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We celebrated the exceptional work and dedication of our staff at our 2025 Leading Lights Awards this week.

The annual awards, held at Tewin Bury Farm Hotel yesterday (Tuesday 24 June), honour individuals and teams who have gone above and beyond to provide outstanding care, support their colleagues, and improve patient outcomes across the region. We provide community-based healthcare services to 1.2 million people and employ more than 2,000 people, delivering a wide range of health services to people in their homes, in local clinics, in schools and in our community hospitals.

More than 150 nominations were submitted across eight award categories, alongside the Alison Portch Award, which recognises innovation in children and young people’s therapies.

Among the winners were:

• Sarah Collins, Team Lead in the Incontinence Service who was recognised for raising safeguarding concerns after a routine examination that lead to a child being protected from harm;
• Stort Valley Integrated Care Team who were praised for their compassion, including staying with a patient through a gas leak and delivering home-cooked Christmas dinners;
• Call and Recall, Off the Grid, Kathy Law and Georgie Brighten, for improving vaccine access for underserved groups, including in prisons
• and the QVM Therapy and Nursing Inpatient Team with the QVM Plus Size Team, for introducing equipment that improved patient independence and reduced staff injuries.

The winner of the Chair’s Special Award for Outstanding Leadership was Kerry McCarthy, Business Support Manager, Children’s Specialist Services. She was praised for being a compassionate, inclusive role model.

Chief Executive Elliot Howard-Jones said: “These awards are an inspiring reminder of the care, creativity and compassion our staff show every single day.

“Whether it's safeguarding a child, transforming service delivery, or mentoring colleagues, our winners and nominees embody what makes community care so special.”

Chair Dr Nicolas Small added: “HCT wouldn’t be the place it is today without the colleagues who strive to provide an innovative, agile and caring service for their patients and improve the lives of everyone they work with.

“Leading Lights is an opportunity to say thank you and bring our staff together to celebrate and honour one another. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to nominate a team or individual, and everyone who has helped to make these awards possible.”

Leading Lights has been running for the past 13 years. Nominations are drawn from staff, partners and patients. Staff were also recognised for long service and for completing the trust’s preceptorship programme.

Other winners were

• Beth Williams, physiotherapist and Helene Somerville, speech and language therapist (Alison Portch Award)
• Jacquie Warner, Tissue Viability Services Lead and Elisabet Eldred, Designated Clinical Officer for SEND (Excellence in Partnership Working (Individual))
• In-Reach Team (Excellence in Partnership Working (Team))
• Joan Bethell, Executive Assistant (Providing Excellent Support Services (Individual))
• Children's Specialist Support Services Admin Team (Providing Excellent Support Services (Team))
• Children and Young People’s Hearing Service and Danesbury Inpatient Unit's Patient Education Folder Project (Deborah Bone Award for Innovation and Service Improvement)
• Staff Wellbeing Service and Integrated Community Respiratory Team (Making the Trust a Great Place to Work)
• Public Health Nursing 0–5 'Paperlite' Project (Green Award for Environmental Sustainability)