HEROIC hospital staff who work round the clock to go the extra mile to help sick and injured patients were honoured at a prestigious Southampton awards ceremony.

Doctors, nurses, researchers, support staff and volunteers were among those championed at the climax of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Hospital Heroes awards.

The glamorous ceremony, held last night at the glitzy city hotel, paid tribute to staff who have been recognised for providing exemplary support to patients at Southampton General Hospital - in particular unsung heroes who rarely get the limelight.

The 15 awards up for grabs in areas ranging from individual and team excellence to research, innovation and volunteering.
Winners received their star-shapes trophies and certificates from Saints Legend Francis Benali.

Awards included the  Daily Echo Readers’ Choice category, won by Sunitha Narayan - a neuromuscular coordinator at the Wessex Neurological Centre, who also uses her fluency in five different languages to help patients from Asian backgrounds get the healthcare they need and promotes equality and diversity in the trust.

She dedicated the award to her mother Sowmini Naryan for inspiring her as a child to fulfil her dreams and added: "I'm really happy, overwhelmed, humbled and elated and very proud of our team."

Runners up were Fiona Cooke and Paul Thirlwell - clinical nurse specialists at the hospital’s cardiac unit.

One of the biggest cheers of the evening was for biomedical scientist Witness Dzobo who won and outstanding achievement award for his work helping fight the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone.

Outgoing trust chairman John Trewby also received special recognition for his long service.

Staff working across all the trust's centres at Southampton General Hospital, Princess Anne Hospital, Countess Mountbatten House hospice and the New Forest Birth Centre were among those eligible for nomination.
 

The Hospital Heroes Awards winners in full:

  • Employee of the Year - Alexandra Shacklady, therapy technician
  • Team of the Year - Ward D2, haematology
  • Chairman's Award for Leadership - Peter Cowburn, consultant cardiologist
  • Education and Training - UHS adult diabetes team
  • Equality and Diversity Award - Beatriz Duarte Blanco, ward hostess
  • Healthwatch Patient Experience - G3 advanced nursing team
  • Patient Safety Award - Patient safety team
  • Southampton Hospital Charity Star Award - Sarah Hartfree, paediatric rheumatology nurse specialist
  • The Gift of Time - Jean Pearce, volunteer
  • Outstanding Achievement Award - Witness Dzobo, biomedical scientist
  • Research Individual or Team of the Year - Clinical Research Network Wessex division five
  • Unsung Hero - Selina Seaborne and Andrea Lodge - for introducing complementary therapists for cancer patients.
  • Clinical Impact Through Research - Clinical research facility paediatric research nursing team
  • Innovation - Outpatient transformation team
  • Daily Echo Readers' choice award Winner: Sunitha Narayan, Runners up: Fiona Cooke and Paul Thirlwell