Five health professionals from NHS Forth Valley have been announced as finalists in this year’s Scottish Health Awards, the annual celebration of the hard work and dedication of people working in healthcare from around the country.

To reach this stage, each finalist has already been assessed by a panel of NHS Scotland representatives and Scottish Government officials. They will now need to wait until the award ceremony on Thursday 14 November where the winner will be announced.

Tracy Binnie from NHS Forth Valley’s Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) has been nominated for the Therapist Award. Tracy has been praised for her innovative work, including Falkirk Football Group, a team for children with autism, which is run in partnership with Falkirk Community Football Foundation; and Summer Forest Schools, which offers mindfulness, den building and other outdoor crafts and games, and which is run in collaboration with Forestry & Land Scotland.

The Primary Care Mental Health Nurse Team from Woodlands Resource Centre at Falkirk Community Hospital is nominated for the Care for Mental Health Award. The group of around 20 nurses working within GP practices across Forth Valley offer additional assistance to patients who are looking for mental health support.

Nominated for the Healthier Lifestyle Award, Wendy Handley, Community Food Development Work with NHS Forth Valley’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, works in prisons across the Forth Valley area. She aims to improve the health and well-being of young people in custody by increasing knowledge and understanding and providing essential life skills.

Karen MacFarlane from the Neonatal Unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital is nominated for both the Leader of the Year Award and the Nurse Award. Involving parents in the care of their babies in the neonatal unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert has been a key focus for Karen since she became senior charge nurse. Under her leadership, the neonatal unit was the first to make the Bliss Baby Charter Pledge of Improvement and its aim is to be the first unit in Scotland to achieve full accreditation

Dr Jennifer Borthwick, has also nominated for the Leader of the Year Award. Dr Borthwick has been the head of psychological services at NHS Forth Valley for the past five years and was recently appointed to the additional role as Clinical Director of substance misuse services.

Run by the Daily Record and in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government, The Scottish Health Awards pay tribute to the NHS staff, support workers, volunteers and specialist teams who go above and beyond to provide exceptional care and support to patients and their families. The 17 diverse categories recognise the hard work and dedication of healthcare professionals from around the country.

Jeane Freeman, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, said: “Every year the Scottish Health Awards provide an important opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the work of the really dedicated individuals and teams who deliver high quality health and care services to the people of Scotland.

“We continue to make a difference to people’s lives thanks to our dedicated staff, working across the NHS, partners in health and social care, voluntary organisations and more. Each achievement and success wouldn’t have happened without their hard work and commitment and I’d want to thank them for that.”

All finalists will be invited to attend the awards ceremony at the Corn Exchange, Edinburgh on Thursday 14 November 2019.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Scottish Health Awards recognise the extraordinary work of the people on the frontline of health and social care provided by our NHS and its partners. The awards reflect the amazing diversity of talent and showcase the dedication and commitment of the people who work tirelessly on our behalf.

Nominations can be made for individuals, groups or teams working in an NHS environment or in a Local Authority environment delivering integrated health and social care services. Some award categories are open to partner organisations and to individuals from external organisations.

Sponsors include: Unison Scotland, Scottish Government, Optometry Scotland, the Royal College of Midwives, GSK, NHS Education for Scotland, Unison Greater Glasgow & Clyde, BMA, Unison Lothian, NHS Research and SHIL and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

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