Winners of gesh CARE awards 2026 revealed
Congratulations to the winners of the gesh CARE awards 2026!
Better Health Award: Dr Eva Galiza and the St George’s Vaccine Institute for improving access to vaccines and vaccine research and for championing inclusive research.
Respect Award: Paediatric Department, Epsom , who have built a team culture where kindness, respect and support are part of everyday life.
Dr Isabel Gal Award for Patient Safety: Melissa James, Community Tissue Viability Nurse, Sutton Health and Care , who has led an outstanding quality improvement programme to reduce pressure ulcer harm in community services.
Future NHS Award: Intensive Care Unit Sustainability Team, St George’s , for reducing environmental impact of high-carbon anaesthetic gases and nitrous oxide, and introducing more sustainable equipment and products into our theatres, while maintaining excellent patient care.
Better Value Award: Data Quality & Income Recovery Team, St George’s, and Data Quality Team, Epsom and St Helier, for jointly tackling gaps in coding and activity data which could have led to millions in lost income following the introduction of our new Electronic Patient Record.
Quality Improvement and Innovation Award: Professor Debasish Banerjee, Consultant Nephrologist, St George’s , who has transformed care for people with chronic kidney disease and heart failure through an integrated cardio-renal service.
Collaborative Award: Neurosciences Case Management Pilot Team, St George’s, who brought together partners across two Integrated Care Systems, including acute, community, primary care, mental health, social care and voluntary-sector organisations.
Volunteer of the Year: Alan Bowen, St George’s Hospital Charity, and Nicky Simpson, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity, were joint winners. Alan was praised as a “much-loved ambassador for the St George’s Hospital Charity”, while Nicky Simpson was recognised for her work on staff recognition with the Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity.
Charity Champion of the Year: Catering Team, Epsom and St Helier, who have been fantastic supporters of the Epsom and St Helier Hospital Charity and various wellbeing initiatives.
High Performing Teams Behind-The-Scenes: Subject Access Request Team, St George’s, which helps patients and families access information that’s important to understanding their care, while ensuring the Trust meets its legal responsibilities and protects confidentiality.
Leader of the Year: Joyce Rochester, Head of Clinical ICT Programme, Epsom and St Helier, combining professionalism with genuine care for the people around her, creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, included, and confident.
Chair and Chief Executive’s Choice Award: Lymphoedema Team, St George’s, who combine specialist expertise with genuine compassion, providing personalised care for people with lymphoedema.
Public Choice Award For Outstanding Care: Lydia Baker, Specialist Bereavement Midwife, Epsom and St Helier, whose work with the Maternity Bereavement Team supported bereaved parents Jodie and Ben Picknett through the traumatic loss of their son, George, who died from a rare infection in 2023.
