Local NHS staff up for national awards

First of all, Ross Mackie, who is team manager for Adult Community Mental Health, has been shortlisted for the Care for Mental Health Award.

Despite the pandemic, Ross retained his vision of peer support workers becoming part of the local health authority’s mental health services and made this happen through his ‘tenacity, passion and commitment’.

Thanks to Ross’s “calm and steady approach”, this initiative is now in its early stages and showing positive results already.

Jane Allison, a podiatrist at Galashiels Health Centre, has been shortlisted for the Allied Health Professional Award for her “great fortitude and tireless work” during the pandemic.

To ensure that all high-risk patients were seen regularly, Jane instigated a review system and coordinated patient care with the podiatry, district nursing and diabetic teams.

Without this work, the centre’s Podiatry Service is certain that many more patients with critical foot conditions would have been admitted to hospital.

And last, but by no means least, the Pregnancy Assessment Unit has been shortlisted for the Midwifery Award.

When the team was relocated from an acute base to a community setting they “took it in their stride” and seamlessly made the new environment both Covid-19 safe and person-centred.

At the height of Covid-19 the team also significantly adapted how they provided care to patients, in collaboration with their community midwife colleagues, to minimise face-to-face visits when appropriate so that they could help reduce the risk of infection.

This year’s winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on November 4.

Ralph Roberts, chief executive of NHS Borders, said: “I am delighted to congratulate our finalists on reaching the last stage of the Scottish Health Awards. Their innovation, hard work and dedication are all the more impressive given the ongoing Covid-19 challenges.

"To be selected as a finalist in such well-contested awards is a real achievement and I wish them all the best of luck for November 4.”

Every year, the Scottish Health Awards recognise and reward the dedicated NHS staff, support workers, volunteers and specialist teams who go the extra mile to provide outstanding patient care.

A spokesperson for the awards said: “2021 celebrates an incredible 20 years of the Scottish Health Awards. The awards recognise, not only, the outstanding contribution of frontline health and social care workers but also shines a light on those who work behind the scenes to ensure Scotland has the highest standard of health and care services.”