NI dietitian tops UK-wide awards

A dietitian who played a key role in the opening of the Whiteabbey Nightingale has been named the overall winner of the 2021 Advancing Healthcare Awards.

Judicial Mediation

Joanne McKee, a dietitian in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust moved outside her speciality when she became the Allied Health Professional (AHP) lead at the Whiteabbey Nightingale hospital. Joanne was instrumental in the planning and opening of the regional centre for post-Covid inpatient rehabilitation. Opened in November 2020, the Enhanced Nursing and AHP led Rehabilitation and Step-Down Unit enabled over 140 patients to benefit from 7-day AHP rehabilitation.

The UK-wide awards recognise projects and professionals that lead innovative healthcare practice and make a real difference to patients’ lives in the healthcare science and allied health professions. This year the work of AHPs in Northern Ireland was particularly prominent with11 finalists, four category winners, the overall AHP winner and two Rising Stars coming from the province.

Congratulating the winners, Health Minister Robin Swann, said: “This has been a very difficult year for our entire health and social care workforce and I am delighted to see Allied Health Professionals from Northern Ireland receiving the recognition they so richly deserve.

 “The calibre of the entries from Northern Ireland has been outstanding and I want to congratulate all of our winners. In particular, I would like to pay tribute to Joanne McKee for being recognised as the overall winner. This is an exceptional achievement and reflects the exceptional role that Joanne has played at the Whiteabbey Nightingale. The judges outlined Joanne’s commitment to providing a culture of recovery, compassion and kindness which was also reflected in patient feedback.”

Jenny Keane, the Chief Allied Health Professional Officer at the Department of Health said “I was delighted to see so many AHPs shortlisted as finalists in this year’s Advancing Healthcare Awards and delighted to see so many winners. I want to congratulate all of the winners and acknowledge Joanne McKee as the overall winner. Joanne’s clinical leadership is a fantastic representation of Allied Health Professionals in Northern Ireland.”

The awards were presented at a virtual ceremony on 21 May 2021.

Notes to editors: 

1.    More information about the awards can be found at www.ahawards.co.uk

2.    Advancing Healthcare Awards winners from Northern Ireland:

·         The Welsh Government’s Award for Value Based Care: Making Best Use Of Resources To Maximise Outcomes
Winners: Patrice Mahon, Assistant Speech and Language Therapy Manager Children’s Services and Alison Ferris, Clinical and Service Lead for SLD schools

·         The Northern Ireland Government Award for Reform and Rebuild of Health and Social Care Services Post Covid 19

Winner: Jennifer McBratney, Chair of the Public Health Dietitians Group Northern Ireland Health

·         Faculty of Public Health and Public Health England award for contributions to Public Health
Winners: Michelle Tennyson, Chair Dysphagia NI, AD AHP Public Health Agency; Mo Henderson, AHP Consultant /Project Lead Dysphagia NI and Louise Campbell, Dysphagia Coordinator & Project Lead

·         The AHP Clinical Leadership Award sponsored by Attend Anywhere
Winner: Joanne McKee, AHP Lead, Whiteabbey Nightingale Enhanced Nursing and AHP led Rehabilitation Unit

·         The AHP Rising Stars
Winners: Amy Jones, physiotherapist, South Eastern Health and Social Care Board and Jill Stewart, Cook it! and health improvement dietitian, Northern Health and Social Care Board

·         The Overall UK Winner of the Awards
Winner: Joanne McKee, AHP Lead, Whiteabbey Nightingale Enhanced Nursing and AHP led Rehabilitation Unit, Northern Health and Social Care Trust

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