14/02/2024
The Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Team has been announced as the next winners of our We Are West Mission Cup. The team received their award from Chief Executive, Neil Guckian OBE, at a ceremony held on 8 February.
The Mission Cup is a new initiative recognising teams that epitomise and live by the Western Trust’s mission statement, ‘We Are West; Caring Together; Committed to Better’. It is part of the Trust’s wider staff recognition programme that aims to shine a light on the unwavering commitment, compassionate care and innovative practices demonstrated by effective Trust teams. The trophy is presented every other month and is decided by current champions – in the spirit of peer to peer recognition.
The Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Team, based at Altnagelvin Hospital, were acknowledged by their colleagues in the Trust’s Homecare Team, who were the first recipients of the Mission Cup in November 2023. Explaining why they had chosen the nurse specialists, Catriona Hegarty, Homecare Services Manager, Western Trust said:
“We (in Homecare) have a workforce of over 500 staff, which is almost exclusively all women. In recent times we have had a number of our Homecare colleagues who have required the care, treatment and support of this brilliant and compassionate team of individuals.
“We are so grateful to the Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Team for the support they have given to our colleagues in helping them back to good health, as well as return to work. Unfortunately some of our other team members were unable to return to work, but I am glad to report that they are enjoying a relatively healthy retirement. All of our Homecare colleagues who have availed of this service continue to pay tribute to the breast care nurses.
“Sadly we have also lost some valued members of our team to breast cancer over the years and we felt this would be a fitting memorial to those ladies no longer with us”.
Presenting the Mission Cup, Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Neil Guckian OBE, said:
“At a time of great change in Health and Social Care, it is wonderful to see Trust teams being honoured for the immense difference they have made and their ongoing commitment to delivering better healthcare.
“It is clear to see the Breast Care Nurse Specialist Team is highly valued and respected by their colleagues in Homecare. This sentiment is reflected across the Trust’s Senior Management Team and no doubt is echoed by their patients.”
Karen McAteer, Breast Care Nurse Specialist Lead, said:
“Winning the Mission Cup highlights the nature of our work. We are delighted that our small team has been recognised for something that we are so passionate about; and that is providing excellent patient-centred care to women with breast cancer. We are particularly honoured and humbled that the award has been presented to us by our colleagues from the Homecare Team. Like us, they too strive to provide great care to people living in our local communities.”