The remarkable achievements of staff at the Royal Free London have been honoured and celebrated at the virtual staff Oscars.

The executive teams of all three hospitals and group clinical services felt it was “extremely poignant” to finally be able to thank staff after an extraordinarily difficult 18 months – particularly as the event was unable to take place last year due to the pandemic.

A total of 38 awards were handed out across four virtual ceremonies last week, attended by more than 700 hospital staff.

Winners were praised for calm attitudes, innovative thinking, leadership and for “going above and beyond” in the face of unprecedented pressures brought about by COVID-19.

Winners of the chairman’s leadership award were: Barnet Hospital’s Angshuman Mukherjee, clinical director and consultant in emergency care; Royal Free Hospital’s Rachel Nandy, inpatient lead for therapy services; Corporate Services’ Shaan Malhotra, group head of bereavement and mortuary services; and Chase Farm Hospital’s Nefreteria Duncan, ward manager and senior sister.

Clinicians of the year were: BH’s consultant microbiologist and infection control doctor Anand Sivaramakrishnan; RFH’s consultant physician Huw Beynon; and CFH’s Tom Nettleton, emergency care practitioner.

Corporate employee of the year went to HR business partner, Dayo Ajibola.

Non-clinical employees of the year were: BH’s Bethany Brown, head of patient experience and involvement; RFH’s Nigel Brinkhurst, private patient’s unit head chef; CFH’s Carol Menashy, safety incident support of staff (SISOS).

The Oscars are proudly sponsored by the Royal Free Charity. For a full list of winners see below.

With more than 400 nominations the judges had a difficult job to do and everyone that entered was praised for their dedication by the senior team.

The award winners will be invited to attend an evening event on Thursday 9 December at the Royal College of Physicians where the overall RFL group winners will be announced.

 

Barnet Hospital’s Oscar Winners

Chairman’s leadership award - Angshuman Mukherjee, clinical director and consultant in emergency care

Non-clinical team of the year award - patient safety and risk managers for women’s services

Non-clinical employee of the year award - Bethany Brown, head of patient experience and involvement

Quality improvement and innovation award - Deborah Kirby, ICU matron

Clinician of the year award - Anand Sivaramakrishnan, consultant microbiologist and infection control doctor

Clinical team of the year award - respiratory and cardiology response team

Outstanding contribution to education award  - Shayra Khanom, clinical teaching fellow

Celebrating diversity award - BAME network leads

Outstanding contribution to patient safety award - Simon Brill, consultant physician

Volunteer of the year award - Sue Young

 

Royal Free Hospital’s Oscar Winners

Chairman’s leadership award - Rachel Nandy, inpatient lead for therapy services

Non-clinical team of the year award - virtual visiting team

Non-clinical employee of the year award  - Nigel Brinkhurst, private patient’s unit head chef

Quality improvement and innovation award - Ida Rebello, lead nurse for frailty, matron for the dialysis units

Clinician of the year award - Huw Beynon, consultant physician 

Clinical team of the year award - 8 East multi-disciplinary team

Outstanding contribution to education award - clinical practice educator ICU multi-disciplinary team

Celebrating diversity award - neuro rehab centre multidisciplinary team

Outstanding contribution to patient safety award - Infection prevention and control multi-disciplinary team

Volunteer of the year award - Free @ The Free volunteers

 

Corporate Services’ Oscar Winners

Outstanding contribution to patient safety award - Reece Wright, estates officer

Outstanding contribution to education award - Zarina Khan, head of quality for postgraduate medical education

Clinical team of the year award - infection prevention and control team

Quality improvement and innovation award - innovation and intelligent automation team

Corporate employee of the year award - Dayo Ajibola, HR business partner.

Corporate team of the year award - the decontamination team and the bereavement and mortuary services team

Chairman’s leadership award - Shaan Malhotra, group head of bereavement and mortuary services.

 

Chase Farm Hospital and Group Clinical Service’s Oscar Winners

Chairman’s leadership award - Nefreteria Duncan, ward manager

Non-clinical team of the year award - Chase Farm Hospital vaccine clinic

Non-clinical employee of the year award  - Carol Menashy, SISOS listener

Quality improvement and innovation award - Arunima Roy and Amy Wood

Clinician of the year award - Tom Nettleton, emergency care practitioner

Clinical team of the year award - Chase Farm theatre team

Outstanding contribution to education award - Sarah Pennant, consultant sonographer

Celebrating diversity award - Michael Boateng, CT lead radiographer

Outstanding contribution to patient safety award - Michael Boateng, CT lead radiographer

Volunteer of the year award - Adam Hutchinson