School nurses, health visitors, nursery nurses and community teams were honoured at last week's CPHVA Awards. The awards were by CPHVA professional officer Gavin Fergie and are an annual celebration of community healthcare workers and nurses.
Catherine Nixon, health visitor at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Oldham, was awarded community practitioner of the year for her work in Sierra Leonne working with people suffering from Ebola. Ms Nixon returned to work as a health visitor in 2014 after spending two years with VSO (Volunteer Overseas) in Nepal, working with women and children, setting up clinics and influencing health practices. She has now returned to the UK.
Winner of health visitor of the year was Shakila Shah, a health visitor at Northenden Group Practice in Manchester. She was given the award for the 'Just for you programme' she devised for highly vulnerable parents who love their children but are blinkered to the damage being inflicted by their varying dependencies. Her approach empowered parents and gave them back their self-belief.
Yvette Bynoe, senior school nurse at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, won school nurse of the year. She was described as an 'enthusiastic team leader, available at all times even under pressure'.
Polly Toynbee, president of the CPHVA, Guardian journalist and commentator, said at the awards: 'I think the work you do is fantastic. I have followed it throughout my career campaigning on social issues and I value the community nursing world, particularly at a time when there are such pressures and horrendous caseloads – I don't know how you manage. You are very much at the front line of a political battle that is going on and I think it will be for you to raise your voices, and I will on your behalf, about what "community" really means.'
The rest of the winners can be found on the CPHVA website.