Your Call Star Awards Special 2019

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www.nwas.nhs.uk

The venue

Welcome

The event was held at the Last Drop Village Hotel and Spa in Bolton, which was such a fantastic venue that we decided that we were going to hold it there for a second year.

The Awards were held on 18 April, the night before Good Friday, so many attendees took advantage of the discounted overnight accommodation.

The yearly Star Awards is organised to honour our staff who have gone the extra mile, showed courage, surpassed themselves with outstanding achievement or simply been a massive influencer and motivator.

Any member of staff can be nominated for a Star Award, and there are plenty of award categories, these are: Leadership, Support Staff, Team, Learner, Volunteer, Courage, EOC, NHS 111, PTS, PES and Innovation, as well as two special awards; the Chairman’s Special Commendation and the Chief Executive’s Care and Compassion Award.

For the first time this year, three special recognition awards were also presented.

This year approximately 240 nominations were submitted, all of which were worthy

of recognition, and picking the overall winners proved to be very difficult for the judging panel made up of former Interim CEO Mick Forrest, Chairman Peter White and Director of Strategy and Planning Salman Desai.

In this special edition of Your Call, we want to showcase the winners and thank our kind sponsors. The sponsorship generously donated covered the total cost of hosting this event.

The host

Friend of the trust and ITV broadcaster Paul Crone hosted the ceremony once again. He was thrilled to be asked again and accepted the invitation without hesitation.

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Paul was a fantastic host and genuinely spoke of his admiration of the staff and work we do, day in day out, to give the best care to the people of the North West. His humour and professional presenting skills, ensured there was a great atmosphere in the room and that everyone was entertained throughout the awards presentations.

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Opening speech

And the winners are...

Courage Award

This award was created to recognise an individual member of staff who has battled against the odds, gone beyond the call of duty or demonstrated strength of character, bravery and perseverance to help others. This award was sponsored by Vehicle Body Care.

Finalists: Chris Brown, EMT1 & Chelsea Gower, Paramedic Nathan Hearn, PTS Contract Delivery Manager WINNER Andrew Williams, EMT2

Chairman Peter White took to the stage to formally open the ceremony with a wonderful speech. He talked about the ambition of being the ‘best’ ambulance service, not just for us as an organisation, but more importantly for the patients we serve.

He referenced taking up his chairmanship earlier this year, and how he thought this may have significantly raised his profile within the trust, however, he was quickly brought down to earth when he was refused parking on site at the official opening of Burnley Ambulance Station.

He also referenced Game of Thrones, and humorously said all he hears from Deputy Director of Operations Steve Hynes is ‘winter is coming’.

The ceremony The awards presentation followed during which all the shortlisted candidates’ nominations were read out.

The winner, in true awards style, was announced by the opening of an envelope by Paul who then invited them to come onto stage to receive their award from the Chief Executive Daren Mochrie.

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PTS Contract Delivery Manager Nathan Hearn was nominated by his manager, Ian Stringer.

The nomination referred back to 2017 when Nathan and his partner Rachel sadly lost their new-born daughter, Charlotte. At such a difficult time in their lives, Nathan shortly after not only took on a promotion, but also led various schemes regarding prevention of patient admissions, encouraging the elderly to stay healthy and addressing loneliness and isolation.

Ian said in his nomination that courage is often an act of bravery or a situation where someone is put at risk, however, Nathan has demonstrated true courage by doing his job to the highest standard despite his personal circumstances. Nathan would say he was ‘just doing his job’ and he has, but with dignity, humanity and perseverance. Martin Burgoyne from Vehicle Body Care presented the award to Nathan. Well done!

Leadership Award

Awarded to an inspirational leader who has demonstrated that ‘everyone counts’. With excellent mentoring skills, this person will motivate success by helping their team members to learn and develop.

Finalists: Paul Falk, Clinical Duty Manager (111) Lesley Mellis, PTS Team Leader Carl Potter, Senior Paramedic WINNER SPTL Carl Potter received two nominations from Chloe Mercer and Matheu Collins.

Following a period of sickness, Chloe joined Carl’s team and says he has always gone above and beyond in supporting her to getting back on the road. She received a personal welcome email from Carl which made her feel accepted before even entering the station. He has spent time devising a plan to help her in the long term and regularly meets her to make sure she is ok and has no concerns.

Matheu’s nomination was very similar, and states that Carl goes out of his way as a manager to give clear support for all of his team and he ensures they all feel valued by the trust.

Carl is a fantastic leader and is willing to listen to problems, ideas and thoughts in order to provide feedback and support Newsletter 05 when needed. Well done Carl!

Emergency Operations Centre Award This award recognises those who work in the EOCs; who are the first voice the public hear when they need medical help. It is presented to someone who has shown exemplary commitment to excellence through their professionalism and compassion, even in the most difficult situations. This award was sponsored by Virgin Media Business.

Finalists: Dale Evans, EMD Michaella MacLachlan, Dispatcher Nikky McCormack-Gray, EOC Performance Manager WINNER Nikky undertook a secondment to support investigations within the EOC, a role which he did not have a great deal of experience in, however he worked tirelessly to ensure he undertook the role to the best of his ability, whilst acknowledging the impact investigations can have on both staff and families.

His commitment and level of understanding was summed up following a recent coroner’s inquest.

It was recorded that the coroner had genuine regulation 28 concerns. Nikky presented evidence that was comprehensive, credible and sympathetic to the family present. It was clear that the coroner was exceptionally impressed with his evidence.

Nikky has shown himself to be a true asset to both EOC and the wider NWAS family.

Congratulations Nikky!

Alan McNeil Regional Director from Virgin Media Business presented the award.

Learner Award This award goes to a student or existing staff member to recognise their commitment to learning and personal development, and who has produced high standards of work and excellent results over the past year. This year’s award was sponsored by the University of Central Lancashire.

Finalists: John Albiston, EMT2 Kelly Dearnley-Lane, EMT1 Kate Walsh, Paramedic WINNER Like the other finalists in this category, Kate took decision to become a student paramedic a couple of years ago. To ensure she still had some income to support her family, she undertook EMD shifts whilst studying, and on top of that volunteered for St John Ambulance and is a mind blue light co-ordinator for NWAS as well.

Kate has recently qualified as a paramedic but the last two years have taken their toll.

She has endured hardship, personal sacrifice, had less time with her family, and sometimes struggled with her own mental health, but yet she is always so giving to others, supporting her colleagues and helping raise awareness around mental health. In addition to all that she also completed a swim to raise money for Mind. She just never stops giving. Thoroughly deserved Kate!

NHS 111 Award This award is given to an individual who has shown outstanding care to the community and commitment to the 111 service.

Finalists: Gita Jariwala, Service & Performance Manager (111) Michael Kennedy, Shift Manager (111) WINNER Deborah Smethurst, Health Advisor This year we saw a record number of nominations ever received for one individual. A phenomenal 47 nominations were submitted for Michael Kennedy (Mick) which just goes to show the level of respect Mick’s colleagues have for him. A few snippets were selected from the nominations: “No matter what the issue is, Mick has always been there, not just for me but for everyone in this centre, to help resolve issues whilst making sure we have the biggest smile on our faces.”

“It is my pleasure to nominate Mick for this award. Many local heroes go unnoticed; at 111 we have a very decent caring human being who deserves recognition for his excellence. Mick is one of the most passionate members of staff and thoroughly deserves this nomination.”

Great work Mick, congratulations!

Patient Transport Service Award Awarded to a compassionate individual or individuals who have shown exceptional commitment to all aspects of the PTS. Finalists: Jim Finnigan, Care Assistant & Paul Gregory, Care Assistant Julie Gray, Care Assistant & David Hutchinson Care Assistant WINNERS Mark Ramsden, Care Assistant Last August, Julie and David came across a collapsed male who was in cardiac arrest. The crew acted promptly and professionally, performing CPR and requesting an emergency crew. Once the crew arrived, Julie and David stayed on scene to offer support to all involved. The crew were commended by the senior paramedic on scene; he described them as a credit to themselves and PTS. The senior paramedic also confirmed that while the patient unfortunately did not survive the crew ensured he had the best possible chance with their swift actions. Well done Julie and David!

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Team Award

Paramedic Emergency Service Award

Working as a group to achieve a common goal is vital and the high standard of teamwork throughout this organisation is obvious. This is awarded to a team that has gone above and beyond their normal duties and shown true team spirit in working together and learning from each other, to get the best results.

This award is presented an individual or crew who has excelled in providing outstanding care for patients and has demonstrated passion for the NHS values.

Finalists: Amanda Collins EMT1 & Paul Squires EMT1 WINNERS Simon Walton, EMT1 Lukasz Zborowski HART Paramedic & Kenneth Marsh, HART Paramedic Amanda Collins and Paul Squires were nominated by SPTL Luke Mckenna. Amanda and Paul, who are both EMT1s, were dispatched to a multi-vehicle RTC on a motorway. There were reports of serious injuries and potential fatalities. They were second on scene and without much direction or supervision, entered the scene and identified two casualties who required immediate assistance. With the upmost professionalism, they commenced treatment and immobilisation of two major trauma patients.

Finalists: Business Services Team, Ladybridge Hall HQ Orange Team, C&M Emergency Operations Centre SPTL Team, Wigan Hub Station WINNERS Scenes like this, with paediatric and adult fatalities, can be difficult to manage even for the most experienced of staff.

To have two EMT1s manage two separate patients on their own with limited support was commendable and highlights the clinical skills and standard of care that EMT1s can provide.

Well done Amanda and Paul!

Support Staff Award This award is to recognise an individual who works tirelessly the behind the scenes to keep the service operating, who has a positive attitude and has clearly demonstrated commitment to quality and excellence.

Nominees: Broughton Fleet Workshops Rebecca Carlin, Project Support Manager WINNER Caroline Turner, Communications Officer

Nominator John Pennington said the team has been through a lot of change over the last twelve months.

With the introduction of the hub station and all the complexities this brings, they have also seen the introduction of a local community response team. Working closely with partners has proved very beneficial as in September alone, 485 patients were referred to local services, which is testament to the relationships formed by the SPTLs. This is not only in keeping with the visions and values of the organisation, but demonstrates our patients receive safe care closer to home and ensures emergency vehicles are available to patients who need them most. The success of the service to date would not have been possible without the transformational leadership demonstrated by the SPTL team.

Volunteer Award This award is given to an individual who has selflessly been delivering outstanding care to the local community, in their own time.

Finalists: David Brown, eCRF Jay Luby, Volunteer Car Driver Nigel Pinchen, Volunteer Car Driver Tracey Schofield, eCRF WINNER Tracey was nominated by David Philburn.

Tracey became an emergency first responder approximately four years ago and two years later underwent further training to become an eCFR in addition to working full time. On top of her eCRF role, Tracey has recently registered herself with the GoodSAM app, making herself available for local cardiac arrests. Recently whilst at work a male collapsed in a nearby car park. Without hesitation Tracey responded and commenced CPR until emergency backup arrived. Unfortunately the outcome for the patient was not successful but Tracey’s early intervention gave him the best possible chance.

Tracey has also recently started providing training and guidance for new CFRs and is occasionally asked to deliver BLS training within various community settings. All first responders do an exceptional job, but David says Tracey’s commitment and dedication to her local community has gone beyond what is expected.

Congratulations Tracey!

Project Manager Rebecca Carlin received two nominations, both of which wanted to recognise her for her passion and commitment to her role.

Alison Ormerod, Head of Programme Management Office, said that over the past year Rebecca has managed various projects including the adult and paediatric sepsis screening tools, which has been a huge, successful project ensuring that the tools and training packages are in place to support clinical staff.

Nominator Sarah Whittle added that Rebecca is project managing a challenging job, which is the new website and intranet. This is a large, high value and complex project, but Rebecca’s management skills and positive attitude, have ensured the project is on track to meet the deadlines.

Congratulations Rebecca!

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Innovation Award A new category was introduced this year; Innovation which is given to a team or individual whose ideas and creativity has improved quality, productivity and efficiency of the trust.

This year the hospital handover ‘every minute matters’ project was chosen to receive this award.

Lost hours due to delayed handovers have always been a challenge, in 2018 alone, over 95,000 hours were lost due to handovers taking longer than 30 minutes. A collaborative approach was taken to address this and six hospitals and local partners agreed to work together for 90 days to improve the hospital handover process. The aim was to reduce daily average hospital handover time to 20 minutes by March 2019.

Using quality improvement methodology and supported by organisational and quality improvement leaders, the six sites developed local project teams with key NWAS and hospital staff to create a firm understanding of handover processes, develop change ideas to improve the process and test and re-test improved and new ways of working.

Four separate one-day events took place to develop ideas and since the collaborative started in October 2018, the average weekly turnaround for the six teams involved has reduced by more than two minutes. In context, over the same period the average for all the other hospital sites across the North West has increased by more than a minute and a half.

A lot of staff have been involved and on behalf of all those staff Kathryn Goldthorpe, Sarah Noble and Brandon Newman picked up the award Well done to everyone involved!

Special Recognition Awards This year, we also presented three special recognition awards. This was following the CQC inspection last summer after which we received a good rating. There were however areas which were formally recognised as being outstanding!

The first award was presented to the health and wellbeing team. The CQC reported that an area of outstanding practice was the introduction of the health and wellbeing initiative and microsite, through the programme ‘Invest in Yourself’.

Led by Strategic HR Manager Katy Evans, the trust has worked hard to make improvements and encourage staff health and wellbeing. In addition to this, local managers have adopted more localised health and wellbeing action plans, which will continue to develop. The whole health and wellbeing agenda will continue to encourage staff to be as physically and mentally fit as possible, which is fantastic. Katy and HR Manager Laura Smoult collected the award.

The second award was given after the CQC said: “We observed community paramedics involved with work which was outstanding.

They worked as members of multidisciplinary teams with community nurses, mental health nurses, teachers and care home staff, with the needs of the community at the forefront. The initiatives ranged from helping mental health patients combat fears of medical procedures and medical assistance, to preventative measures aimed at reducing the number of admittances to emergency departments by care home residents.”

On behalf of all the CSPs, Sara Harris and Steve Burn collected the award.

The final special recognition award was presented to the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), which were described by the CQC as inspiring, supporting with a caring culture. This was attributed to the managers who lead the team and added that all members of the team felt highly valued. Head of Special Operations Joe Barratt said of the recognition: “We are delighted with the CQC’s observations and it is testament to the hard work, professionalism and commitment of the whole team, the HART paramedics, the team leaders, the specialist paramedics as well as the managers that they have been recognised.”

On behalf of the whole team, James Bateson, Tim Byrom and Dave Berry collected the award.

Congratulations and well done to all three teams.

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Chairman’s Special Commendation

This award is chosen by the Chairman in recognition of an inspirational individual or team whose exceptional achievements have been far-reaching and positively impactful.

The recipient of this special award was Paramedic, Brandon Newman.

Brandon’s commitment to his role, his learning and development, and the fact he does so much in his own time is a real testament to the care and compassion he continuously displays. This is releflected in the high number of thank you letters he has received and he strives to further enhance his skills and abilities with his own professional development.

One of his nominators told how once he was unfortunately involved in a serious road traffic collision whilst responding. Once he regained consciousness his first concern was for the other patients on the scene, he radioed through to control to ensure enough resources were sent to assist the other injured parties and at no point showed concern for himself, although he was air lifted to hospital.

It is very clear from the nominations this individual is absolutely dedicated to patient care and service development, and he wants to make a real difference. Congratulations Brandon for receiving this special award!

Chief Executive Care and Compassion Award

This award is chosen and presented by the Chief Executive to an individual or team who ensures compassion, humanity and kindness are central to the care they provide. They find time for patients, their families and carers, as well as those they work alongside and search for the things they can do, however small, to give comfort and relieve suffering.

The recipients of this award were chosen not only for the care and compassion displayed during a difficult incident, but also the positive impact their quick decisions had.

Jenna Yates and Laura Clark attended an incident which led to the safeguarding of two young children who were at risk of immediate harm.

Police assistance was requested and arrived but whilst they were on scene another serious incident was occurring within the same locality. Due the grave nature of the other incident, the crew quickly took the decision to look after the children so the police could leave the scene. This decision enabled the police to gather crucial evidence from the incident location which ultimately lead to a murder charge.

Jenna and Laura remained with the children and due to ongoing delays took the children to the local emergency department as a place of safety.

They both continued their day and thought nothing more than that they were just doing their job so were both really surprised when they received an email from the acting Chief Constable of Cheshire police stating that they had been awarded a Chief’s Commendation in relation to this incident.

Jenna and Laura demonstrated that working in conjunction with another emergency service provides the best outcomes for all which is why they have been selected to receive this award.

Job well done and congratulations to you both!

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Our sponsors The trust would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to all who were able to support our Star Awards 2019 through sponsorship.

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