Honouring the STARs of Worthing Hospital

The ‘perfect sister’ for her exemplary care shown to patients. The highest-scoring maternity team in the country. The dementia volunteers transforming patient experience. And the staff nurse who went to extraordinary lengths to comfort her dying patient.

These were just some of the Worthing-based staff who were winners at the Trust’s Staff Achievement and Recognition (STAR) awards, held at Fontwell Park racecourse.

It was the fifth such awards ceremony held by Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the biggest yet – with a record number of teams among the 140 nominations, each asking for Trust staff to be recognised for their skill, their compassion, and their commitment.

Among the winners and runners-up were staff working across St Richard’s, Worthing and Southlands hospitals – from housekeepers and administrative staff to frontline nurses and doctors, healthcare assistants and hospital volunteers, to name just a few.

There were 10 award categories, including eight which are intended to reward staff who support the Trust’s vision “We Care”: Caring for Patients; Delivering Quality; Safety; Ambition; Serving Local People; Improvement; Hospital Hero, and Partnership Working

In addition there was the overall Employee of the Year Award, and the Chairman’s Award which went to the A&E Departments at Worthing and St Richard’s. The emergency teams see more than 400 people each day, and their departments are the best-performing in the region.

Trust Chief Executive Marianne Griffiths said: “People who work in the NHS excel at many things, with one notable exception – they tend to be terrible at taking praise for the amazing difference they make to people’s lives.

“Time and again I hear our nominees say that they are ‘just doing their job’, but these awards recognise those people who do so much more than can be expected of them, and who deliver something exceptional as if it is the most normal thing in the world.

“Our hospitals employ some truly incredible people, who care for patients when they are vulnerable, and who are prepared to do whatever they can to support their colleagues – in short, the best of the NHS.”

Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust employs more than 6,000 people, and nominations were made by both staff, patients, visitors and stakeholders.

Each winner received a glass STAR award, a framed certificate, a bottle of champagne and £100 to use within their department. Individual winners also receive an extra day’s leave. The event was funded by the Love Your Hospital charity.

The full list of winners and shortlisted runners-up were:

Caring for Patients

Winner: Sister Gerthy Albano, Coombes Ward, Worthing Hospital

Runners-up: Nadine Greig, Oncology Nurse Specialist

Sister Sheila Cullis, Buckingham Ward, Worthing

Helet Kuhn, Advanced Occupational Therapist, Hand Therapy, St Richard’s

Dr Paul Crowest, Anaesthetics, St Richard’s.

Delivering Quality

Winner: Sister Lynda Naftel, Becket Ward, Worthing Hospital

Runners-up: Dr Gina Michel, Speciality Trainee Obstetrics & Gynaecology, St Richard’s

Dr James Price, Specialist Registrar, Microbiology Path, St Richard’s

Breast Screening Service, Worthing

Patient Safety

Winner: Clinical Effectiveness Maternity Team, St Richard’s & Worthing

Runners-up: Lianne Dance, Acute Cardiac Unit, St Richard’s

Christian Chadwick, Women & Children’s Paediatrician Pharmacist, Worthing Hospital

Ambition

Winner: Dr Rowena Remorino, Consultant General Paediatrician

Runners-up: Mr Shafique Sajid, Speciality Doctor, Surgery, Worthing

Eastbrook Team, Pharmacy, Worthing

Serving Local People

Winners (joint): Knowing Me Volunteers

Debbie King, Hearing Therapist, Audiology, Worthing

Runners-up

Dr Tom Saunders & Dr Jackie Pace, Community Geriatricians

Improvement

Winner: Stuart Burnett, Pathology Manager, St Richard’s

Runners-up: Jenny Young, Paediatric Staff Nurse, Day Surgery, Worthing

Joint School for Hip and Knee Surgery, St Richard’s

Partnership

Winner: Nursery Nurses, St Richard’s and Worthing

Runners-up: James Muggeridge, Senior Communications Officer

A&E Departments, St Richard’s & Worthing

Hospital Hero

Winner: Sue Ridgers, Office Manager, Physiotherapy, St Richard’s

Runners-up: Ruth Luckman, Sewing Room Assistant, St Richard’s

Sister Sam Jackson, Brooklands Ward, Worthing

Melanie Ellerton, Secretary, Surgery, St Richard’s

Employee of the Year

Winner: Rosemary Campbell, Staff Nurse, Buckingham Ward, Worthing

Chairman’s Award

Winner: A&E Departments, St Richard’s & Worthing