Media Release
Date: 03 February 2015
Pride of the RUH celebrated in New Year's Honours Awards
Staff from the RUH have been awarded for their innovation, dedication and exceptional achievements at the hospital's annual New Year's Honours Awards ceremony.
This year's event was held at Bath's Assembly Rooms – and the awards were presented by legendary British actor and master of ceremonies, Simon Callow CBE.
The Team of the Year Award went to the 'Rapid Spread' Delivery Team. The team implemented a highly successful Trust-wide programme with the ambitious aim of eliminating all avoidable hospital-acquired pressure ulcers. Since the introduction of the programme, there has been a 100% reduction in the most serious 'Category 4' ulcers, and 'Category 2' ulcers have been reduced by 75%.
The accolade of Most Innovative Team went to the staff behind the Emergency Surgical Assessment Clinic (ESAC). ESAC is a rapid, consultant-led surgical service which treats patients with urgent general surgical problems (such as appendicitis or hernia) – often bypassing the need for them to be admitted to a ward.
The Chief Executive's Customer Care Award went to Healthcare Assistant Alison Huxter, who was nominated by a patient for her exceptional care. The patient said: "Alison should be richly rewarded for her kindness, I suspect that she genuinely cares about all the people in her care and therefore needs no other reward than knowing that she has done a good job. What a wonderful lady, she is a credit to the hospital".
The award for Research and Development went to the Neonatal Care Environment Research Team for the work they have done to measure and demonstrate the benefits the environment of the Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care provides for babies, their families and staff who work on the unit. The multidisciplinary team even designed and produced their own unique devices used for measuring babies' breathing and movement.
A number of Personal Achievement Awards were awarded to individual members of staff for their outstanding achievements throughout the year. The recipients were Sister Linda Ellis (Ophthalmology), Dr Anu Garg (Consultant Physician and Clinical Lead, Acute Medicine), David Jennings (Change Analyst, IT) and Alexa Poppleston (Pressure Ulcer Prevention Nurse).
A total of 47 Loyalty Awards for longstanding service were also presented on the night – with 38 staff celebrating 25 years at the Trust and nine celebrating an incredible 35 years.
Chief Executive of the RUH, James Scott said: "It's a fantastic event, not just for the staff receiving their awards but also for me, looking on with pride. I am constantly amazed at the incredible things our staff achieve, day in and day out. They consistently rise to the challenge – whatever pressures they might be facing; more than that, they constantly innovate and obsess over how things can be done better. It is a privilege to acknowledge their efforts and successes at the New Year's Honours Awards."
ENDS
For media enquiries or more information, please call Tina Waller (External Communications Officer) on 01225 826282.
About the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust:
Locally and regionally referred to as the RUH, the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset, Somerset and West Wiltshire.
The Trust was granted a license to operate as an NHS Foundation Trust on 1 November 2014.
The RUH is one of the City of Bath's largest employers with close to 5,000 members of staff and provides a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
The RUH is in the first phase of a major redevelopment strategy which will include the provision of a brand new state-of-the-art Cancer Centre, Pathology Lab, Therapies Centre, Pharmacy, and an Information Management and Technology Centre.