Earlier on in the year we asked patients, visitors and staff to nominate members of staff and teams at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) for our yearly Staff Stars Awards which recognise those who have gone over and above expectations within their professional role.

We had a huge number of nominations this year across all wards and departments at the Trust.

The winners and runners-up were announced at an awards ceremony which took place on Friday 20 November.

Certificates and prizes were presented by our Chief Executive, Glenn Douglas, and our Chairman, Tony Jones, as well as our special guest, Cheryl Fergison, who played the long-running, much-loved character Heather Trott in Eastenders.

Cheryl nominated the Kent-based Ellenor Hospice to receive the proceeds from our charity raffle on the night – over £775!

Patient First

• Runner up – Individual: Tom Blyth, Paediatric Consultant, TWH
• Winner – Individual: Jane Elliott, Colorectal CNS, Maidstone
• Runner up – Team: Gemma Bassett and Vivienne Smith, Haematology Secretaries, TWH
• Winner – Team: Maidstone Hospital Early Pregnancy Assessment Team, Maidstone

Respect

• Runner up – Individual: Ruth Casey, ENT OPD Sister, Maidstone
• Winner – Individual: Coralle Baillie, Ward 22 Manager, TWH
• Runner up – Team: Sheila Bates and Claire Randall, Midwifery Liaison Officers, TWH
• Winner – Team: Security Team, Maidstone

Innovation

• Runner up – Individual: Marie Griffiths, Junior Sister, ITU, Maidstone
• Winner – Individual: Sherwin Sinocruz, Nervecentre Project (secondment from ITU), TWH
• Runner up – Team: Nicola Cooper and Michelle Kleingunther, CAU Team leaders, both sites
• Winner – Team: ITU Sisters, Maidstone

Delivery

• Runner up – Individual: Alison Jankowski Clinical Manager for Therapy Assisted Discharge Team
• Winner – Individual: Shelley Green, HCSW, UMAU, Maidstone (represented by Jane Turner)
• Runner up – Team: Estates Project Team for ward decant at TWH, cross-site
• Winner – Team: GUM, cross-site

Excellence

• Runner up – Individual: Dr Karun Shetty, Associate Specialist in T&O, TWH
• Winner – Individual: Caroline Bush, Junior Sister, Outpatients, Maidstone
• Runner up – Team: Pharmacy teams, cross-site
• Winner – Team: Mercer Ward, Maidstone

Kent Messenger Newspaper Hospital Heroes Award

• Winner: Claire Ryan, Macmillan Nurse Clinician

Courier Newspaper Hospital Heroes Award

• Winner: Dr Nikila Pandya, Consultant Paediatrician

Special Recognition Award

• Winner: Maidstone Hospital League of Friends and Tunbridge Wells Hospital League of Friends

Pride Award

• Winner: Hilary Thomas, Matron and Deputy Head of Midwifery (retired August 2015)

Sylvia Denton Award for Care and Compassion

• Winner: Dr Scott Takeda, Consultant Cardiologist

Chairman’s Award

• Winner: Chantelle Menzies-Beer, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service

Volunteer of the year

• Runner Up: Terry Collins, Volunteer Chaplain, Tonbridge Cottage Hospital
• Winner: Jayne Raffill, League of Friends volunteer, Maidstone

Team of the Year

• Runner Up: Medical Assessment Unit/Ambulatory Assessment Unit, TWH
• Winner: Surgical Nursing Teams, cross-site – encompassing Short Stay Surgery Maidstone and TWH, Ward 10, Ward 11, Cornwallis and Peale

Employee of the Year

• Runner Up: Dr Serafeim Antonakis, clinical fellow in Ophthalmology, Maidstone
• Winner: Simon Newcombe, Senior Biomedical Scientist