Debi Oxley, Lead Endoscopy Nurse, was presented with the accolade at the organisation’s annual Star Awards evening. The ceremony itself is dedicated to highlighting colleagues who have exhibited the Trust values and gone the extra mile for the sake of patients and their fellow team members. In order to acknowledge a wide range of achievements, multiple categories are showcased throughout the night- including accolades for volunteers, unsung heroes and support teams.
Amongst fierce competition from her peers, Debi picked up the prize for leader of the year because of her forward-thinking approach when it comes to managing services like Endoscopy and Colorectal at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI).
In particular, she was commended for how she has helped the team meet increased demands by expanding its workforce. She did this by embedding new roles, introducing apprentices and alleviating the reliance on external companies.
In addition to this, she has worked with the IT department to reduce the use of paper documentation, raised the Trust’s profile at national forums and created an innovative plan for developing her own staff. The latter piece of work has gone down really well within the team, with new managers being given opportunities to refine their existing skills and even learn some new ones.
Having introduced all of these positive changes, it is hardly surprising that Debi has overseen a huge boost in staff morale as well. With a stronger workforce, increased support and clearer progression routes, her staff feel more valued and engaged than ever before. This is evidenced by how retention rates have improved and by internal feedback that colleagues are listened to, involved in decisions that affect them and are generally happier to come into work.
Quick to praise Debi, Suzy Brain England OBE, Trust Chair, said: ‘’Over time we have seen Debi’s confidence grow tremendously, to the point where she now oversees a range of additional areas in the hospital. She is so dedicated to supporting her team and always strives to ensure that patients have the best possible experience. Diligent, inspiring and compassionate, she simply has all the qualities of a brilliant leader.’’
After the ceremony, Debi said: ‘’ I just want to thank my colleagues for the nomination. It’s such an honour to be named leader of the year, especially when you look at the calibre of my fellow nominees and I couldn’t be prouder of everyone. Of course I can’t take all of the credit, as I have a truly fantastic team behind me who I can always rely on to do an amazing job. Leading them is an absolute joy and a privilege. Thank you.’’
The DBTH Star Awards were held on Thursday 19 September at the Doncaster Dome and were presented by BBC Look North’s Harry Gration, MBE. With 11 awards handed out over the course of the evening – such as Clinical Team of the Year, Patient Champion of the Year and Rising Star – it was certainly a memorable night for all.