Team and Employee of the Month – February 2018

Congratulations to our Histopathology team on being named February’s Team of the Month!

This team, used to being in the background while providing an essential service to the local NHS, impressed our judges with its resilience and professionalism during changes to the department.

And it was a fitting tribute to the team led by David Gouldesbrough, consultant histopathologist, on his penultimate day at the Trust, as he was retiring after 27 years in Bradford.

“It’s so appropriate that this award is for Team of the Month,” David said, “as we are a great team, working well together and delivering a high quality service through significant change. I’m absolutely delighted for the team.”

The panel was very impressed by the way they had quietly coped with a succession of changes including the introduction of the pathology joint venture, new ways of working, the departure of key team members, as well as changes in management.

Zoe Navarro, histopathology administrator, nominated the “unsung” team and highlighted, among other things, how the team had coped with extremely busy periods of work, and recently navigated a difficult transition period – upgrading the laboratory, without any pause in service or standard.

“We are the unsung backbone of diagnostics. Our doctors are continually providing a comprehensive diagnostic service, quietly from the side-lines, usually without any thank-you or recognition.

“Staff shortages within the entire department have called upon our fortitude as a team, which we’ve dealt with admirably.”

John Holden, Director of Strategy and Integration said the judging panel felt this was a clinical support service which is used to being in the background but deserved to be in the spotlight for a change.

Pauline Carder, Consultant Histopathologist, explained that pathology is involved in 70% or all diagnoses in the hospital and Histopathology in all cancer diagnoses.

“The new laboratory arrangements have brought many changes and it has not been an easy time for many of us,” she said. “This award is an acknowledgement of everyone’s efforts and achievements will undoubtedly help embed the changes and help us continue to develop the service.”

As part of the 2018/19 strategy for the Diagnostics Directorate the team will get new office accommodation, bringing them together from three separate sites across the Trust, and this will go a long way towards helping them achieve them to improve quality, cost effectiveness and responsiveness.

Our Brilliant Bradford Employee of the Month award for February 2018 has been shared with two winners as they are both fantastic examples of the NHS at its very best – embodying care and compassion.

Paediatrics A&E staff nurses Eldina Zenkovic and Lucy Moylan were nominated jointly by Louise Clarkson, Child Death Review Manager, for the care and compassion they showed while dealing with one of the most difficult and distressing situations that can happen.

“The care given to a bereaved family was outstanding, caring, compassionate and over and beyond what I would have expected,” Louise said. “They took time to take excellent momentoes for the family, showing a huge amount of respect and dignity to the infant they were caring for.

“To remain professional and composed in such difficult times is a credit to them both; the care they delivered was faultless and second to none.”

Eldina and Lucy both started work at the Trust 18 months ago, straight after their training.

“I love being a children’s nurse and working here so much,” said Eldina. “It’s very upsetting when a child dies, but you just do what feels right to help the family, and they really appreciate what we do to make their final memories special.”

Lucy and Eldina are very worthy winners, reminding us how our nurses support families at the most difficult of times. Congratulations to both of them.