Southport NHS heroes shortlisted for 2022 NHS Parliamentary Awards

Two Southport teams and one individual have been shortlisted for the prestigious NHS Parliamentary Awards 2022.

Southport MP Damien Moore nominated:

• Fiona Taylor for the Lifetime Achievement Award
• The medicines management team at the two Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Sefton for the Excellence in Primary and Community Care Award
• The Acute Oncology Team at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust for the Excellent in Healthcare Award.

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer of NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG, has worked in the NHS some 40 years, since she was 17. Fiona has been Chief Officer for nine years and is proud of what the CCGs have achieved through innovative schemes that they introduced to support the COVID-19 vaccination scheme and partnership working. During the pandemic, Fiona joined colleagues in one of her local GP-led vaccination centres volunteering her time as a vaccinator, playing her part in rolling out the largest vaccination programme in history.

Southport and Ormskirk Hospital’s Acute Oncology Team came up with a brilliant mnemonic, SPINE, for their hard working specialists to ensure early diagnosis of patients with metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC). Use of the mnemonic increased the number of suspected and confirmed cases of MSCC by almost threefold in the C2 neck vertebrae, demonstrating significant improvement in the recognition of MSCC. Since this mnemonic was developed, not one serious untoward incident relating to MSCCC has occurred in the Trust.

The medicines management team at the two CCGs in Sefton have been working hard to better integrate care across different organisations for the benefit of patients. The medicines management hub, launched in 2019, is central to this, and provides medicines reviews to some of the most vulnerable patients on discharge from hospital. Most recently the team’s COVID-19 response work has included the vaccination programme and care home support, working with key partners, local hospitals, and the Primary Care Networks. Alongside this, the team launched a pilot Stoma Prescribing and Support Service which has seen life changing improvements for patients and has now been extended to include bladder as well as bowel continence care.

The NHS Parliamentary Awards offer a chance to celebrate NHS staff, carers, and volunteers for all the hard work they do to look after our loved ones when they are at their most vulnerable. This has been particularly true during Covid, a global health emergency on a scale not seen for a century that saw the best in our NHS and society as we rallied together to protect those who needed it.

The NHS responded swiftly and flexibly to deal with the pandemic while maintaining other urgent care, but staff – present, past, and future – have come together as never before, supported by volunteers and the public.

NHS staff are continuing to go above and beyond for patients as they work to reduce the Covid backlog by providing 17 million extra diagnostic tests over the next three years. NHS England will also be adding to the 122 surgical hubs already in operation across the country over the next three years.

So many staff have worked tirelessly to put patients first, and this is something that the awards aim to recognise and reward. As part of the NHS’s 74th birthday this year, the NHS will once again be looking to celebrate those who have gone the extra mile to support patients.

Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:

“The NHS is one of our nation’s most loved institutions, and hardworking NHS staff, such as those I have nominated, make it what it is today.

“The stories I hear from our local health services in Southport make me extremely proud of the fact that our town attracts people willing to provide such fantastic care to our most vulnerable residents and others.

“NHS staff, volunteers, and carers make a true difference to the lives of their patients, and I want to recognise those individuals and teams at this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards.

“Fiona in particular I have greatly enjoyed working alongside. She is deeply caring and compassionate, and has a clear passion for improving patient care, reducing healthcare inequalities, and driving positive change in the NHS, aims that I am proud we both share.

“I will continue working hard for the people of Southport to ensure that it has the NHS it deserves, including continuing to work with the Government towards the restoration of the full children’s A&E service in Southport hospital at the earliest opportunity.”

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer of NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG

Fiona Taylor, Chief Officer of NHS South Sefton CCG and NHS Southport and Formby CCG, said:

“It is an honour to be nominated by Mr. Moore for the lifetime achievement award.

“I have seen significant change over my 40 years serving the NHS, and it is great to see it go from strength to strength. COVID-19 was an enormous challenge, but I was humbled by how the local Southport community rallied around to support the NHS and the vulnerable in our society.

“Southport’s NHS is blessed with some truly inspirational, hardworking, and caring people, and it is a privilege to continue working alongside them. We will continue to work closely with Mr. Moore to ensure that the people of Southport get the healthcare that they support.”

Professor Stephen Powis, chair of the judging panel and NHS National Medical Director, said:

“Throughout the NHS’s history there are examples of how staff and volunteers have contributed to making the health service the greatest care team in the world.

“The NHS Parliamentary Awards are a unique opportunity for MPs to highlight the amazing work done by NHS staff in their local areas, and I look forward to working with all of the judges to review the nominations we receive.

“This year there are 10 award categories, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Rising Star Award and, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Covid Response Award.

“The Parliamentary Awards 2022 launched on 2 March 2022, and all those who make the national shortlist will be invited to an award ceremony in Westminster to celebrate their fantastic achievements.

“Since the awards began in 2018 over 450 Members of Parliament nominated an individual or organisation for an award. Last year, the NHS received over 500 nominations from MPs.”

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