The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is in the spotlight – after being hailed as winners at the prestigious National Orthopaedic Alliance (NOA) Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards.
The inaugural Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards aims to celebrate those who have distinguished themselves in showing commitment to orthopaedics, both clinically and non-clinically, across the country.
RJAH, who are a founding member of the NOA, took home the Working Towards Net Zero – Greener NHS award for the RJAH Green Plan; and the Staff Wellbeing Initiative prize for its Path of Positivity project.
Sian Langford, Facilities Manager and Sustainability Lead, was part of the team who created the Oswestry-based hospital’s Green Plan, which outlines how the organisation can care for patients, staff and finances in the most sustainable way.
She said: “The Green Plan was put together by a team of staff at RJAH and winning this award is testament to how hard everyone worked – I’m delighted we were crowned the winners of the Working Towards Net Zero – Greener NHS Award.”
The Path of Positivity was built on the hospital field in 2021, following an idea first put forward by Kate Betts, Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Technician.
The path became reality when the RJAH Charity received a portion of funds from Captain Sir Tom Moore’s fundraising for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.
Kate said: “We had a great time at the NOA Awards, and it was fantastic to be part of an inclusive event where we could see so many great examples of how other NHS Trusts are supporting wellbeing.
“I was thrilled when the Path of Positivity was announced as the winner in the Staff Wellbeing Initiative category. The path wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the League of Friends and the Estates Team.”
Victoria Sugden, Charity Director, added: “The Path of Positivity is an incredibly important space – not only for our staff, but also for our patients. We have been working hard on enhancing the area too, with the addition of benches and tree saplings.”
The NOA are a membership organisation that leads on collaboration, by bringing together orthopaedic providers across the country to share experiences and address shared challenges with an aim of delivering consistent, high-quality care for patients.
Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive, said: “I had a fantastic time celebrating at the NOA Awards with staff across the organisation, and it was even better that we came away with two winners.
“I’d like to say congratulations to both of our winning teams, and I must also say a big well done to the myrecovery project team who were shortlisted in the Patient Engagement – Supporting Patient Wellbeing category.”
Pictured is Kate Betts, Rehabilitation Technician; Victoria Sugden, Charity Director; Sian Langford, Facilities Compliance Manager and Sustainability Lead; and Mike Bowen, Estates Capital Manager; with the Staff Wellbeing Initiative and Working Towards Net Zero – Greener NHS awards.
