NHS staff and volunteers were praised for their compassion and excellence during a ceremony at Oxford town hall on Thursday evening (June 9).
The Oxford University Hospitals staff recognition awards, which returned for the first time since 2019, were attended by more than 200 people including staff, volunteers, patientsโ families and fundraisers from the trust.
The awards recognised their hard work and dedication during the past two years and were based on the trustโs values, including compassion, excellence, improvement, learning, respect and delivery.
The winners were chosen among about 1,400 nominations and there was also an award for charity supporter or volunteer of the year, as well as patients' choice and chair's awards.
Charge nurse Ray Atienza-Hawkes was rewarded for his compassion in helping his team at the John Radcliffe Hospital to cope with challenging times, including the loss of a colleague.
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And this just happened ๐โบ๏ธ #OUHAwards21 . Truly humbled โค๏ธ pic.twitter.com/VsLM0XDILV
โ Ray Atienza-Hawkes (@RayAHawkes) June 9, 2022
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Mr Atienza-Hawkes, 48, said: โDuring the early times of the pandemic, we lost one of our colleagues due to covid and it was a very difficult time for all of us.
โWe do manage challenging situations on a daily basis, including unfortunately losing some of the people we look after, but thereโs never a time where you are prepared for such difficult times.
โWhen we heard the news, I thought โis there a way we can make this easier for the team?โ and I reached out to the Oxford Hospitals charity.
โThey helped us with a quiet room for the staff to have a sit down and reflect, or just to talk, because sometimes thatโs all you need when you are going through a challenging time.โ
Mr Atienza-Hawkes, who is originally from the Philippines, started working for the trust in 2001.
He said: โGetting the award was a very exciting and happy moment, Iโm very humbled by the recognition.
โAs a nurse, compassion really is at the heart of what we do.โ
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Our Award for Compassion winner is Ray Atienza-Hawkes, Charge Nurse, Ambulatory Assessment Unit. Thank you, Ray, for your compassion towards your colleagues and patients.
โ OUH (@OUHospitals) June 9, 2022
Congratulations! #OneTeamOneOUH #OUHAwards21 pic.twitter.com/qqen3rjZr9
Care support worker Jaime Yumol won the excellence award for his work in the surgical emergency unit and for his efforts to cheer his team up when they were struggling during the most difficult times of the pandemic.
The improvement award winner was specialist speech and language therapist Samantha Holmes, who worked to give OUH cancer patients a level of gold standard assessment and treatment, working on projects benefit them during their stay at the hospital and had positive effects after their admission.
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What would we do without the wonderful volunteers and supporters who bring so much good to our @OUHospitals
โ Oxford Hospitals Charity ๐ (@OxHospCharity) June 9, 2022
Wonderful to see them honoured tonight #OUHAwards21
๐๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐๐ป๐๐ฝ๐๐ฟ๐ pic.twitter.com/3G2c3J99CE
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Mykila Donaldson, a deputy sister in the neurosciences team, scooped up the learning award.
Her nominator said: โShe taught me how to be compassionate. She has a huge positive impact on others and supports them with everything that she can. My progress of becoming a better professional and person is achieved thanks to Mykila, who is the most amazing nurse I ever met.โ
Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, who chairs the trust, said: "I was so privileged to be here, not only to present the chair's award, but to bear witness to the extraordinary work our staff do, and the respect afforded to them by their colleagues and patients."
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Terry Roberts, chief people officer for Oxford University Hospitals, said: "It was such an honour to attend the ceremony and have this opportunity to thank these exceptional people for all that they do.
"The achievements of these winners and shortlisted nominees are an example of the wonderful culture that has been developing among our team, and a window into the fantastic work that takes place every day as we care for our patients."
Full list of winners:
Excellence
Winner
Jaime Yumol
Care Support Worker, Surgical Emergency Unit
Shortlisted
Rabah Chelouche
Dr Nicola Curry
Emergency Assessment Unit Nursing Team
Compassion
Winner
Ray Atienza-Hawkes
Charge Nurse, Ambulatory Assessment Unit
Shortlisted
Lizzy Clark and Kerry Newton
Alison Gates
Stewart Malpas
Psychological Medicine Team
Improvement
Winner
Samantha Holmes
Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Therapies, Churchill Hospital
Shortlisted
- Bryony Butler and Vicki Wharton
- Catherine Dixon
- International Nurses' Programme Team
Learning
Winner
Mykila Donaldson
Deputy Sister, Neurosciences
Shortlisted
- Dr Eleni Ieremia
- Flo Stoermer
- Ward 5E/F, John Radcliffe Hospital
Respect
Winner
Lorraine Soanes
Pulmonary Hypertension Administrator / MDT Co-ordinator
Shortlisted
- Community Paediatrics Team
- Stella Holman
- Vicky Robinson
Delivery
Winners
- Supply Chain Team
- Hollie Lord, Ward Manager Assistant, Vascular Surgery Administration
Shortlisted
- Microbiology Team
- Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit Research Nurse Team
- Sterile Services Team
Oxford Hospitals Charity Award for Supporter or Volunteer of the Year
Winner
Amatsia Kashti
Volunteer, Eye Hospital
Shortlisted
- Paul Masters
- HIV Support Team
- Volunteers
Patients' Choice
Winner
Amanda Simpson
Shortlisted
- Claudia Barry
- Clare Richards
- Dr Rene Roux and Ella Peterson
- Amanda Simpson
Chair's Award
Winner
Sarah Overton
Speech and Language Therapist
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