Every month, the Trust recognises a particular member of staff whose contributions have gone above and beyond expectations and presents them with a ‘Star of the Month’ certificate. These monthly winners are then taken forward to the annual award ceremony, where they are shortlisted for the overall ‘Star of the Year’ prize.
For 2019, the accolade went to Matthew Lovell–Davies (known as Matty), who works in the Trust’s extremely busy IT Service Desk and can always be relied upon to go the extra mile. In his role as a Support Officer, Matty is responsible for supporting the helpdesk phone line and assisting callers with their computer troubles. This could entail anything from offering advice, to resetting system accounts, to diagnosing hardware issues and referring them to a computer engineer.
Speaking about Matty’s achievement, Suzy Brain England OBE, Trust Chair, said: “It’s always heartening when a member of Team DBTH shows such enthusiasm and commitment to their role. For colleagues who aren’t quite so tech-savvy, IT issues can be frustrating and so having someone like Matty on board makes a massive difference. His swift and knowledgeable support helps everyone feel more at-ease and comfortable when they encounter a computer problem, enabling them to concentrate of delivering high quality patient care and treatment.’’
As is to be expected, this a very demanding job, with hundreds of calls coming through every day, supporting healthcare professionals that have differing levels of IT literacy. Keeping on top of everything therefore requires a great deal of technical expertise, patience, and empathy, all qualities that Matty has in abundance. Not only does he always ensure that problems are resolved in good time and that things are working correctly, but he also volunteers to provide further support out-of-hours, via the internal staff Facebook group.
Regularly checking-in on the social media platform, Matty will look out for any IT-related queries and answer them from home, often on weekends or late in the evening. Whether he is directing someone to helpful information, addressing concerns about cyber security, or just simplifying jargon into language that everyone can understand, he makes himself available to offer reassurance and clarity, especially to those who are less confident using computers.
By taking this extra time to speak with his colleagues, Matty enables them to move past any technical hurdles and focus their attention on more pressing matters, like delivering high-quality patient care. Meanwhile, by engaging with them on a social media platform that is accessible and easy-to-use, he also prevents them from needing to call the IT Service Desk, saving time and ensuring that the Trust runs a little more smoothly.
After the ceremony, Matty said: “I would like to say thank you once again to my colleagues across the Trust for selecting me to be the ‘Star of the Year’ award. It was totally unexpected, and I’m thrilled to accept the award.
“I also want to thank the rest of the IT team who support the Trust each and every day, as well as every other member of Team DBTH, all of whom ensure that the patient care we deliver is of the highest standards.”
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 Unsung Hero of the Year, Leader of the Year and Volunteer of the Year – it was certainly a memorable night for all.