Sarah is recognised as an Unsung Hero by MP Jeremy Lefroy page thumbnail

Sarah Reay is a Healthcare Support Worker at the Hatherton Centre at St George’s Hospital, Stafford. She was named as Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust’s Unsung Hero for her care and compassion and overall contribution to improving patient care.

Sarah has introduced a weekly programme of activities based on listening to patients and ward staff and has used her own initiative to research the possibility of setting up a befriending scheme for patients who do not receive any visitors. As a secure service covering the whole region, some patients so not receive many visits from family or friends. Sarah recognised how distressing this could be and has set out to see if it would be possible to arrange a volunteer visiting programme. Thanks to her efforts it is hoped this programme will be up and running shortly.

The Midlands Partnership Better Together Awards are designed to recognise exceptional contributions to service, by individuals and teams, by clinical and non clinical staff. Over 165 nominations were received for the eight awards and following a rigorous process, supported by some of the Trust’s Governor Members and service users, the best entries were shortlisted, only finding out if they were winners on the night.

380 local NHS staff attended the event, held on 8 November 2018 at the Staffordshire County Showground, which is also an important opportunity for sharing good practice and helping staff to understand their role in the wider service. Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides physical and mental health, learning disability and adult social care services across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Shropshire, but also psychological therapies; drug and alcohol services in prisons; and care for serving MOD personnel across the country.

Neil Carr, Chief Executive said: “One of the Trust’s core objectives is to make this a fantastic place to work where staff feel positive and proud to be part of the organisation. We know that we cannot deliver effective services without well trained and supported staff and believe that offering real recognition in the form of this awards ceremony has a real part to play in creating an enthusiastic, committed and confident workforce.”