Do you know someone who works within the NHS and deserves a medal for going the extra mile?
As it approaches its 70th birthday celebrations in just two months’ time, the NHS is looking for its “standout stars” – health and care staff who have gone over and above the call of duty in their role for the UK’s treasured National Health Service.
Patients, staff and the public are being invited to nominate employees that have made an exceptional contribution to patient care, health and care services and local communities over the last 70 years. Nominations will be put to a public vote in May, culminating in a shortlist of ‘Health and Care’s Top 70 Stars’.
Anyone who has worked for NHS and wider health and care sector over the past 70 years in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland can be nominated. That includes people still working, those who have retired and even those who have since passed away. All that matters it that they gave their all and were a credit to the role they worked in.
The search for standout stars has been launched by the NHS Confederation in partnership with NHS England and NHS Improvement. It wants people to get their nominations in as soon as possible, so that the shortlist of the UK’s top 70 standout staff can be revealed at the NHS Confederation’s annual conference on June 13th and 14th – just over a month away.
Nominations close on Thursday May 17th and people will then be able to vote for their favourites until Tuesday May 29th, so that the ‘top 70’ can be announced during the conference in June. Just three weeks after that the NHS will officially celebrate its 70th birthday, marking seven decades since it began on July 5th, 1948.
Launching the search for the top 70 standout stars, Danny Mortimer, of the NHS Confederation, said: “Since the first NHS hospital was opened in 1948, heroic staff have toiled around the clock to provide the best possible care to the population of Britain.
“Whether living or passed on, their tireless efforts to provide the best possible treatment and care to every single patient should not be forgotten. By recognising members of our NHS workforce through the decades, we wish to both celebrate the past and shape the future of our health and care system.”
Professor Steve Powis, Medical Director of NHS England, added: “The NHS employs staff from more than 350 different professions, from doctors, nurses and paramedics to electricians, scientists and cleaners. These awards are a great way to acknowledge and thank the people who stand out today, as well as those who have made their mark over the last seven decades.”
Dr Kathy McLean, Executive Medical Director at NHS Improvement, said: “NHS staff, past and present, have dedicated their lives to providing innovative care and treatment for patients across Britain over the past 70 years. These awards give us a chance to recognise their enormous contribution and to thank them for going above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis.”
Nominations (open now) and voting (from May 29th) are being carried out online and you can get involved and make your nomination by clicking here. Remember, the closing date for nominations is Thursday May 17th, so don’t delay, do it today.