A physio who was nominated by a patient for ‘going above the call of duty’ picked up one of Western Health and Social Care Trust’s new awards that celebrate allied health professionals (AHPs).
Jill Hamilton holding her award, with AHP lead Hazel Winning to her left and Cheryl Tierney to her right
‘I was delighted to have won this and to have been nominated by one of my patients,’ said Jill Hamilton, who won in the patient experience category.
‘It certainly means a lot to me to know that I have had such an impact on their overall well-being and how much they appreciate that.’
She has been with the trust for 13 years, the past seven as a clinical lead for lymphoedema. And it was Cheryl Tierney, mother Mary-Kate and Ben, two of the children in her care, who nominated her for the patient experience prize.
‘We would quite literally be lost without Jill’s invaluable input into our children’s lives,’ Ms Tierney said.
‘She helps us to treat and manage their condition so that they can live as normal a life as possible.’
Another winner was the trust’s musculoskeletal integrated clinical assessment and treatment service and core physiotherapy and podiatry musculoskeletal outpatients team. It was recognised because of its delivery of better outcomes for patients.
The team has 41 physiotherapists, four podiatrists, two exercise specialists and two assistants across a range of bandings. It manages patients with a wide range of spinal and peripheral joint musculoskeletal conditions from initial assessment for treatment to more complex investigations and management.
Soraya Deazley, a physiotherapy technical instructor, was highly commended in the healthcare support work community category of the awards.
Her nominee was physiotherapist Mairead Mulligan, who described the compassionate and caring way she interacted with patients.
Northern Ireland’s lead AHP officer Hazel Winning and the trust’s chief executive Elaine Way presented the awards at the Waterfront Hotel, Derry-Londonderry, this spring.
They were launched to recognise best practice and innovation among the trust’s 640 AHPs, who work in hospitals and the community, accumulating some 640,000 contacts with patients each year.
Alan Corry Finn, the trust’s executive director of nursing who has responsibility for AHPs, said: ‘Not only are AHPs at the top of their game, implementing research and evidence-based practice, they also continue to keep their patients and their families at the centre of their work.’
Ms Hamilton said the awards were a good idea because they raised the profile of the profession and gave staff recognition for their hard work.
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