Staff Awards: Time to Shine 2025

This evening, at our annual Time to Shine Awards, our NHS trust are celebrating just some of our brilliant colleagues from across Hertford County Hospital in Hertford, Lister Hospital in Stevenage, Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood and The New QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City.

Earlier this year, staff at the trust were invited to nominate their colleagues for award recognition ahead of the event, with a panel of judges scoring each nomination to determine our 41 finalists.

Click here from 8pm on Wednesday 16 July to follow the live commentary of our awards ceremony.

We are pleased to share this year’s finalists of the Time to Shine 2025 Awards:

Live event commentary from 8pm on Wednesday 16 July:

(A live commentary of the event will be held here.)

We are delighted to kick-start the awards ceremony by announcing our first winners of the evening, our Here to Help Award from our list of finalists:

• The carer experience volunteers
• The East and North Hertfordshire therapy dog team
• The MVCC patient supporters’ volunteer team

And the winners are:

The East and North Hertfordshire therapy dog team – In the past 12 months, therapy dogs have contributed 500 hours and over 10,500 patient interactions, making a profound impact. They help patients and staff relax, and provide comfort to those in end of life care. The dogs with their volunteers are always a favourite when visiting the hospital, helping to improve patient and staff morale.

The second award of the night is The Carmelcrest Construction Thriving People Award, and the finalists are:

• Ben Zalin
• Yvonne Beevor
• Sophie Lavers
• Karen Moore-Haines

And the winner is:

Ben Zalin – Ben has fostered a positive work culture, where all new starters in acute medicine feel heard and supported, enabling them to grow into their roles and reach their potential. This positive culture has
impacted patient care, with increased discharges, increased flow, and reduced length of stay. His work is directly impacting staff retention in acute medicine with many trainees wanting to come back as consultants.

The The Netcall Seamless Services Award is the next award to be announced. Our finalists are:

• Charlie’s transition team
• Debbie Straughn
• Hospital play team

And the winners are:

Charlie’s transition team – The transition of 17-year-old Charlie, a young person with complex medical needs, inspired a trust-wide response to improve care for others in similar situations. The experience demonstrated exceptional collaboration, compassion, and family-centred care – laying the foundation for future transition pathways.

The next award is the Values into Practice Include Award. Our finalists are:

• Daniela Neculau
• Rebecca Scarlino
• Reverand Michael Sijuwade

And the winner is:

Daniela Neculau – Daniela consistently exceeds expectations in her role as a housekeeper. She recently trained as a competent person risk assessor, display screen equipment assessor, and fire warden, showcasing her exceptional skills and commitment. Daniela also goes above and beyond in supporting patients, such as helping a patient with severe learning difficulties manage dialysis, highlighting her dedication and teamwork.

Up next, is The Values into Practice Respect Award. Our finalists are:

• Cath Woods
• Faith Lukwago
• Johanna Loader
• Julia Seez

And the winner is:

Faith Lukwago – has consistently displayed impeccable and respectful leadership qualities. In every situation, no matter how difficult, Faith chose words that carried respect and elicited accountability. This respectful approach puts colleagues at ease and often leads to better outcomes than expected.

Our penultimate award, before heading for a dessert break is the Values into Practice Improve Award. Our finalists are:

• Swift Ward physiotherapy team
• Multi-disciplinary teams involved in the launch of Maternity EPR
• Kim Guevarra

And the winner is:

Kim Guevarra – Kim initiated a service improvement project to reduce turnaround time, improving patient flow from pre-op through to ward transfer, keeping patient and staff safety his number one priority. His work improved patient experience through more positive outcomes and preventing cancellation of cases. Kim also contributes to programmes aimed at helping patients recover faster through early nutrition and getting on their feet sooner after surgery.

Our last award before we break for dessert and refreshments is a surprise award, The Walter Cooper Values into Practice Award. The award crowns an ultimate winner from our Values into Practice Awards.

And the winner is:

Daniela Neculau

We are now taking a short break and will be back with the following awards:

• The Evergood Associates Continuous Improvement Award
• The Doctors Laboratory Excellence in Education Award
• The Special Contribution Award
• The Charity Champion Award
• The Hunter Healthcare Quality Award
• The People’s Choice Award
• Chair and Chief Executive Award

We’re back underway!

The next award is The Evergood Associates Continuous Improvement Award.

Our finalists are:

• Lucy Pickersgill
• The endoscopy team
• The resourcing team
• Karen Harrold

And the winners are:

The endoscopy team – The endoscopy team has transformed care through innovative diagnostics, cutting-edge procedures, and pioneering research. The team is committed to staff training, patient engagement, and ensuring the team are aligned with their objectives and goals. The team have recently introduced a patient forum as an excellent way to engage with patients to ensure improvements are patient centred.

The next award is The Doctors Laboratory Excellence in Education Award.

Our finalists are:

• Amy Hunt
• Jerome Alagao
• Pratik Solanki
• The preceptorship team

And the winner is:

Amy Hunt – Amy has played a key role in the success of the International Midwifery Education programme, designing tailored training and offering exceptional personal support. Her holistic, compassionate approach helps internationally educated midwives integrate both professionally and personally, leading to outstanding retention.

The next award is The Special Contribution Award.

Our finalists are:

• The main operating theatre portering team
• Hannah Durrell
• Paul Roche

And the winner is:

Paul Roche – Paul embodies the values of the trust and is an integral part of the 10B team. Patients and staff consistently praise his kindness, cheerful demeanour, and unwavering support. He uplifts those around him, offering comfort and compassion. Paul’s dedication, regardless of the day, has made a lasting
impact on the ward and is deeply appreciated by all.

The next award of the evening is the Charity Champion Award.

Our finalists are:

• Ann Meldrum
• Jagdeep Kudhail
• The Project Bluebell team

And the winners are:

The Project Bluebell Team – The Bluebell ward nursing team launched Project Bluebell to
enhance family spaces on their ward, raising over £10,000 through monthly fundraisers like bake sales, quizzes, and bingo nights. Volunteering their own time, they are compassionate and dedicated about improving patient and family experiences, continually striving to make their ward a more comforting place.

Our next award is the The Hunter Healthcare Quality Award.

Our finalists are:

• The dementia team
• Fariha Shafi
• Sirisha Donekal
• Stroke team

And the winners are:

The dementia team – The dementia team consistently delivers high-quality, person-centred care while supporting staff development. They’ve led multiple initiatives, including delirium and communication projects, cost-saving measures, dementia-friendly resources, and volunteer expansion. They actively engage carers, stakeholders, and the community to drive continuous service improvement.

The final award of the evening is The People’s Choice Award.

Our finalists are:

• Fay Clark
• Paola Borrelli
• Sara Goodge

And the winner is:

Fay Clark – Fay’s dedication and compassion provided vital support when a patient faced recurring miscarriages. She listened, reviewed national guidelines, and advocated for change, ensuring no other parents experienced the same barriers. Fay arranged an appointment with a specialist consultant and helped facilitate a successful pregnancy. Her dedication not only positively impacted this family but also set a precedent for better, more compassionate care for future families.

We’re not quite done yet… There is a surprise award to finish with, delivered by our Chief Executive and Trust Chair: The Chair and Chief Executive Award.

And the winners are: The MVCC Fabric Improvement Programme Team.

Well done to all of our winners, and of course our wonderful finalists this evening. A fantastic night to honour the incredible work of our brilliant, NHS trust.

That concludes our awards ceremony for the evening, thank you for joining us live, it’s now over to our House Band to start the party!