A neurorehabilitation consultant, a team of radiotherapy nurses and a mortuary assistant are going up against each other for an award after being nominated by local patients. Dr Faisal Riaz, Neurorehabilitation Consultant based in Brigg, the radiotherapy nurses at the Queens Centre at Castle Hill Hospital and Lisa Wilson, Mortuary Assistant at Grimsby hospital have all been revealed as finalists for the Healthcare Heroes award. 
The accolade is one of 15 awards set to be announced at Golden Stars 2024 – the first joint staff awards ceremony celebrating employees and volunteers of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The two Trusts are now working together under the group name of NHS Humber Health Partnership.
Dr Faisal Riaz, Neurorehabilitation Consultant, was described as a ‘beacon of hope’ for a family who felt all but abandoned after a rare and complex diagnosis. Dr Riaz carried out home visits, helped with pain management, chased equipment provision and adaptations with community partners, and was always available to provide advice. They knew they were not alone, and it meant the world to the family when Dr Riaz really pushed to ensure the patient’s wishes were honoured when it came to arranging end of life care.
The radiotherapy nurses at Castle Hill were put forward by the family of a cancer patient with learning difficulties. They were praised for the extra efforts they went to help them feel at ease when going through treatment. This included playing their choice of music whilst undergoing radiotherapy and when they were in hospital with Sepsis they even visited her and put up posters of their favourite band, Take That, which they had printed out especially.
From her base at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital, Mortuary Assistant Lisa Wilson provides comfort and reassurance to grieving families not least to those who have lost a little one. Two separate families nominated Lisa as their ‘Healthcare Hero’ this year after losing a baby; they praised her compassion and her desire to help parents and siblings say goodbye in a way that was right for them. One family said they would always be in awe of her, and that Lisa had become ‘a part of the family’.
Earlier this year members of the public were asked to put forward their nominations for the award and a judging panel whittled down the nominations to the three finalists.
The winner of the Healthcare Heroes Award, and 14 others, will be revealed on Friday 13 September at Golden Stars 2024, which is being held at the Hilton Hotel in Hull.
Golden Stars would not be possible without the generosity of sponsors. Thank you to all of the Golden Stars 2024 sponsors:
