Healthcare professionals, support staff, and volunteers who have made an exceptional impact were recognised at NHS Lothian’s annual Celebrating Success Awards.
Proudly sponsored by NHS Lothian Charity, the awards celebrate the remarkable contributions of individuals and teams working to improve care and support across Lothian.
The Health Hero Award is particularly meaningful as it’s nominated by patients and their families or carers to recognise someone who has truly made a difference in their lives.
This year, visiting team district nurses, Christine Newton and Lavender Martin, scooped the prestigious accolade for caring for Pauline Cowan’s late father and the support they gave her.
Nominating them in her dad’s memory, Pauline said he would have been delighted to see them get the recognition they deserved. She explains: “My Dad valued Christine and Lavender, not just as district nurses but also as friends.”
“Their visits were often a highlight to his week. He looked forward to them coming and got so much joy from their company. I will never be able to thank them enough.”
Christine said: “We do a job that we enjoy so we were quite shocked to find that someone had nominated us.”
Lavender added: “It’s really nice to see that we are doing more for people and its more personal to them and means a lot to them. It’s really nice to feel like we’re doing something that is acknowledged.”
Louise Elliott, Rehabilitation Assistant Practitioner at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, went on to pick up the esteemed Staff Member of the Year award.
Known for her clinical excellence and unwavering commitment, Louise consistently goes that extra mile, supporting patients with personalised care, assisting therapy teams, and enhancing staff wellbeing through initiatives like on-site yoga.
Louise said: “I’ve worked for the NHS all my adult life and I love it. It’s something that I’m quite proud of. Being awarded staff member of the year is a real honour. When you do something you love with people you love, it’s not work, it’s effortless.”
The East Lothian Rehabilitation Service (ELRS) Inreach Team took home the Team of the Year. They were honoured for streamlining hospital discharge from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for East Lothian patients, significantly reducing their hospital stays.
Laura Rowlinson, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, said: “There are so many incredible teams in Lothian working under challenging circumstances, always striving to provide the best care for their patients. Being recognised with this award is a huge honour and a well-deserved thank you for their dedication and hard work.”
Professor John Connaghan CBE, Chair of NHS Lothian Board, said: “It’s always inspiring to hear the incredible stories of care happening every day across Lothian. These awards give us a chance to pause and celebrate the amazing work being done, and it was fantastic to do that in person again this year.
“Our finalists were nominated by colleagues and members of the public for the vital roles they play. They should feel incredibly proud of their achievements for being chosen out of hundreds of entries.”
Caroline Hiscox, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, added: “It’s a real privilege to celebrate the incredible work of our colleagues across NHS Lothian. Many feel they’re simply doing their job and don’t seek recognition, but that’s exactly why Celebrating Success is so important.
“These awards allow us to shine a light on those who go above and beyond, and who truly embody NHS Lothian’s values. I want to thank all our finalists for their resilience, professionalism, and hard work, and offer my warmest congratulations on their well-deserved achievements.”
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination. It demonstrates great leadership to recognise and celebrate the contributions of colleagues.” For the full list of NHS Lothian’s award winners please visit: https://news.nhslothian.scot/celebrating-success-finalists/
