Teams and colleagues across our Trust have been shortlisted in a number of upcoming awards – including the National Diversity Awards.

Our efforts to be an equal, diverse and inclusive employer has been recognised in the Diverse Company category. The awards, which have been running for 14 years, highlight the work being done by individuals and organisations committed to diversity.

Our former Chief Nurse, Kathryn Halford, has also been shortlisted in the Lifetime Achiever category for her work to promote inclusion, including the Chief Nurse Fellows programme, where staff shadow her for a week, giving them insight about how the Trust is run, as well as opportunities for professional and academic development.

Winners will be announced during an awards ceremony in the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on Friday 19 September.

Our use of virtual simulation and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve safety for patients undergoing a mechanical thrombectomy has been shortlisted in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards, which will be held on Monday 15 September in Manchester.

Mechanical thrombectomy is an image-guided procedure to remove blood clots from the brain. Our Anaesthetic team has been using SafetySIGHT, an innovative training tool, to upskill staff and reduce avoidable harm.

It uses virtual simulation and AI to create a hybrid theatre environment, allowing staff to learn about potential hazards and human factors in a training environment, making it safer for patients when doing it for real.

And two of our colleagues have been shortlisted in the Black Healthcare Awards - Professor Gideon Mlawa as Consultant of the Year, and Abiola Jinadu as Midwife of the Year.

Gideon, Director of Medical Education, who has worked to improve healthcare systems in countries across Africa including Tanzania and Zanzibar, said:

I am delighted to receive this recognition. In recent years, I’ve been honoured to receive recognition from the World Health Organization at the UK-Africa Health Summit, to being invited to St. James’s Palace, where King Charles acknowledged the work we do in the NHS.

These moments are not just personal milestones; they're a testament to collaboration, whether it's building healthcare partnerships in Tanzania and Bangladesh or learning from colleagues here at our Trust.

Abiola, Director of Midwifery, added:

I’m honoured to be shortlisted for the Midwife of the Year Award. This recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the incredible teams I’ve worked with, and the communities we serve.

I’m really proud of my work at our Trust, including improving access for women through translated resources and mentoring colleagues through our staff network, so to be in the running for this award is the icing on the cake.

Pictured above are SafetySIGHT project leads Imran Ali and Kalyani Gorrela, and Gideon with King Charles.