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Triple award win

Our staff have won a total of three awards between them in just one week, highlighting their dedication and the quality of their patient care.

The Trust’s diabetes inpatient specialist nurses won the national Hypo Awareness Week Excellence Award on Thursday (12 October), whilst staff members Jan Bloomfield and Abigail Johnson brought home wins in the Bury Free Press Business Awards on Friday (13 October).

The Trust’s diabetes inpatient specialist nurses were recognised at the annual Quality in Care (QiC) Diabetes Awards in Guildford for raising the awareness of diabetes complications in national Hypo Awareness Week.

The team beat off competition from the other 343 hospitals and medical centres across the country that took part in the campaign, which took place between 2 and 8 October. During the week staff wore campaign t-shirts, trained on a hypo simulation dummy and revised best practice by simulating both mild and severe hypoglycaemic incidences.

They also manned a stand in the staff canteen, created handy information cards for clinicians and put colleagues to the test with a quiz. There was a hypo slideshow in the diabetes clinic patient waiting room, while patients were also encouraged to log any hypos they experience and to use this to manage them more effectively.

Judge Simon O’Neill, from Diabetes UK’s director of health intelligence and professional liaison, praised the Trust:

“Many congratulations to West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust for running a significant campaign. There was an excellent mix of activity focused on people with diabetes and healthcare professionals.

“I think it’s great to be able to give awards out like this, as so often nursing teams don’t get the recognition they deserve for all the extra work they put in to really improve care.”

Jan Bloomfield, director of workforce and communications, was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bury Free Press business awards.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, new to the awards this year, is presented to a person who has contributed to the growth and success of the west Suffolk business community. Winners have a truly outstanding level of achievement and have demonstrated consistent best practice in business at the highest level that it is worthy of such an accolade.

Jan, with a total of 36 years’ service in the NHS, has served WSFT for 26 years so far, overseeing human resources, communications, fundraising and engagement in the busy NHS organisation. Her efforts have culminated in WSFT achieving the highest score in the country for staff engagement in the national 2016 NHS Staff Survey.

Jan said: “Winning this award was such a lovely surprise! It wouldn’t be possible if I wasn’t part of such a great team who really make a difference at the Trust. This doesn’t mean my work ends here though. Staff morale, health and wellbeing is more vital than ever for good quality patient care; a healthy and happy workforce will also ensure the best service to patients.”

The winner of the Apprentice of the Year award at the same event was Abigail Johnson, clinic administrator for West Suffolk Physio, a private physiotherapy clinic based in Hillside Road, Bury St Edmunds, staffed by a team of physiotherapists employed by WSFT.

She has worked at the clinic for just over a year and is studying towards an NVQ level 3 in business administration with WS Training.

Abigail said: “I had such a great evening at the Bury Free Press business awards and was so proud to win this accolade. I’d like to thank my manager Gemma Allum, the team at West Suffolk Physio and WS Training for all their support. I’m hoping to progress further at West Suffolk Physio and achieve an NVQ level 4.”

Dr Stephen Dunn, chief executive, said: “It’s a real testament to our Trust that three awards have been awarded in such a short space of time, to three such different departments!

“What unites all three awards is the recognition that our staff go the extra mile, and ultimately ensure the best experience for our patients and the best health service for our community. On behalf of the Trust I want to congratulate all of our staff for their commitment, and the quality of work they carry out, which is routinely being recognised on a local and national scale.”

 

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Abigail Johnson, clinic administrator for West Suffolk Physio

Abigail Johnson, clinic administrator for West Suffolk Physio