Celebrating Guy's and St Thomas' nurses and midwives

Guy’s and St Thomas’ has been celebrating its outstanding nurses and midwives who have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional patient care.

It’s been an extra special year to recognise their achievements as the World Health Organisation designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the annual ceremony couldn’t take place, so this year’s Nursing and Midwifery Awards involved individuals and teams being presented with the award in their workplace.

Maggie Kennedy, an end of life care clinical nurse specialist, won the Specialist Nurse of the Year Award. She planned to retire in March but stayed on to support the Trust through the pandemic.

Sasha Fudio, who works in intensive care, received the Sister/Charge Nurse of the Year Award. As well as being a role model, she was recognised for keeping morale up during these difficult times by organising regular team days and hosting a team Zoom night.

Ugo Ogbonna-Godfrey was named Midwife of the Year after colleagues recognised her professionalism and humanity in caring for women with complex needs during COVID-19.

Honor Mishcon received the Staff Nurse of the Year Award for demonstrating passion for the profession and ensuring her patients receive the best possible care ‘every minute of every shift’.

Team of the Year went to both the adult critical care nurses who showed ‘strength and determination’ during the pandemic, as well as nurses on Edward Ward who were redeployed from different departments and specialities but came together as a team to care for patients with suspected coronavirus.

Toni Lynch, Deputy Chief Nurse at Guy’ and St Thomas’, said: “As we launched our 2020 celebrations in January this year, Dame Eileen Sills said that ‘2020 would give us an opportunity to reflect on the value we add to Guy’s and St Thomas’ and to the wider NHS, that we’re a force to be reckoned with and the world has woken up to realise that it cannot do without us’.

“We were not to know how poignant Eileen’s words would be. Every single one of our hospital and community nurses and midwives have played a crucial role during the pandemic and I am enormously grateful and proud of their contribution and I want to thank them all.”

A huge congratulations to all of the award winners:

• Sister/charge nurse of the year: Sasha Fudio
• Midwife of the year: Ugo Ogbonna Godfrey
• Cancer nurse of the year: Hannah Samuels
• Staff nurse of the year: Honor Mishcon
• The Nightingale Fellowship Award: Eileen O’Rourke
• Registered student nurse/midwife/nursing associate of the year: Amy Hill
• Nursing assistant/community rehabilitation/maternity support worker of the year: Binduka Gurung
• Senior leadership award: Anna Reid
• Community nurse of the year: Jayne King
• Dental nurse of the year: Joanna Hall-Haynes
• Specialist nurse of the year: Maggie Kennedy
• Team of the year: Edward Ward
• Team of the year: Adult Critical Care
• Matron of the year: Elizabeth Rowland
• Children's nurse of the Year: Emily Roger
• Dame Eileen Sills Team Award: Dental Nursing Team
• Dame Eileen Sills Team Award: Site Nurse Practitioners
• Dame Eileen Sills Individual Award: Joseph Hague, Head of Site Operations