Awards recognise hospital heroes
Doctors, nurses, delivery staff and volunteers were all recognised for their efforts above and beyond the call of duty for patients and their families.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s annual Staff Star awards gave 30 prizes to just a small fraction of those working at Maidstone Hospital in Hermitage Lane and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury.
They included lung cancer consultant Dr Syed Husain and his team at Maidstone Hospital, who won the Kent Messenger’s award with Macmillan nurse Sandra Wakelin.
Both were nominated by reader Janet Bowditch, who said in her submission: “Dr Husain did everything in his power to get me through lung cancer in 2012.
“Nothing seemed too much trouble. He is a very caring person – someone I will always be grateful for, who helped me through. I am now in remission.”
She also included Ms Wakelin for the help and support she gave at an upsetting time.
The duo were presented with their awards by chief executive Glenn Douglas, chairman Tony Jones and special guest Kim Woodburn, who starred in Channel 4’s How Clean Is Your House?
The ceremony took place at the Hop Farm family park on Friday.
Kim’s husband, Peter, was treated at the Pembury hospital last year after suffering a stroke, and she nominated the Stroke Association to receive the raffle proceeds of £920.
The trust’s Employee of the Year went to Janice Bate, administrator at ICU at Pembury, with senior theatre staff nurse at Pembury Edgardo Garcia as runner-up.
Team of the year was claimed by the orthopaedics clinical administration unit at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital, with the Breast Care Centre team at the Peggy Wood centre in Maidstone as runners-up.
The chairman’s award went to Maidstone catering assistant Jonathan Baker and volunteer of the year was named as Tom Gibson at Maidstone, with Norman Sales at Pembury as the runner-up.
The Special Award for Commitment and Professionalism went to senior pharmacy technician Stephen Gaskin, and Ward 21 won the Sylvia Denton Award for Care and Compassion.
The awards are nominated by the public. Winners: Jill Collis and radiography practice education team Runners-up: Jackie Tiggs and physio respiratory team Delivery Winners: Krzysztof Malinowskiand mortuary team at Pembury Runners-up: Catherine Malone and Helen Cunningham and Ann Chapman Excellence Winners: Maria Crittenden and Surgical Assessment Unit and Short Stay Surgery unit at Pembury Runners-up: Louise Burmiston and zone managers and supervisors at both sites