Two teams and one individual from Oxford Health are in the running for prizes in the Oxfordshire Health & Social Care Awards 2021.
Run by the local papers Oxford Mail and Oxford Times, the awards recognise the talent and dedication of those who work in health and social care. They aim to champion teams and individuals that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to care for people during the Covid pandemic.
Pete Gavan, the editor of the Oxford Mail and Oxford Times, said:
“The people who work in the health and social care industry have always been an inspiration, not just during the pandemic, and these awards are our way of thanking them for their incredible dedication and skill.
The shortlisted nominees were featured in Oxford Mail’s supplement, out on Thursday, April 29, and on the awards website.
The awards ceremony will be held on the paper’s Facebook page on May 21 at 7pm.
In this year’s awards there are 12 categories with three finalists in each, and our people are finalists in three categories.
Fiona Johns – finalist for Good Nurse Award
Children’s speech and language therapist Fiona Johns was nominated by her manager Karen Fern for the Good Nurse Award. Karen said:
“Fiona volunteered to be redeployed during the first lockdown to Witney Community Hospital’s Emergency Medical Unit (EMU) for around three months.
“Fiona was a nurse in a previous ‘life’ but has been a Children’s SLT for around 20 years, so this redeployment was a huge challenge for her on many levels. She worked as a support worker at EMU as her nursing qualifications had long since expired. Fiona has been an inspiration to us all. She juggled her home life, family, home schooling and work in such a positive and inspirational way that we could not be more proud of her.”
Fiona said:
“I’m very humbled and surprised to be nominated. I work with children in schools so when the schools closed I volunteered to go and help with whatever was needed and I ended up working as a nursing assistant. I’m very proud to work for the NHS.”
Luther Street Medical Centre – finalist for GP Practice of the Year
Luther Street Medical Centre is in the running for the GP Practice of the Year Award. The practice provides healthcare for people experiencing homelessness in Oxford City.
Practice manager Caroline Blanchett said: “The team at Luther Street were absolutely delighted to hear that they had not only been nominated but are a finalist for the GP Practice of the Year.
“The past year has been a challenging one for everyone, with all of us adapting to ever changing needs. We are proud to have been recognised for the part we have played within the NHS to continue to deliver services, for our part for the homeless population in Oxford.
“This recognition is testament to the commitment, dedication and professionalism of not only the team at Luther Street, but also the wider team within Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.”
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline – Finalists for Mental Health Award
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline was nominated for the Mental Health Award by Shadow Chancellor, MP Anneliese Dodds.
Set up within two weeks at the start of the first national lockdown in March 2020, the 24/7 helpline provides bespoke mental health advice to people when they need it and diverts demand from primary care. It brings together professionals from several Oxford Health teams and third sector partners to provide the most appropriate support for adults and children.
The team said: “We all really enjoyed working together on the helpline. It was an opportunity to work with colleagues we ordinarily would not work with, from different parts of the services. And we could not have done it without the amazing support from Oxford Health support services – project managers, IT, HR and communications. It was a full-on team effort. “
“We are delighted to have been recognised. The helpline is a shining example of what can be achieved when people come together with a common purpose and desire to do the best for local people at the most extraordinary of times.”
Published: 29 April 2021