The NHS in Yorkshire and the Humber has today revealed the four individuals and teams it has chosen as part of ten regional champions for the prestigious NHS Parliamentary Awards, supported by Fuji Film to celebrate outstanding health and care staff helping patients as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The regional champions including two nurses with over 90 years’ experience, a unique use of technology to help MS sufferers and a volunteer helping to shape services for those with a communication need will now go head to head for the national prize. They will be pitched against the other winners from across the country at a special ceremony in the House of Commons on the 10 July.

Hundreds of examples of staff who go above and beyond the call of duty including doctors, nurses and volunteers who make a genuine difference to the people they care for were nominated by their MPs.

Launched in March, the NHS called on MPs to find and nominate those individuals or teams they thought have made the biggest improvements to health and care services in their constituencies across ten categories.

England’s top nurse and leading the national awards ceremony this year, Ruth May, said: “A huge congratulations to all those who have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to the NHS as well as making a genuine difference to the patients they care for. It will be a tough task selecting our overall winners – I look forward to hearing more about their fantastic achievements and celebrating with them all at the national award ceremony.”

The Yorkshire and the Humber champions, who were selected by an expert panel, are:

The Future NHS Award (Sponsored by Fuji Film): The Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Team led by Professor Basil Sharrack & Professor John Snowden nominated by Clive Betts MP

The Sheffield Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (AHSCT) team has pioneered the use of a breakthrough treatment, which is the first to significantly reverse disability of patients with active multiple sclerosis. The treatment is the result of a unique partnership between neurology and haematology departments at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Dr David Hughes, Medical Director for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are immensely proud that the Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (AHSCT) team have been named as regional winners of the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2019’s Future NHS Award. By uniquely combining their specialist fields of neurology and haematology the team, led by Professor Basil Sharrack and Professor John Snowden, have played an inspirational role in pioneering a new breakthrough treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), which is the first to significantly reverse disability of patients with the active form of the disease..”

The Volunteer of the Year Award: Jamie Preece, Barnsley Assistive Technology team Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust nominated by Angela Smith MP

Jamie was born with Cerebral Palsy and struggled to make himself understood to people outside of his immediate family until he started using a communication aid – a form of what is called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Jamie now volunteers as a service user representative with the Barnsley Assistive Technology team, who provide specialised AAC throughout Yorkshire and Humber.

His determination, ‘can-do’ attitude and sense of humour have made him a popular and respected part of the team and Trust.

Simon Judge, Service Lead, Assistive Technology Team: “Jamie’s input to our team has been essential over the past 3 or so years to ensuring that, as a team working with those with the most significant disabilities, we remain focused on the needs of our service users. Jamie is able to travel to work and carry out this role with the team because of his use of his communication aid – which is part Jamie’s Augmentative and Alternative communication (AAC) strategies that he uses to ensure he can communicate and participate in life. Jamie’s deep understanding of the real challenges and also benefits of using AAC help us better deliver our services to meet the real needs of our service users. Jamie also inputs into improving the design of communication aids, both through our service provision, research and development and consultation with the communication aid manufacturers.”

 The Care and Compassion Award: Annie Darby OBE QN nominated by Melanie Onn MP

Before her recent retirement, Annie had 35 years experience working in the NHS and, during that time, she worked to improve the health and wellbeing of those groups considered to be marginalised, drug users, offenders, sex workers and those with complex physical and mental health needs. Annie has previously been awarded an OBE for her work establishing ‘Fed Up’ which highlights the effects of drug related deaths on families.

NAViGO Director of Finance, Simon Beeton, said: “Here at NAViGO we are so proud of Annie and all of her achievements during her 35 year career in health and social care and we are blessed to have her working with us.

“She truly is a force of nature and an inspiration to all of the service users she works with and colleagues she works alongside. Her passion to support and engage with the most vulnerable in our society is tangible and her thirst for innovation really does drive our services forward.”

Lifetime Achievement Award: Madeline Large nominated by Emma Hardy MP

Madeline has enjoyed a 55-year career in the NHS, having started out as a cadet nurse in Hull in 1964 and having qualified in 1969. She has worked as a staff nurse, scrub nurse and Sister, but by her own admission, Madeline’s career highlight was being chosen to work as part of the team which established a new cardiac unit for Hull and East Yorkshire. Madeline has continued to work in cardiac theatres at Castle Hill Hospital until her retirement this year.

 Madeline Large says: “In theatres, no one is more important than anyone else, and no one person can do their job without the others. Being part of a team where everyone pulls together has kept me motivated throughout my career, so this award is not just for me, it’s for everyone who I’ve worked with and who has supported me over the years.”

Dr Mike Prentice, a Medical Director for the North East and Yorkshire said: “I was impressed by the high standard of all entries from the North East this year and choosing between the dozens of champions who all go above and beyond, to go forward and represent our region, has been incredibly difficult. I wish our champions the best of luck in the national heats and will be rooting for them on the day.”

All of the champions will now be invited to the national awards ceremony for the final stage of judging by a panel of health and care leaders. The ceremony will be held on 10 July at the House of Commons and hosted by Dr Sarah Wollaston, Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee with a special performance from the NHS Choir.

The NHS Parliamentary Awards, supported by FUJI FILM, recognise the massive contribution made by the individuals who work in and alongside the NHS.