DEDICATED individuals and teams serving the vulnerable are in the running for national awards.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and its staff have been shortlisted in multiple categories in national healthcare awards including in the HSJ Awards, the Nursing Times Awards and the Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards.

Advanced paediatric nurse, Lorraine Major, is just one of nine nominees in the running for Nurse of the Year, while Alison McGinnes, clinical matron for dementia care has been shortlisted for Nurse Leader of the Year at the Nursing Times Awards.

Her nomination read: “Lorraine is an outstanding paediatric nurse who has spent her career trying to improve. She is highly skilled, passionate and has influenced paediatric practice locally, regionally and nationally.”

The nomination goes on to mention her work with supporting a hospital in Hoima, Uganda, having spent her own time sharing clinical skills to set up new systems and supporting other clinical professionals to go there. Lorraine now chairs Building Blocks, a charity that sends professionals to Uganda.

Lorraine was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but she is now back at work and has encouraged patients and colleagues to raise money for the breast unit and is even doing a 25 mile sponsored walk from the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester to Basingstoke and hospital.

On her nomination, Lorraine, a nurse for 40 years, said: "To have been nominated is a great honour and very humbling. I believe I'm here just to do the best I possibly can."

Alison McGinnes, who chose elderly care after her grandparents had dementia, said: "I was shocked to find out I was shortlisted, but it was a really nice surprise. There's a team who works so hard alongside me, so the nomination is a credit not just to me, but to the whole team."

The trust has also received a nod in the HSJ Awards for its work on improving the care of frail patients at Basingstoke hospital in the Acute or Specialist Services Redesign category.

Their programme has meant access to specialist assessment frail elderly has been put in place, so that they are seen as early as possible to improve the care they received and to enable them to be discharged from hospital sooner, where appropriate, and to receive treatment at home.

Yvonne McWean, associate director of Quality Improvement at Hampshire Hospitals, said: “I’m really excited and pleased for the team, who have worked so hard to set up a frailty service.

"We have done a great piece of work and have done really well to get this far. We will give it everything we’ve got at the interview stage and see what happens.”

The Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards have also recognised the Trust for Preceptorship of the Year, which recognises teaching programmes for newly qualified nurses and/or midwives.

Katie Webb, workforce development facilitator, said: "The team is really proud to be shortlisted as we work hard to create a high quality programme to support newly qualified nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and health scientists during their first year of work."

Consultant acute physician and sepsis lead for Hampshire Hospitals, Matt Inada-Kim has also received an award nod, being shortlisted in the HSJ Awards for his work on evaluating sepsis alongside Imperial College Health Partners, Oxford Healthcare Improvement/Oxford AHSN Patient Safety collaborative, Wessex Patient Safety Collaborative and the Patient Safety Measurement Unit.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals, which runs hospitals in Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester, said: “I’m delighted for all of the individual staff members and teams shortlisted for these awards.

"We have so many fantastic staff at Hampshire Hospitals and it is great that they are getting this national recognition.

"The nominees and the rest of our 6,000 staff at Hampshire Hospitals can be extremely proud of all they achieve on behalf of our patients.”

The Nursing Times Workforce Summit and Awards takes place on October 4 while the winners of the Nursing Times Awards will be announced on October 31 and the HSJ Awards on November 21.