EMERGENCY staff, who kept patients safe when floods hit the A&E department at Heartlands Hospital, have been presented with an award.
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust’s Emergency Departments have been congratulated for keeping Heartlands hospital running after torrential downpours in June this year caused flooding in the adult and paediatric Accident & Emergency Department.
The recognition came at the Trust’s annual Building Healthier Lives Awards, which acknowledges the individuals and teams who have gone the extra mile to care for patients and improve their experience at Solihull, Heartlands and Good Hope hospitals.
The Trust’s Interim Chief Executive Dame Julie Moore, presented the teams with the Outstanding Achievement Award.
She said: “The response from the teams in our Emergency Departments to this major incident, which saw Heartlands A&E forced to close for a short period while work was carried out to clear the water, was absolutely tremendous.
“Staff worked tirelessly and in good humour to keep our patients safe and ensure we could get back up and running as soon as possible with only minor disruption.
“They deserve this award for all their hard work and for going beyond the call of duty during difficult circumstances.”
Among the other winners on the night was Pat Blythe, ward manager on the renal unit at Solihull Hospital, who took home the Governors’ ‘Going Above and Beyond Award’.
She was nominated by the family of a terminally ill young cancer patient with two daughters for her compassionate care of the whole family.
Dame Julie added: “I was delighted and honoured to present this year’s Building Healthier Lives Awards.
“These awards recognise NHS staff, members and volunteers who make a real difference to the care provided at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.”
