Excellence Awards shortlist announced

Following weeks of deliberation, Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has announced the shortlist for its upcoming Excellence Awards.

The Trust’s Excellence Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of colleagues, teams, volunteers and partners over the past year.

Voted for by members of the public, the People’s Award celebrates colleagues whose exceptional care, kindness and professionalism have had a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and their families.

Louisa Shaw-Yeoman, a Head and Neck Cancer Nurse Specialist, has been shortlisted for the People's Award in recognition of the exceptional care, compassion and support she provides to patients facing life-changing cancer diagnoses. Praised for her ability to combine clinical expertise with kindness and empathy, Louisa helps patients and their families navigate some of the most challenging moments of their lives with confidence and reassurance.

Elizabeth Sansom, End of Life Lead Nurse, has been shortlisted for the People’s Award for the exceptional compassion, support and understanding she provides to patients and families. Following the traumatic loss of a loved one, Elizabeth worked closely with a family to ensure their experiences were heard and used to drive meaningful improvements in care. Her empathy, professionalism and commitment to learning from patient and family experiences made her a trusted source of support throughout a challenging process.

Dr Yasir Ali has been shortlisted for the People’s Award in recognition of his exceptional clinical expertise, compassion and dedication to patients living with complex autoimmune conditions. His personalised approach to care and commitment to finding the best possible outcomes inspire trust and confidence in those he supports. By combining clinical excellence with genuine empathy, he has made a profound difference to patients and their families.

The full shortlist is as follows:

Non-clinical Team of the Year:

·       Emergency Department Reception

·       Linen Team

·       Community Diagnostic Centre Programme Team

Non-clinical Individual of the Year:

·       Sam Edwards

·       Sam Barlow

·       Holly Shuttleworth

Non-clinical Rising Star:

·       Lucy Ryan

·       Alicia Musgrove

·       Cora Baugh

Clinical Team of the Year:

·       Stroke Services

·       Pharmacy Technical Workforce and Training Team

·       Critical Care Outreach Team

Clinical Individual of the Year:

·       Louise Symcox

·       Emma Crookes

·       Dr Nishantha Silva

Clinical Rising Star:

·       Ali Garratt

·       Hannah Lewis

·       Abbie Rudkin and Dr Preetha Amma

Apprentice of the Year:

·       Kayleigh Radford

·       James Draycott

·       Abbie Wukkiw

Chris McFarlane Award:

·       Cheryl Smith

·       Faseena Asharaf

·       Lynsey Lord

Volunteer of the Year Award:

·       John Shetliffe

·       Sue Bartle and Naseem Akhtar the Cancer Information and Support Volunteers

·       The Advanced Trauma Life Support Course Volunteers

Community Partner Award:

·       Macmillan Cancer Information Support Hub

·       Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership

·       Medirest’s Sophie’s Legacy team

The People’s Award:

·       Louisa Shaw-Yeoman 

·       Elizabeth Sansom

·       Dr Yasir Ali

The Paul Robinson CARE Award:

·       Dr Simon Rhodes

·       Hannah West

·       Claire Haynes

Lifetime Achievement Award:

·       To be announced on the night……

Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s 2026 Excellence Awards will take place on Thursday 17 September. Congratulations to everyone nominated for an award, and good luck on the night.

The awards are made possible by generous contributions from this year’s sponsors: Managed Healthcare, Skanska, Central Nottinghamshire Hospitals plc, R L Datix, B&B Press, West Notts College, and the Trust’s own charity.