However, Praneil ensures excellent team working and psychological safety of the whole team on every shift.” 

Praneil was presented with his certificate and gift card by Worthing Hospital Director of Nursing, Tori Cooper, who praised Praneil for his supportive efforts and expressed the importance of recognising those who go that extra mile.

Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre team’s ‘unwavering commitment to patient care’ sees them win Star of the Month

The team at Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre (SOTC) at Princess Royal Hospital have been awarded Star of the Month for September for their exceptional demonstration of UHSussex values and commitment to providing the best care to patients.

The team were nominated by Cindy Cruzado, Theatre Practitioner, for ‘displaying remarkable dedication and resilience, consistently showing empathy towards patients and fostering a culture of inclusion and respect within their team and beyond’ – embodying the values of UHSussex.

Janice O’Brien, SOTC Theatre Manager said: “I think it’s truly marvellous that my team has received this fantastic recognition. Day in and day out, they prove their dedication to our patients by providing the very best care they can. I’m so proud that they have won this award, as I know it means a lot to them to have their efforts recognised on this scale.”

The SOTC provides planned surgery and rehabilitation and has a key role in how the NHS in Sussex is working to reduce the number of people waiting for care and help patients to get the operation or procedure they need as quickly as possible. 

Earlier this year the centre was named as one of eight elective surgical hubs in the country to receive national recognition for the care it provides to patients.

Cindy said: “The team have an unwavering commitment to patient care. They have consistently shown empathy and understanding towards patients, ensuring their emotional wellbeing during what can be a distressing time. Their ability to effectively communicate with patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals has facilitated a smooth and efficient workflow, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

She noted how SOTC has fostered a culture of inclusion and respect within their team and beyond, actively encouraging and supporting diversity and recognizing the unique strengths and perspectives each team member brings.

Cindy added: “Their embodiment of the Trust’s values, their outstanding teamwork, and their commitment to providing a service that goes beyond expectations have made a significant difference to the lives of countless patients.”

UHSussex put the interests of our patients first and foremost using our values of compassion, communication, teamwork, respect, professionalism, and inclusion.

The team were presented with their certificate and gift card by Princess Royal Hospital Director of Nursing, Edmund Tabay, who praised the team for their incredible efforts.

Calm and compassionate site manager wins Star of the Month award

David Fitzpatrick, Clinical Site Manager at Worthing Hospital has been named October’s Star of the Month for upholding and exceeding outstanding care to support patients, colleagues and the hospital. 

During a very challenging day at the hospital, David embodied UHSussex values of compassion, respect and professionalism admirably by helping those around him, under extremely demanding circumstances.  

David works as a Clinical Site Manager which entails the responsibility of a smooth-running site, this involves bed management, a safe level of staffing, patient transfers, attending emergencies and security alerts.  

Alongside his usual tasks of the day, David dealt with an extremely busy emergency department and a difficult situation where he showed courage and determination to deal with an issue in a safe way, protecting patients, colleagues and others who were around him.  

David was nominated and presented with a certificate and gift card by Worthing Hospital Director Stephen Mardlin and Hospital Director of Nursing, Tori Cooper for his commitment to going above and beyond.  

During the surprise presentation, Stephen said: “Your approach to leading the site in a calm and compassionate manner and always striving for the highest standards is second to none. Thank you for your continuous commitment to UHSussex.” 

Tori added: “David always goes above and beyond for his colleagues and patients. He has a calm approach to leading the site and supporting his colleagues with care, compassion and kindness. David is constantly striving to do what is right and has high standards, he is an excellent colleague.  

The Star of the Month award recognises the commitment and dedication of colleagues who give a service that is over and above what is expected of them to make a difference to patients, visitors and their colleagues. 

David has worked at the Trust for over 20 years and has dealt with numerous ‘out of the blue moments’, from floodings, fires and even wild animals in the building!

On winning Star of the Month, David said: 

“It meant a lot to me to receive this award, especially from Stephen and Tori. It is always nice to be recognised and I was in complete shock when I found out because I felt like I was only doing my job! My colleagues who were working that day helped a lot with the challenging situations, it was very much a team effort from the emergency, security and site team colleagues.”

Nurses win Star of the Month for helping ambulances get back onto the road in record time

The nursing team at Worthing Hospital’s A&E department at UHSussex has been recognised as Star of the Month for their outstanding commitment, professionalism and teamwork in getting ambulances back out on the road in a record-breaking time.  

When an ambulance arrives at a hospital, the national target for clinically handing over patients is within 15 minutes of arrival. However, operational challenges including significant peaks in demand can lengthen handover times and cause delays. 

Across the South East region, the average ambulance handover times are performing at 44% across 18 local hospitals, however, Worthing’s emergency department is currently above the national performance target at 70%, alongside the Princess Royal Hospital which is also part UHSussex. 

This is thanks to a series of improvements that the team have made over the last six months, using the Trust’s Patient First Improvement Programme.  

These improvements are now fully embedded into their routine and have not only resulted in improved operational performance and patient care, but also mean that the South East Coast Ambulance Service can respond to more calls and help more patients in the Sussex community. 

Julie Thomas, Divisional Director of Nursing said: “Patient care is at the heart of this with the emergency department staff pulling together as a team to offload and release ambulances even when under great pressure.” 

“The very strong caring culture within the department means they always put their patients first, recognising and understanding the importance of getting ambulances back out on the road to go to calls often desperately needing their support.”

“This team continues to strive daily to ensure timely care for all patients who attend A&E by ambulance or walk-in routes, with the leadership team constantly reviewing and adapting ways of working to prioritise excellent care for all patients.”

“Overall, the compassion shown to all patients and colleagues despite daily challenges of a busy emergency department is truly exceptional.” 

A patient who was cared for by the emergency department nursing team, said: “What a lovely, caring hospital. From admission through A&E to discharge later in the evening I experienced the highest standards of care and compassion. The department was so busy but every interaction I observed was unhurried, kind and professional. I went home feeling as if the health professionals at that hospital really cared about me as an individual.” 

Tori Cooper, Hospital Director of Nursing at Worthing added: “Our teams in A&E are working extremely hard to see the patients who need to see us, the focus on patient care, experience and continuous improvement in often very challenging circumstances is to be commended.”

“Thank you to our nursing team at Worthing emergency department for adding to this and showing your commitment and professionalism to UHSussex.” 

The Star of the Month award recognises the commitment and dedication of colleagues who give a service that is over and above what is expected of them to make a difference to patients, visitors and their colleagues. 

Let’s hear it for the Audiology team, winners of Star of the Month.  

The Audiology department at Royal Sussex County Hospital has won Star of the Month at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust for improving patient care whilst navigating through immense challenges.  

The Brighton team who work across the hospital site delivering care to adults and children, were named resilient and hard working by the Head of Audiology, Manuel Loureiro who nominated the team for this award. 

He said: “It’s been an intense period of continuous, significant changes – including two location moves, a major database upgrade and significant recruitment periods – with little time to get accustomed to a change before the next came into play. Despite it all, we have managed to improve our performance and reduce our waiting lists. The team spirits are high, and the team is as united as it’s ever been.” 

“The last five months wouldn’t have been possible without a strong sense of team; it’s been an extremely stressful and challenging period for our staff, who rallied up and worked together towards improvement with a strong belief in better care for our patients.”  

This award acknowledges the effort the Audiology team went through whilst maintaining high quality care and reducing waiting times alongside a series of big changes. 

Working together to provide exceptional care and uphold the highest standards has earnt Audiology the last Star of the Month of the year, whilst the Trust pauses to prepare for its annual Patient First STAR Awards. This team embodies UHSussex values of teamwork and professionalism, driven by the desire to put Patient First at the forefront of all they do. 

Peter Lane, Hospital Director for Royal Sussex County Hospital adds:  

“The hardworking culture within this team is outstanding, they always put their patients first and continue to be a valued part of UHSussex family. They have undergone a lot of changes with strong professionalism and determination to improve patient care.” 

“I am really pleased for the team to celebrate their successes.”  

Reflecting on his team receiving the award, Manuel said: “It’s been a challenging time for the team and audiology services within the NHS, I know that they not only deserve this acknowledgement, they are hugely appreciative that their efforts have been recognised like this.”