Our achievements

Posted on 21 Sep 2021

A project supported by the Trust’s Clinical Psychology Cancer Service was a finalist in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.

People First: Supporting Colleagues to Support Others is an academic partnership between Nottingham Trent University and Sherwood Forest Hospitals. The project is a wellbeing support package for those working in health and care across Nottinghamshire, backed by academic research and support to ensure that the services offered met people’s needs as the demands of the pandemic changed over time.

As part of People First, colleagues from the Trust’s Clinical Psychology Cancer Service, based at King’s Mill Hospital, provided psychological support and counselling to staff effected by the pressures of the pandemic. This included webinars, advice and 24/7 helplines, counselling and therapy sessions, confidential support, and physical and wellbeing challenges.

Since it’s development in March 2020, the People First service has been accessed thousands of times. The Decompression and Learning Sessions, a forum for staff to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on themselves, was attended by over 600 colleagues.

The HSJ Patient Safety Awards were held in Manchester on Monday 20 September. People First was a finalist in the Mental Health Initiative of the Year category. The award was won by Devon Partnership Trust and Royal Devon and Exeter Foundation Trust. Visit https://awards.patientsafetycongress.co.uk/winners-2021 for the full list of finalists and winners.