A doctor in our Emergency Department (ED), a healthcare assistant, and a whole team of staff on one of our wards have been given awards for their excellent work.

Chandu Wickramarachchi and the team on Dahlia ward received You Made a Difference awards, while Wilmar Beroin was given the CEO Star award.

ED doctor Chandu was nominated by patient Emma Brankin for his care and compassion when she came to Queen’s Hospital last year.

In the nomination, Emma described Chandu as “the best doctor I have ever seen”.

“As soon as he introduced himself, I felt instantly reassured,” Emma said. “He came out into the waiting room and told me his name and job title, while having a lovely welcoming smile on his face. His approach was so friendly, I instantly felt safe with him and comfortable to speak to him freely.

“The way he was so compassionate towards me and how he looked after me still makes me feel emotional to this day. He is a fantastic doctor who remains both professional and friendly throughout your treatment with him. He was so enthusiastic about his work and you can tell he has a real passion for it.

"I cannot put into words how grateful I am for what Dr Chandu did for my physical and mental health.”

The Orthopaedics team on Dahlia ward at King George Hospital also received a You Made a Difference award for their role in helping to reduce our elective backlog.

Sandra Mahoney, Lead Nurse in Surgery, explained: “They have completed three super weeks looking after patients above their normal numbers. This has had a big impact on the community enabling patients that were delayed on the waiting lists to come in and get their surgery.”

“They have cared for a lot of patients and truly made a difference to those lives.”

And Wilmar, a healthcare assistant on Ocean A ward at Queen’s Hospital, received the CEO Star award for his bravery to keep his colleagues and patients safe during a recent incident on the ward.

Our Chief Executive, Matthew Trainer, said: “Will demonstrated tremendous courage during what was a very difficult situation. He was professional and showed sheer grit, working with his colleagues to protect those in our care.

“The team on Ocean A were really keen for Will to be recognised for what he did, and it was a pleasure for me and Kathryn Halford, our Chief Nurse, to visit them and say thanks to Will.”