ITV Central News’ Sameena Ali-Khan hosted the ceremony, at King’s Hall, Stoke-on-Trent. The event was the culmination of MPFT’s Big Celebration Month, held throughout June and leading up to the 75th birthday of the NHS on 5 July.

The event brought together hundreds of MPFT colleagues to celebrate the care they provide to some of the most vulnerable in our society, the innovations that are changing the way they work and their commitment to exceeding expectations to make life better for our communities.

The Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Majid Kahn, The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Becky Wall and The Mayor of the Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Cllr Arnold England all attended the evening to present awards, thanking and congratulating staff for their dedication and efforts.

The event was the first of its type since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and provided opportunity to reflect on the challenges overcome and the achievements made during this time.

Reflecting on the ceremony Neil Carr, MPFT’s Chief Executive said: “The Big Awards Night was a great opportunity for colleagues to come together to celebrate our amazing people. There is much to celebrate and be proud of, and the breadth and depth of talent across the organisation has never been more evident.

“I am truly in awe of what has been achieved and continues to be achieved, day in day out for the communities we serve. It doesn’t surprise me at all that we had over 400 nominations for the awards, all of a very high standard, as there has been so much great work happening, it makes me a very proud CEO.

“I was pleased to welcome colleagues from across Staffordshire and Shropshire, and as far afield as Hampshire and Yorkshire, along with many of our friends from across the local and regional health and social care economy, local authorities and education sectors, to join in the celebrations.

“I offer huge congratulations to the award winners, shortlisted entrants and all those nominated. Although there might only be one award winner in each category, they are all winners in my eyes and I’m so grateful for everything they continue to do.”

The award categories were based around MPFT’s mission and values.

The winners are:

Mission Excellence Award – Countywide Sensory Team. This team supports people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafened, deafblind and visually impaired in Staffordshire. They consistently go over and above expectations, always looking for ways to improve their service and enhance the lives of local people and their communities.

High Quality Services Award – Financial Accounts and Services teams, who constantly seek to innovate and improve efficiency and quality in their duties and performance, providing a first-class service and the best experience for patients and staff, departments and organisations.

Improving Health and Wellbeing Award – Gillian Roose, Consultant Clinical Psychologist.Gillian and a group of volunteers established a mobile helpline to support the many hundreds of staff experiencing distress during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their work has since led to the commissioning of a Psychological Wellbeing Hub for staff in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Partnership Working Award – Countywide Advanced Diabetes Podiatrist Team. This team has improved services for people with diabetic foot problems in Staffordshire by working in partnership with the multidisciplinary team, primary care and community care teams to shape and deliver new hospital and community sessions, e-learning packages and new patient information.

A Fantastic Place to Work Award – Jo Probyn, Head of Forensics. Jo’s passionate and enthusiastic leadership and commitment to doing the best for her colleagues and patients has led to a well-respected team with high satisfaction, good morale, and excellent patient, carer and stakeholder feedback.

Enhancing Service Provision Award – Rosemary Marshall, Advanced Nurse Practitioner.Rehabilitation patients requiring tracheostomy care (delivering air to the lungs in the event the person is unable to breathe) can now get this closer to home at the Broadfield Unit, in Haywood Hospital, thanks to Rosemary who had a clear view of the patient pathway, challenged current practice and revolutionised the service.

Innovative use of Resources Award – MySense Team. The professionalism, resilience and passion of this team to deliver the new remote patient health monitoring system, MySense, is enhancing the quality of life for patients, who are experiencing long term health conditions.

Leadership Award – Professor Saeed Farooq, Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist. Prof Farooq is a hardworking and passionate academic leader, dedicated to making a difference to patient care and reducing health inequalities. His support and mentoring of colleagues, and leadership of patient centred research has made an incredible difference to so many people across the UK and raised the profile of MPFT on a global scale.

Chair’s Award – Selected by the Trust’s Chair, Jacqueline Small, for a truly outstanding contribution, and for living all of the Trust’s values, the award was presented to Jo Probyn. Jo has brought the Trust’s values to life in all areas of her role, having demonstrated excellent leadership skills, inclusivity and value for people.