Health Secretary congratulates Welsh winners at UK awards

Healthcare professionals from across NHS Wales were awarded for their innovative work, collaboration, and leadership to improve healthcare in Wales and beyond, at the UK's Advancing Healthcare Awards 2024

Now in its 19th year, the awards brings together allied health professionals and healthcare scientists, to recognise and celebrate their work.

A third of the awards were won by NHS staff from Cardiff and Vale, Swansea Bay and Cwm Taf Morgannwg health boards. They were honoured for innovative practice including:

• Piloting an intervention service to improve outcomes and help people to sustain type 2 diabetes remission through weight and improved nutrition management
• Work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of staff and patients across Welsh health boards by raising the profile of team wellbeing, and setting up a menopause education and exercise group in a hospital gym
• The creation of a cost-effective online training resource, used across the UK, to enhance staff and patient safety when handling medical gasses and cylinders
• Effective leadership to deliver diabetes education programmes and an all-Wales diabetes prevention programme operational across all health boards.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Eluned Morgan said:

A big congratulations to all the NHS Wales Allied Health professionals and healthcare scientists who won awards at the UK's Advancing Healthcare Awards this year!

“I'm delighted to see the talent and innovative practices that we have in our workforce in Wales being recognised and celebrated.

“The winners should be very proud of themselves. The breadth of talent illustrates the valuable contribution and dedication of these professions in keeping people well and improving outcomes in Wales and beyond.

Wales' Chief Allied Health Professions Advisor, Ruth Crowder said:

Healthcare scientists and allied health professionals are vital team members in every service in health and care in Wales.

They are working incredibly hard to implement innovative, evidence-based and high-quality services and it is wonderful to see that professionalism recognised and acknowledged in these awards.

Wales' Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser for Health, Dr Delia Ripley said:

 The Advancing Healthcare Awards are a real opportunity to shine a light on the vital and innovative work undertaken by allied health professionals and healthcare scientists.  

As well as recognizing and rewarding high quality professional practice, these awards give our professions in Wales a platform to demonstrate the value and impact of their specialist skills and drive improvements in patient care.

Notes to editors

The Welsh winners are listed here.

The Welsh Government Award for Value-based Care: Maximising the Expertise of Healthcare Scientists and Allied Health Professionals to Improve Patient Outcomes

Catherine Washbrook-Davies, All Wales Nutrition and dietetic lead for Diabetes, Cardiff and Vale Health Board and NHS Wales Executive

Catherine was a winner for effectively utilising her expertise in helping to deliver an intervention service for those in type 2 diabetes remission.  Dietitians from 4 health boards piloted the Total Diet Replacement approach to facilitate remission, an approach which is being adopted throughout Wales.

The Rising Star Award – two Welsh winners for this award

Sophie Roberts-Kozok, Senior Operating Department Practitioner for Anaesthetics – Wellbeing lead, Prince Charles Hospital, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board

• - Sophie was awarded for her work on raising the profile of team well-being and ‘putting the team first', which was described as pivotal in improving patient safety, theatre efficiency, and reducing waiting lists for her team and health board.

Tomos Goodwin, Specialist Physiotherapist, Swansea Bay University Health Board

• - Tomos was awarded for his leadership early in his career, having only qualified 2 years ago. Tomos set up a menopause education and exercise group within the hospital gym for therapy colleagues, and created a referral pathway, which has resulted in ‘exceptional' uptake and staff feedback.

The Allied Health Professions Clinical Leadership Award

Helen Nicholls, Head of Nutrition and Dietetic Services, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

• - Helen was recognised as a clear example of dedicated and innovative leadership for her significant contributions to healthcare, over 20 years of service. She established both diabetes education programmes and All-Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme, which are operational across all Welsh health boards.

Award for the Best Collaboration across Clinical, Academia and Industry, sponsored by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

Paul Lee, Consultant Clinical Scientist, Head of Medical Equipment Management Service (MEMS) and Chair of the National Association of Medical Device Educators and Trainers (NAMDET)

Jordan Lee, Undergraduate Admin Assistant and Managing Editor MDET Journal, Swansea Bay University Health Board and NAMDET.org 

• - Father and daughter duo - Paul and Jordan Lee - were presented with this award. Paul Lee, and his daughter Jordan, who has no formal medical training but holds an MA in English Literature, have collaborated for more than a year in their spare time to create an e-learning course and 70-page workbook to train staff in the safe handling and use of medical gases and cylinders used in healthcare.
• - The training has been added to the National E-Learning for Health Portal, an award-winning website with more than two million registered users providing online training for health and social care staff across the UK, which will lead to improved benefits for patients and enhance staff health and safety.