26 September 2024

The hard work of six individuals at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust has been recognised as part of an award giving patients the chance to say thank you.

More than 50 nominations were entered this years Patient Choice Award from patients and their families who wanted to recognise the individuals and teams who have made a real difference to them. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.

The nominations were judged by a panel who have shared their top six entries and now it is time to vote for your 2024 winner!

You can read the nominations below and cast your deciding vote here. Some staff have received multiple nominations, so this has been reflected below and patient names have been removed to protect privacy. 

The Patient Choice Award is a category in the Trust’s annual Proud To Be PHU Awards 2024, which recognises the fantastic work of staff working at the Trust.

The voting deadline for The Patient Choice Award is Sunday 13 October.

Nominations for the 2024 Patient Choice Award

Darcy Leake, midwife

Nomination one: When you are a midwife yourself you put an awful lot of thought into who you might choose to deliver your baby, you think about your experiences, who you've worked with, the things you've been through together, and then taking all that into consideration you choose your own midwife. When I found out I was pregnant I knew immediately who my midwife would be. I needed someone I trusted, someone who I could depend on. In the run up to my birth, Darcy would sit and listen to all my concerns, what I was scared about, what I wanted to happen, who I needed to be there. My husband is in the armed forces and is deployed a lot, so Darcy became my sounding board, and she would always make the time to sit and listen to me, even if she was busy herself. When my son decided to make his arrival seven weeks early, I was terrified, they say knowledge is power but in this situation it did me no favours. Darcy was there, and if it wasn't in person, she was messaging to check I was ok. On the day my son made his arrival, Darcy did not leave my side, she made us laugh, she treated me with such love and kindness. After my son arrived he went to NICU, Darcy would come to visit going above and beyond her role as a midwife. She is truly one of the most selfless people I know, she will always put others before herself making sure their needs are met. She has a skill of knowing when you need her, even when you don't realise it yourself! In both a work and friend capacity! My family absolutely adore her! Even my mother in law! And that's no easy feat! PHU are incredibly lucky to have Darcy and I know I'm not the only one who think so!

Nomination two: Darcy is such a special midwife to our family. Our first daughter was stillborn in 2020 and I found myself in ICU after some very scary pregnancy complications. After getting to spend time with her, Darcy was who we left our baby with when it was time to leave, the hardest thing we’ve ever done. This year we welcomed our third baby girl. My pregnancy was high risk and my c section complex. It was a scary day and Darcy was there with us from start to finish. Being under GA she was there to care for our baby until I woke up and my husband was allowed into recovery, no-one else we would have trusted to do this. She gave me the best care I could have asked for and helped to settle so many anxious moments. Due to Covid restrictions she is one of a handful of people who has been able to cuddle all of my babies.

Amanda Flenley, oncology colorectal clinical nurse specialist

I honestly don't know where to start. I was diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer earlier this year and thought that my prognosis was poor. That was until I met this amazing nurse. Starting from the first meeting, Mandy has been a constant rock for myself and my family. She has been there to answer questions and provide support and hugs throughout my treatment. She often would visit me whilst I was undergoing chemo by popping in to say hello and checking on how I was doing. This was outside of her normal working day. Due to rapid weight loss she made sure my nutritional needs were dealt with by providing nutritional supplementary drinks when eating normally was a challenge. Mandy has such a way about her, a wonderful, genuinely caring, compassionate nature. She is a credit to both the nursing profession and QA should be immensely proud of her as a member of their staff.

Layla Mew, maternity support worker

I met Layla at my day five appointment after having my baby and was having a really tough time, I spent the majority of my appointment crying my eyes out. She listened to me, spent extra time with me and also put me in touch with feeding support. She also booked me an extra appointment for day seven for a home visit. In between booked appointments she took the time to email me to check in and make sure I was okay. One Saturday I ended up in hospital for my baby and although she wasn’t working, Layla emailed me multiple times throughout the day to make sure I was okay and was getting the right support. I felt incapable and incredibly lost when I arrived to our day five appt, I left feeling empowered and completely capable and I’ll never forget what Layla did for us. She went above and way beyond and I’ll never stop being grateful for that. Thank you Layla, for everything.

Ann O’Callaghan, consultant oncologist

Ann really is the pride of the workforce at QA Hospital. Wow, honestly no words could describe how amazing she is. I was diagnosed with bowel and liver cancer early this year and mine and my family's world was turned upside down. I thought that my prognosis was poor. My first meeting with this special lady completely changed that. Her care, compassion and wonderful communication gave me new hope. She has your back every step of the way throughout treatment and gives you such positivity that you want this not just for you but for her too. Dr O'Callaghan really is a very rare find and a credit to her profession and to QA Hospital. This lady is absolutely a winner in my eyes already.

Sarah Driver, paediatric nursery nurse

Nomination 1: Whenever my little one gets admitted to the children's ward it's a huge relief when Sarah is on shift. I know her care and needs are met to the highest of standards. My daughter is medically complex with severe disabilities, Sarah knows how to make her stay in hospital easier on us both.

Nomination 2: Sarah is absolutely amazing and constantly goes above and beyond her duties as a nursery nurse. She doesn't just care for the patients and their families assigned to her, but all of those on the ward. Sarah is fantastic at building a rapport with any patient or parent and is huge emotional support to those that need it.

Nomination 3: I am nominating Sarah because she was incredible when my baby girl of four months was admitted for six days due to having broncholitis RSV! She gave the most amazing care not only to my baby, but made me feel less anxious to!

Sharon Court, patient and public improvement (PPI) facilitator

Sharon continually goes the extra mile for her team, nursing colleagues and members of the community. In her own time Sharon has reached out and sought the views of the community in person to ensure all cultural views are included in research. She regularly supports PPI team members such a providing her extensive wealth of knowledge and emotional support. Nothing is too much trouble! When I joined PPI team, she put time aside to provide me with a comprehensive induction programme whilst already having a heavy workload. She has helped a number individuals with personal development eg a team member wanted to chair meetings but did not have the confidence to do so. Sharon gave them a slot on her own team meeting, providing full support and constructive, structured feedback. During Covid, Sharon put together a regular newsletter for the PPI team in her own time which significantly improved team morale. A truly valuable person to have in any organisation. Sharon is a joy to work with, has relentless energy and enthusiasm, a role model in patience, tact and diplomacy, always with a smile on her face.