Hospital staff are honoured at awards ceremony (From Gazette)
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Hospital staff are honoured at awards ceremony
10:00am Friday 29th June 2012 in News By Ryan Jennings
Dr Sally Irvine and Dr Gordon Coutts with switchboard Team Stephanie Collins, Sue Blanchette and Julie Calver, individual winner Emma Mazerolle and best volunteer Cindy Rogers
HOSPITAL staff were honoured for their dedication and service at an awards ceremony.
More than 50 members of staff from the Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust were given long service awards marking 20, 30, 40 and 50 years in their roles.
Winners of the trust’s At Our Best awards – which are supported by the Gazette – were also honoured at the ceremony held at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
Alice Bolton, 72, has spent 51 years working for the trust, including 12 as a volunteer at Essex County Hospital.
She said: “I love what I do, I love everyone I work with.
“I will just keep going as long as I can, or for as long as they will have me.”
Cindy Rogers, winner in the Best Volunteer category, volunteers at the main reception at Colchester General Hospital, three times a week.
She said: “It makes me proud to pick up the award.
“I don’t volunteer for the awards, I do it because I really love it. I love the interaction with the team and the patients.”
Switchboard was chosen as the Best Team. Julie Calver, 57, Sue Blanchette, 36, and Stephanie Collins, 55, were nominated for the help they gave an elderly patient who was anxious to have his appointment changed.
“It’s nice to get this recognition,” said Mrs Calver, who lives in Harwich. “It is an important role as we are the first port of call – the first people patients speak to – and we pride ourselves in that.”
Emma Mazerolle was voted the Best Individual.
She was nominated after working hard to ensure a patient with cancer was able to see his son get married the day before he died.
Emma was instrumental in setting up a Skype link at the bedside of the patient, who was dressed for his son’s wedding.
She said: “We weren’t able to get him to the wedding, but he saw it all from his bed.
“Sadly he died the next day, but we were able to give him his wish.”
Trust chairwoman Dr Sally Irvine said of the awards: “This is a unique and uplifting occasion when the trust can celebrate the fantastic staff we have.
“I don’t just mean the people here, who are the winners, but all the people they represent.
“Without our staff and volunteers, patients in Colchester would be much less well off – this is an amazing group of people.”
