A dedicated, skilled and extremely knowledgeable procurement manager, and a kind-hearted and welcoming ward clerk who loves making a difference, are the winners of December’s You Made a Difference awards.
Sam started working as the ward clerk on Ward F6 in July 2022. Though she has only been with them for a few months, Sam has been an absolute asset to the team.
Sam’s main role as a ward clerk is to liaise with visitors and relatives, answering the phone, attending the daily meetings, liaising with different members of the multidisciplinary team, arranging transport and assisting the nurse in charge with facilitating discharges, amongst many other tasks that she undertakes on a daily basis.
Sam goes way beyond that of what would be expected of her in her role. She has not only taken on the role as one of the ward’s Dementia Champions, but also having been a qualified hairdresser, she is often seen out on the ward cutting patients’ hair. As her nomination suggests, Sam does not have to do this but does so because she knows what a difference it makes to our patients who are unable to attend the hair dressers in the concourse. Sam has also been known to do this in her own time long after her shift has finished.
Sam is an incredibly kind hearted, caring and compassionate person who always goes above and beyond for her colleagues and patients on a daily basis. The team are all so incredibly proud that Sam has received the You Made a Difference Award. She has a great sense of humour and has fit into the F6 team with such ease and elegance.
Extracts from Sam’s nomination said:
Sam is so wonderful to work with! She is our lovely ward clerk on F6 and although she hasn't been with the team that long, she has made such a difference.
All our patients know and love Sam; she's so smiley and welcoming.
Sam used to work as a hairdresser and therefore uses her amazing skills to work her magic on the patients on our ward. Some of our elderly patients often can't leave the ward to go downstairs to get their hair done during their stay. Sam always offers to give them a haircut and it makes our patients feel so much better.
It's so important to us that patients feel happy and don't have to miss out on their home comforts during their stay.
Sam doesn't have to this but she does it because she loves making a difference to the patients. Even just a new haircut can really brighten their day.
Sam has put so many smiles on so many of our lovely patients faces when she has taken the time to give them a haircut on the ward.
Sue started working for the Procurement team in 2017 and is the procurement manager for two of our clinical divisions at CUH.
Sue advises on routes to market for requirements, ensuring that CUH is legally compliant and that specifications are as clear and unambiguous as possible to ensure that the service we require is delivered.
Sue project manages the procurements issued to market, to ensure that the published timetable is met and that everyone is aware of what is needed from them. This includes advising colleagues on the evaluation process and the need for detailed evaluation which rationalises the evaluation scores provided.
Sue is extremely knowledgeable and skilled in procurement, and invests significant time to understand the needs of the Trust and its patients.
Sue is a well-liked and respected member of the procurement team. Her hard work and dedication to meeting the needs of her stakeholders is recognised and valued by divisional colleagues and appreciated.
This is reflected in extracts from Sue’s nomination which said:
“Procurement is one of the hidden away parts of the Trust - we can't do our job without procurement and we can't treat patients without them.”
Sue is not only incredibly knowledgeable and expert at procurement and contracting, but also understands what her role means for patient care.
“For example, the Histopathology Department has negotiated a new managed service with a major global diagnostics company. Sue has made the effort to research exactly what was required from the contract, how it fits into patent care and fully integrated herself into the clinical team, sharing in all of the issues, problems and triumphs of delivering an outstanding contract.
“It offers better response times, improved technology and faster turnaround times for laboratory testing. This leads to more accurate and rapid diagnosis of cancer for our patients which ultimately leads to better patient care, patient experience and outcomes. The final agreement builds in partnership working with the supplier offering preferential access to new technologies and new scientific discoveries.
Sue has also supported the management of the department throughout the whole process, offering exceptional support, training and knowledge to our staff, keeping us all safe while adhering to all procurement regulations.
“The staff in the department now have enough knowledge and experience to extend the process to other contracts.”
