'Outstanding' Kettering care co-ordinator wins top title at annual Marie Curie awards
Louise Hefford, a care co-ordinator from Kettering, has won the Non-Clinical General Practice Team Member of the Year award at the Daffodil Standards Awards.
A care co-ordinator from Kettering is celebrating after being named a winner at the Daffodil Standard Awards, recognising her outstanding contribution to best practice in end-of-life care for her work at the Linden Medical Centre.
Louise Hefford won non-clinical general practice team member of the year for her work making complex end-of-life care feel more joined-up and reassuring for families.
She said: “Winning the Daffodil Standards Awards means a lot to me and the team at the Linden Medical Centre because it shows the patients how much we care. I’m so grateful to Ruth Lindley - our frailty and end of life nurse, Dr Spooner and Quazita at the surgery for making my nomination possible.
“Identifying high risk or vulnerable patients early in their healthcare journey and being a vital liaison between patients, families and GP's means I can support patients and their loved ones from pre-diagnosis through to post bereavement and that’s work I’m incredibly proud of..”
The fourth in the annual Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Marie Curie Daffodil Standards Awards, the ceremony took place on October 29 with a record 51 applications across six categories.
They celebrate excellence and improvement in palliative and end of life care - the awards are delivered through the partnership between the RCGP and end of life charity Marie Curie.
Marie Curie’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Sarah Holmes was joined on the judging panel by experts in general practice, palliative and end of life care, education and quality improvement, as well as people with lived experience as patients and carers.
Dr Sarah Holmes, Chief Medical Officer at Marie Curie, said: “People approaching the end of life should receive compassionate, coordinated care that reflects what matters to them, wherever they are.
“This year’s winners show how much difference general practice teams can make by listening to patients and families, working across professional boundaries, and turning learning into practical improvements. We are proud to recognise their dedication and hope their work inspires more practices to use the Daffodil Standards to strengthen the care they provide.”
The Daffodil Standards provides practices with a framework to review and improve the care they provide to people approaching the end of life, and to their families and carers.
This year’s winners demonstrated how practical changes, whole-team working and listening to patients and families can make care more compassionate, co-ordinated and person-centred.
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs and our teams play a vital role in supporting patients and their families through palliative and end of life care. Knowing patients, understanding their wishes and working closely with other services can make a real difference to the care people receive at such an important time in their lives.
"The Daffodil Standards Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the dedication of general practice teams and the improvements they're making to patient care. It's wonderful to see so many examples of good practice being celebrated."
To find out more about the Daffodil Standards and to register, visit: mariecurie.org.uk/daffodilstandards