Hunt is on for health service GEMs

MEMBERS of the public are invited to nominate healthcare workers they believe have star quality through NHS Leicester City’s GEM awards.

The scheme has been set up to recognise excellence demonstrated by staff from NHS Leicester City and Leicester City Community Health Service.

Patients can nominate staff for two awards – the Primary Care Award or the Health Professional of the Year award.

The Primary Care Award aims to recognise those working in primary care who demonstrate commitment to exceptional standards, care and compassion. This category includes individual staff such as GPs, optometrists, dentists, pharmacists, school nurses or midwives as well as whole practices or surgeries.

Staff from any area of the NHS can be nominated for the Health Professional of the Year award. People can put forward anyone from a mental health specialist to a district nurse or hospital consultant who they think provided the best care possible.

NHS Leicester City has a membership scheme for those who want to be more involved in their local NHS. Members will be given the exclusive opportunity to vote for the Best Engagement Award. This accolade relates to instances where staff worked with patients and the public to make changes to how health services are planned, developed or delivered.

A number of nominations for Health Professional of the Year have already been received. Louise Atkin, practice manager at Asquith Surgery in Welford Road, nominated district nurse Julie Jelley.

Julie was responsible for the ‘Crazy Bras’ project, a charity calendar where women who have been affected by breast cancer posed naked to raise cash for Leicester’s breast and chemotherapy units.

Louise said: “Julie has been seeing patients at our surgery for years and I always get so many compliments about her. She really does go out of her way to help people and to make them feel comfortable. It was no surprise to me that even when she became ill herself with breast cancer she continued to help others by setting up the calendar project. She is a perfect example of a nurse who really cares about others.”

There are 11 other categories in the GEM awards where staff can nominate their colleagues. These will be judged by a panel of staff from NHS Leicester City.

The deadline for nominations is Monday January 11 2010. The winners will be presented with their awards on Wednesday March 10 2010.

To download a nomination form visit www.leicestercity.nhs.uk Alternatively call 0116 295 4185.
For more information call:  NHS Leicester City’s press office on 0116 295 7278/4123.

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