More amazing stories of outstanding care at Morriston Hospital Patient Choice Awards
There were tears and cheers aplenty at an emotional awards event which shine a light on outstanding care and support provided by Swansea Bay staff and volunteers.
Called the Patient Choice Awards, anyone wanting to say a big thank you to our staff and volunteers for providing brilliant care can nominate individuals or teams from across health board services and sites.
It can be anyone working for Swansea Bay who someone feels has really gone above and beyond to look after them, their friends or family members.
Nominators and nominees are then brought together at a series of emotional presentation events where patient’s stories are being shared and the awards handed out.
Staff have been nominated for anything from a relatively simple gesture that makes life more comfortable or convenient to being - quite literally - a life-saver.
Following awards events at Neath Port Talbot and Singleton hospitals, Morriston Hospital has been in Patient Choice spotlight, with numerous heart-warming stories shared at the second of three presentation gatherings.
Setting the scene at the event was Swansea Bay University Health Board Chair Jan Williams, who was attending her first Patient Choice Awards gathering after taking on the role of Chair earlier this summer.
Speaking to the patients, families and friends in attendance, she said: “Your wonderful nominations allow us to celebrate either a member of our staff, a volunteer or a team through the eyes and experiences of our patients and service users, their relatives and visitors. The nominations are their reward for making a real difference and providing outstanding care. Thank you to all the patients, service users, relatives, carers and visitors who provided such outstanding feedback to the health board.”
Among those who made a nomination was Elizabeth Jones, who was keen for the hard work and dedication of Ward S staff to be rewarded.
Elizabeth wrote in her nomination: “This is to express my greatest thanks to all the staff on Ward S, Morriston Hospital, for the excellent care for my husband Mr David V Jones received during his seven month stay on the ward. My husband needed one-to-one nursing for quite a while due to his complex needs.
“Although a very, very busy ward, all patients were treated with compassion, kindness and professionalism, as were relatives. All this I observed during my husband’s stay - no patient was treated differently.”
Meanwhile Ceri Williams nominated renal consultant physician Dr Ashraf Mikhail, who helped her make a life-changing decision to try home haemodialysis.
“Without Dr Mikhail's encouragement and support, I never would have considered home haemodialysis,” she wrote.
“When he first suggested it to me, I honestly thought he was mad due to my fear of needles. I think he saw the fear and shock in my face when he suggested it but he calmly explained to me about why it would be a good option.
“I reminded him of my fear of needles and I would never be able to needle myself. Again, Dr Mikhail explained to me about button holes and how the team would train me and work with me to overcome my fears. That day I left the hospital and phoned my Nan straight away to update her on the possibility of me going onto the self-care program and eventually doing dialysis at home. The needling was a huge barrier for me and I had accepted that I would be going to hospital for the rest of my life. Two and a half years on I am at home, in charge of my treatment and have returned to work full time. It’s a journey I wouldn't have even considered without Dr Mikhail's input.”
Consultant surgeon Mr Amir Kambal and the Pancreaticobiliary team were the subject of a particularly moving nomination from patient Amanda Margaret Hughes, who wrote: “Mr Kambal went out of his way for me and my family during an extremely frightening time. He performed extensive surgery on me for pancreatic cancer.
“Basically, I don’t know if there is anything bigger than someone saving your life and I feel that is what Mr Kambal did for me. I was treated like an individual, an important life, not just an anonymous patient number. I realise none of us know what our future holds but I do know I was probably looking at a much shorter future if Mr Kambal had not agreed to perform skilful surgery by removing my cancer.”
A full list of all nominations from this latest awards event is included below.
Event 1
Award 1: Ward S, Alastair Johnson (HCSW. Ward S), Gary Collyer (HCSW. Ward G), Helen Powe (Discharge Liaison Nurse) and Karama Chelly Jarraya (Domestic Assistant) - nominated by Mrs Elizabeth Jones.
Award 2: Bijumon John (Staff Nurse. Gowers) - nominated by Cleo Purchase.
Award 3: Louie Balmores (HCSW. Nurse Bank) - nominated by Cleo Purchase.
Award 4: Morag O’Gorman (Ward Sister. Gowers) - nominated by Cleo Purchase.
Award 5: Rebecca Holt (Hostess. Gowers Ward) - nominated by Cleo Purchase.
Award 6: Dr Mithun Nagari (Consultant Gastroenterologist), Lisa Hicks (IBD and Anaemia CNS. Gastroenterology), Sarra Wilcox (Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Iron Deficiency Anaemia Clinical Nurse Specialist) and Stacey Oldfield (IBD Clinical Nurse Specialist) - nominated by Heather Turner.
Award 7: Lawrence Dovgalski (Maxillofacial Prosthetists.) and Sarah Newton (Trainee Clinical Scientist. Maxillofacial Laboratory) – nominated by Eric Witheridge & Anthony Nicholls.
Award 8: Orthodontic Team, Maxillofacial Clinical Team, Mr Madhav Kittur (Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon) and Nia Porte (Dentist. Restorative) – nominated by Natalie Rees, Delyth Jutsum & Carole Morgan.
Award 9: Mr Peter Llewelyn Evans (Maxillofacial Laboratory Services Manager) – nominated by Brian William Ison.
Award 10: Tracey Gordge (Orthodontic Therapist. Maxillofacial) – nominated by Kimberley Bugeja.
Event 2
Award 1: Dr Tareq Husein (Consultant Acute Care Physician. Medicine) – nominated by Jodie Price.
Award 2: Caroline Rees (Clinical leader. Renal) - nominated by Christopher Davies & Eifion Lacey.
Award 3: Debbie Hopkins (Unit Manager. West Renal Unit) – nominated by Jennifer Wells.
Award 4: Dr Ashraf Mikhail (Consultant Physician. Renal) – nominated by Ceri Williams.
Award 5: Eleanor Bonar (Health Care Support Worker. Renal) - nominated by Ceri Williams.
Award 6: Dr Vandse Aithal (Consultant. Renal), Liz Baker Unit, Melanie Pickman (Transplant Recipient Nurse. Renal), Mr Aled Williams (Consultant Nephrologist. Renal) and Rhian Thomas (Medical Secretary to Dr R Shrivastava, Dr T Husein, Dr Aled Wiliams, Consultant Nephrologists. Renal) – nominated by David Poole, Katie Banks & Jodie Price.
Award 7: West Renal Unit – nominated by Martin Ralph.
Award 8: Laura Davies (Nursing Support Worker. Renal Annexe) – nominated by Andrew Rothero.
Award 9: Emma Morris (Clinical leader. Selfcare Dialysis) – nominated by an Anonymous patient & Nadine Fillery.
Award 10: Joseph Townsend (Dialysis support worker. West Renal Unit) – nominated by Kay Boobier & Lee Tudor.
Event 3
Award 1: Alexander Teasdale (CT2. Surgery), Dr Daisy Ryan (ST5. Surgery) and Plastic Trauma Team – nomination from David Jackman.
Award 2: Angela Webb (HCSW. Ward G) – nominated by Abbie Warren.
Award 3: Arlene Davies (Sister. General Surgery) – nominated by Anna Morgan.
Award 4: Dr Melissa Benn (Adult and Paediatric Emergency Medicine Consultant) and Bev Evans (A&E receptionist) – nominated by Gillian Alford.
Award 5: Charles Richard Pawsey (Physiotherapy Clinical Specialist. Physiotherapy) – nominated by Alan Thomson.
Award 6: Mandy Williams (staff nurse, Cyril Evans ward) – nominated by David Jones.
Award 7: Mr Amir Kambal (Consultant Upper GI Laparoscopic and Pancreaticobiliary Surg) and The Pancreaticobiliary Team – nominated by Amanda Margaret Hughes.
Award 8: Nick Davies (Specialist Nurse, Burns & Plastics) – nominated by Beverley Pickersgill.
Award 9: Sarah Pewsey (Secretary to Professor Dean Harris and Mr Dan Hanratty) – nominated by David Hughes.
Award 10: Stephanie West (Stroke Trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner) and The Stroke Team – nominated by an Anonymous patient.
Award 11: Ffion Thomas (Ward Manager. Clydach ward) and Ward A – nominated by John Ashley Lovering.
Would you like to nominate a member of staff for a Patient Choice Award?
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