Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals celebrates outstanding contributions to healthcare at annual staff awards

Dedicated staff from across Warrington and Halton NHS Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust came together on Friday evening to recognise incredible achievements, inspiring innovations and dedication to patient care.  

More than 300 staff and sponsors attended the Trust’s annual Thank You Awards, held at the Titanic Hotel, Liverpool to celebrate winners across 13 categories.  

The event was made possible thanks to ticket sales and generous sponsorship from Kier Construction, Ryder Architecture, Hill Dickinson, the University of Chester, Weightmans, Keelagher Okey Klein, PwC UK, Pulse Outdoor Media Ltd, NHS Professionals, and Patchwork. 

The uplifting award ceremony was filled with appreciation and applause as individuals and teams gathered to acknowledge the significant contribution healthcare colleagues have made over the past 12 months. There were a record breaking 300 nominations for the awards, which were hosted by Smooth Radio’s Jo Lloyd. 

This year the Planned Care Team of the Year Award was collected by Team River (Enhanced Midwifery Care Team). The team received praise for their work to providing antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care to women and children with additional vulnerabilities. 

The award for Unplanned Care Team of the Year went to Ward A8 (General Medicine), for their commitment to demonstrating ‘true team spirit’ whilst supporting some of the Trust’s most complex enhanced care patients.

A number of special trophies were also handed out on the night, including the Outstanding Achievement Award. The award was presented by Chief Executive Nikhil Khashu to Lefteris Zabatis for his work to develop the Trust’s Community Diagnostic Centre. Recognised for his ‘unquestionable’ dedication to the community, Lefteris was described as someone with ‘passion and unmistakable enthusiasm’ to provide support to colleagues and the Trust. 

The special People’s Choice Award was awarded to Louise Foley, Specialist Colorectal Nurse. Back for the second year, the award invited members of the public to submit a nomination for a health hero that has made a positive difference to their experience at Warrington and Halton Hospitals. The nomination praised Louise for her quick thinking, excellent communication during difficult times, and vital emotional support for patients going through their cancer journey. One nomination described Louise as “a rock during my cancer diagnosis and treatment.”  

Demonstrating their commitment to the WHH Trust values, Kaley Whelan and Samantha Durcan received the Colleague of the Year Award (Clinical) and Colleague of the Year Award (Non-Clinical). Kaley was commended for her dedication to consistently going the extra mile in her role and team to provide the highest care standards for patients.   

Samantha’s award-winning nomination highlighted her outstanding work to provide a personalised service to people living with a terminal illness, upholding the Trust values of inclusive and kind to underpin excellence in palliative care. 

WHH Chief Executive Nikhil Khashu reflected on the inspirational evening, saying: “Our Thank You Awards give us a chance to shine a spotlight on the exceptional work that our WHH teams do day in, day out. Being able to come together and share the fantastic achievements more widely is a privilege and wouldn’t be possible without colleague’s dedication to what matters most: our hospitals, patients, communities and each other.” 

Other accolades on the night included the Innovation and Improvement Award, collected by the Gynaecology Super Clinic Team for their work to improve gynaecology care and the You Made a Difference Award presented to Ward A3 and Ward B18 for their ‘exemplary holistic care’ to support an elderly couple to be together whilst receiving care in hospital.

The WHH Thank You Awards were launched in 2009 to recognise staff, care givers and volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their work to support quality patient care and experience. The event also featured a three course-meal, DJ and prize draw, with a record total of £2,292 raised on the night for Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals Charity.

The full list of awards and winners can be found below. 

• Planned Care Team of the Year – Team River, Enhanced Midwifery Care Team
• Unplanned Care Team of the Year – Ward A8 (General Medicine)
• Clinical Support Services Team of the Year – Outpatients Department
• Corporate Services Team of the Year – Communications and Engagement Team
• Living Our Values: Colleague of the Year (Clinical) – Kaley Whelan, Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner (UEC, Acute Medicine)
• Living Our Values: Colleague of the Year (Non-Clinical) – Samantha Durcan, Medical Secretary (Palliative Care Team)
• Innovation and Improvement Award – Gynaecology Super Clinic Team
• Culture and Inclusion Award - Clare Fairhurst, Clinical Team Manager (Acute Medical Therapies)
• Rising Star Award – Erin Tighe, Financial Accounts Assistant (Management Accounts)
• Leadership Award – Lydia Davies, Lead Radiographer (Breast Screening Services)
• You Made a Difference Award – Wards A3 (Acute Cardiac Care Unit) and B18 (Respiratory Care)
• People’s Choice Award – Louise Foley, Specialist Nurse (Colorectal Team)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Lefteris Zabatis, Senior Strategic Project Manager, Strategy Team