Thank You Event 2023: Making Stuff Better Award - Highly Commended
Every year we celebrate our amazing staff and their achievements at our Thank You ceremony. Board members will surprise colleagues at their bases and present them with a hamper, balloons and a certificate for being shining examples of our magnificent staff behaviours.
Making Stuff Better Award – Highly Commended
Clare Firth, Cardiac Services Lead Nurse
Clare’s exceptional knowledge of her specialty, openness to adapt to change and enthusiasm for looking and implementing new and improved ways of working, systems and processes, all to improve the service and enhance patient care make her an absolute asset to the Cardiac Service and LCH.
Clare has been an integral part of providing outstanding care to patients with heart failure across Leeds, demonstrated by her commitment to developing the community IV Diuretic pathway for the Cardiac Service and the Virtual Frailty Ward. A service development that sees patients receiving excellent care and treatment within their own homes. Clare has spent endless hours providing education to others across the city like the Virtual Frailty Ward Matrons to raise awareness of when this treatment would be appropriate.
Clare worked with GPs across the city to develop ways to assess more stable heart failure patients and provide a plan for GP surgeries to follow, encouraging partnership working across the city and improving patient flow and more efficient discharge times, which resulted in a reduction in wait times.
Clare’s hard work to develop the ‘GP discharge plan’ letter on System 1 has resulted in better care for the sicker heart failure patients and has ultimately kept patients out of hospital and well in the community. This also relieved pressures off staff and made their caseloads more manageable.
Clare was presented with the award by Bryan Machin, Executive Director of Finance and Resources. Bryan said, "It is amazing how well you have supported your colleagues and how they have supported you as a team and how the fantastic work will lead to better patient care, which is what our goal is."
Clare was nominated by Melissa Godfrey, Cardiac Clinical Nurse. She added, “Clare recognises that to care for our patients, we must also care for ourselves and encourages us to regularly stay in touch with each other. Her caring and supportive management of staff during COVID meant staff wellbeing was a key priority as well. She also constantly strives to develop staff and encourages career progression through courses and support in new roles.”
Clare said, "I'm speechless. It's an absolute pleasure working in the Cardiac service. I love it. Great team and you cant take anything forward without a team like this who are so willing to change and make things better for patients."
