Voting Opens as Our Health Heroes Shortlist is Announced

A record number of dedicated healthcare workers and employers who are going the extra mile for patients and colleagues have been shortlisted for the Our Health Heroes awards.

Organised by Skills for Health and headline sponsor Health Education England (HEE), the awards have been celebrating unsung healthcare heroes from across the UK since 2016.

This year, for the first time, members of the public were able to submit nominations alongside healthcare professionals for their heroes in the following categories:

• Outstanding Contribution
• Clinical Support Worker of the Year
• Operational Services Support Worker of the Year
• Apprentice of the Year
• Staff Wellbeing Employer of the Year
• Workforce Planning Team of the Year
• Integrated Team of the Year
• Learning and Development Project/Team of the Year

Judges were impressed by the quality of more than 880 nominations from across the UK and have already selected their overall winners in the employer and team of the year categories.

However, regional winners in the Clinical Support Worker of the Year and Operational Services Support Worker of the Year awards will now face the public vote to decide the overal national winners. 

The public vote will also decide who takes home the bronze, silver and gold in the Outstanding Contribution and Apprentice of the Year categories.

Voting opens to the public on Thursday 5th September via the Skills for Health website and closes on Friday 11th October.

John Rogers, Chief Executive at Skills for Health, said:

“For the fourth year in a row these awards have struck a chord and it’s been amazing to read through the nomination forms – there are some truly incredible people working within our healthcare sector who deserve to be recognised for their achievements and dedication.  

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to celebrate 12 regional winners in both the clinical and operational services support worker of the year categories. These 24 winners will be included in the national voting process, where we ask members of the public to help us choose an overall national winner in each category.

“I’m very much looking forward to meeting and raising a glass to all of the finalists in November and celebrating the national winners and runners-up.”

The shortlisting panel included representatives from Skills for Health, headline sponsor HEE and category sponsors NHS Employers, UNISON, Kissing it Better and Locum’s Nest.

Laura Roberts, Director of Skills Development and Participation for Health Education England (HEE), said:

“As the main sponsor for Our Health Heroes 2019, I’d like to congratulate everyone who is on the shortlist. It is clear from the high standard of nominations that both apprentices and support workers continue to play a vital role in delivering safe and compassionate care for all.

“I’m impressed by how many nominations were received this year, especially as so many of them came from members of the public. It’s great to see there is such an appetite to celebrate the clinical and operational staff who are often in roles considered behind-the-scenes, but who make up more than 40% of the NHS.”

The 34 finalists and winners have been invited to the Our Health Heroes Awards ceremony, where the 24 regional and eight national winners will be presented with their awards, on Wednesday 20th November 2019 at London’s Science Museum. 

Our Health Heroes 2019 finalists

Outstanding Contribution finalists – sponsored by NHS Employers:

Sarah Armer, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Christina Ginsburg, Mountbatten Hospice

Janet Callaghan, Manchester Local Care Organisation

Apprentice of the Year finalists – sponsored by UNISON:

Patrick Onyema, North East London NHS Foundation Trust

Ciaran Jones, University Hospital of North Midlands

Sophie Pomroy, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Operational Services Support Worker of the Year regional winners – sponsored by UNISON:

Eastern: Heather Butler, The Corner Stone Practice

East Midlands: Claire Hands, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

Greater London: Annabel Little, St Georges University Hospital

Northern: Dawn Nicholson, HF Trust Ltd

North West: Sarah Woods, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust

Scotland: Carl Brooks, NHS Orkney

Northern Ireland: Pauline Symington, South Eastern Trust

South East: Tracey Underhill, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

South West: Charlotte Rushton, Northern Devon Healthcare Trust

Wales: Helen Lumber, Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust

West Midlands: Wayne Ingram, Lovett Care Ltd

Yorkshire and Humber: Reg Ramsden, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

Clinical Support Worker of the Year regional winners:

Eastern: Jackie Fitzsimons, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust

East Midlands: Kelly Stuart, UHL NHS Trust

Greater London: Pauline Urvoy, CNWL Southwest

Northern: Peter Haddow, Northumberland Tyne and Wear

North West: Olivia Gillon, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Scotland: Richard Gray, NHS Lothian’s Harm Reduction Team

Northern Ireland: Katrina Lavery, Southern Health & Social Care Trust

South East: Emma Worrell, Queen Victoria Hospital

South West: Nicolette Mahon, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital

Wales: Jade Benjamin, CWM Taf Morgannwg UHB

West Midlands: Paul Foster, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

Yorkshire and Humber: Janet Pagdanganan, The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust