The compassion, dedication and life-changing work of staff and volunteers at University Hospitals Sussex were celebrated on Friday night at the Trust’s fourth Patient First STAR Awards.
Winners were selected from almost 1,500 nominations, the highest number of nominations submitted by colleagues, patients, and the public since the awards began.
The 13 award categories this year, including four brand new ones highlighted the Trust’s core values, including compassion, communication, teamwork, respect, professionalism, and inclusion.
Dr George Findlay, Chief Executive, hosted the awards ceremony: “It was a privilege to host our annual Patient First STAR Awards on Friday night.”
“It was a joyous evening and a really uplifting celebration of some of the great work going on across our hospitals and many of the incredible people behind it.”
“I would like to congratulate all our winners who bring an incredible range of unique skills and experience to our hospitals to care for our patients and support their colleagues.”
The awards evening was made possible thanks to funding from the Trust’s dedicated charity, My University Hospitals Sussex, and corporate sponsorship from Willmott Dixon Interiors.
Winners:
Mentor of the Year: Chris North, Senior Biomedical Scientist at St Richard’s Hospital, recognised for his calm and patient teaching style.
Visionary Award: The Day Case Hysterectomy Team at St Richard’s Hospital, for their innovative same-day surgery pathway.
Clinical Team of the Year: Neuro Theatres Nursing Team at Royal Sussex County Hospital, for their resilience under pressure.
Non-clinical Team of the Year: 3Ts Commissioning Team at Royal Sussex County Hosptial for their essential role and dedication in supporting the opening of the Louisa Martindale Building.
Compassionate Care: Gill Yates, Neuropharmacist at Princess Royal Hospital for her impressive skills, knowledge, and dedication to patient care.
Volunteer of the Year: Val and the gals (Audrey, Wendy, Margaret, and Ann) at Worthing and St Richard’s hospitals for their dedication and empathy to bereaved parents and helpful hand to staff.
Royal Sussex County Site Hospital Hero: Dr Claire Phillips, ICU Consultant for displaying a great deal of compassion and putting others before herself.
Princess Royal Hospital Hero: Gary Segger, Portering Assistant Duty Manager for his caring and stable influence in difficult circumstances and friendly and comforting presence to patients.
St Richard’s Hospital Hero: Anna Lambert, Multi-Disciplinary Coordinator noted for her efficiency, communication and organisation skills as well as her care, compassion and attention to detail.
Worthing & Southlands Hospital Hero: Marcia Savage, Housekeeping Supervisor for being a beacon of positivity and encouragement, uplifting her team and others at Southlands, making staff and patients feel valued and respected every step of the way.
Charity’s Champion of the Year: Kat Chapman, Volunteer at Royal Sussex County Hospital who despite waiting for a kidney transplant ran the Benidorm 10k to raise funds for the Trust’s charity.
Star of the Year: Sussex Orthopaedic Treatment Centre at Princess Royal Hospital, for their unwavering commitment to patient care.
Chair & Governors’ Award: Beacon Ward at Worthing Hospital for their passion to deliver person-centred care, treating individuals with respect and dignity.
The evening was a testament to the incredible efforts and dedication of the staff and volunteers at University Hospitals Sussex, embodying the Trust’s values and making a significant impact on patient care and local healthcare.
You can read more about the winners on our meet the finalists page.