BBC’s Bill Turnbull presents Pennine Acute Trust team with Patients’ Choice Award

Mr Andrew Baldwin and staff from the oral and maxillofacial department receive the patients’ choice award from chairman John Jesky, chief executive Dr Gillian Fairfield, Bill Turnbull and Karen Topping from G4S.

NHS staff working in the specialist oral and maxillofacial surgery (head and neck cancer) team have been chosen as the winner of the Patients’ Choice Award at The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust’s Annual Staff Awards event.

The Trust’s Staff Awards 2015 consisted of 12 categories which recognised the very best of patient care, dedication and innovation across the Trust’s four hospital sites, community services and its 9,000 staff.

The Patients’ Choice Award gave the general public, patients and members of Pennine Acute Trust the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ and publicly recognise the outstanding care and treatment given to either them or a relative or close friend.

The public were invited to nominate any nurse, doctor, midwife, therapist, receptionist or other member of staff who had looked after them during an outpatient visit, day treatment or overnight, or longer hospital stay. The nominee will have shown exceptional patient care; this could be great kindness, professional expertise or expert patient care.

At the final awards ceremony at the Sheridan Suite in Manchester, BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull, announced that the Trust’s oral and maxillofacial (head and neck)
cancer team had won the award.

The team, led by Andrew Baldwin, consultant oral and maxillofacial/head and neck surgeon, treats patients across North Manchester, Oldham, Bury and Rochdale borough and is based at North Manchester General Hospital.

Mr Baldwin said: “The oral and maxillofacial head and neck cancer unit encompasses a large multidisciplinary team to provide compassionate best quality treatment for our patients.

"To be nominated and subsequently win an award in the Pennine Staff Awards 2015 was a real honour for our whole team. It was made even more special by being successful in the Pennine Patients’ Choice Award, which is based on nominations by the patients themselves. By receiving a prestigious award in this category, we consider this a real recognition of the hard work and commitment given by the whole team, and acknowledgement of the service we provide to our patients.

“I would like to thank everyone in the team including the medical/dental staff, ward and outpatient nursing staff, theatre staff, high dependency unit, clinical nurse specialists, secretaries, medical records/reception staff/ward clerks, dieticians, speech therapists, palliative care, radiology, pathology and dental hygienist. It is a pleasure to work with such a dedicated group.”

Presenting the awards, Bill Turnbull, said: "I was delighted to be part of the Pennine Acute Trust's annual staff awards. Such awards are a lovely way to recognise and thank local NHS staff and volunteers who really work hard to provide exceptional care to patients in their communities, often under pressure and huge demands. Presenting the Trust’s awards gave me a real insight into some of the great work taking place at Pennine's hospitals and out in the community."

Trust Chairman, John Jesky, said: “It is important to recognise and thank the extraordinary efforts and good work of teams and individuals across the Trust over the past year. Our annual staff awards provide the opportunity for us to celebrate the excellent work which takes place by staff in our hospitals and across all of our services including those who provide services in the community and in integrated teams with our partner agencies. The commitment, care, compassion and dedication of all those individuals who have won never ceases to impress me as we all strive to provide the very best care for our patients on every occasion.”

The event was fully paid for and supported by a number of external sponsors including: Weightmans Solicitors, Mitie, Vinci, Roche, G4S and Corporate Design Company. Trophies sourced by Lennard Trophies.