Manager of the Year (Non-clinical)
Mohammed Al-Mahfuz
Health E1
"Mohammed has been the Practice Manager at Health E1 since December 2022, leading a specialist practice for homeless individuals. Despite staff shortages and challenges, he has shown exceptional dedication and leadership, implementing patient-led initiatives that enhance holistic healthcare. Mohammed’s open-door policy and proactive engagement with local services have significantly improved the well-being of vulnerable patients. His innovative approach, including organising community fairs and ensuring value for money, has fostered stronger partnerships and improved Health E1’s Quality Outcome Framework. Mohammed’s leadership has been recognised with an award from the local ICB and praised by partnering organisations for building excellent collaborative work that enhances and streamlines care for homeless patients in the borough."
Shujahat Aslam
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
"Shujahat`s (Senior Finance Manager) dedication to improving the recruitment and retention of Nursing staff at Nottingham University Hospitals is truly commendable. His ability to effectively communicate complex financial data to clinical colleagues, his drive and engagement in workforce planning and his values are a clear demonstration of his leadership skills. He is a real asset to our Nursing team enabling us to work collaboratively with finance to support central nursing decision making that directly impacts and prioritises safe nursing staffing remains paramount at all times. We believe he is truly deserving of recognition and this Nursing Times Workforce Award."
Jill Bell
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
"Jill Bell, Lead Nurse for Education and Quality at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, has revitalised her team by fostering a supportive, collaborative, and innovative workplace culture. Her leadership has streamlined job roles and introduced new teaching methods, aligning staff strengths with organisational goals. Under Jill's guidance, staff sickness has decreased, and team morale has significantly improved. Drawing from her experience as a lecturer, she has embraced change and prioritised staff well-being, driving excellence in nursing education and service delivery. Jill's compassionate and forward-thinking approach makes her an outstanding leader in healthcare."
Tracy Bruce
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
" Tracy joined the trust in 2008 as an NVQ administrator and since then her career has flourished; she now works in our Practice Education Team as our Talent for Care Coordinator. Tracy sources apprenticeship programmes negotiating with the Health Education Institutions ensuring the right course, quality and accessibility of apprenticeship programmes which meet the organisational needs. Tracy works with the teams to identify the best apprenticeship opportunities for individuals and teams and provides advice to senior leaders on how we can grow our nursing workforce through the apprenticeship route. Tracy has the ability to build and influence and is so enthusiastic providing a vision for developing and progressing our nursing workforce; working above and beyond to ensure that everyone is treated with respect. She inspires and motivates others with ease to develop both professionally and personally. Tracy has a unique ability to lead and manage people regardless of occupation with the vison of building a robust future workforce who receive quality education and clinical experience and support and she has the necessary people skills to do this. In my opinion she works above and beyond every day and at a level far higher than her role dictates and is a valued member of my team."
Christina Guevara
East London Foundation Trust
"Exceptional nurse manager."
Tania Kent
The Close Care Home
Dynamic, creative, authentic leadership at independent care home leads to industrywide groundbreaking success. Leading the charge for great team development and outstanding care Tania and her team at The Close Care Home are at the vanguard of exceptional service delivery designed to empower residents and inspire colleagues in their service and further afield! Called on my government and policy makers as well as regulators, a manager who redefines care for the 21c and takes their team and services users on the journey with them to absolute excellence.
Joan Pons Laplana
NHS England
" Joan Pons Laplana, a nurse with autism, who is on a mission to revolutionise the healthcare system and empower both frontline and patients to lead together. His commitment to driving change in healthcare is commendable. In addition to lobbying national organisations for crucial reforms, Joan spearheads various influential national campaigns that earned him the prestigious 2018 BJN Nurse of the Year Award, amongst other several awards. Patient safety and healthcare professionals’ well-being remain at the core of Joan’s advocacy. He utilises social media and various other platforms to amplify the voices of healthcare workers and to shed light on critical issues plaguing the NHS. Moreover, his work extends beyond the traditional healthcare sphere, as he is a recognised force in promoting diversity and fostering inclusion within the healthcare sector. Joan’s relentless dedication continues to inspire positive change in the healthcare landscape. More Info at www.RoaringNurse.com."
Sandra Mercadal
Guys' and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
" Sandra our project manager for overseas nursing and return to practice has been successful in helping to support over 700 nurses through her language programmes. Sandra is inspirational in her approach to serving the nurses she works with while negotiating reductions in course fees and securing more funding so she is the only bureau left in London offering this personalised support for nurses. She is truly someone who delivers more for less."
Kayleigh Parris
Health and Justice Services, HMP Durham and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust
"Kayleigh moved into her first team management role in 2016 before further progressing into a service manager role in 2020. At the present time she manages several prison mental health teams including specialist services, remand prisons, long term high secure estates, police liaison and diversion team, and other community teams. Kayleigh is truly an expert within prison healthcare, and her dedication and passion for providing the highest standard of care and services to our patients are unrivalled. She is compassionate and ambitious, always striving to ensure that the needs of our patients are met with the utmost care and professionalism. All of who have had the pleasure of working alongside Kayleigh can attest to her exceptional skills, strengths, and achievements as a senior manager within the field of prison healthcare."
Subin Sebastian
Atfield House Care Home
"Subin is the General Manager of Atfield House Nursing Home since 2022. He is committed in ensuring that the residents receive an excellent standard of nursing and care. He is passionate about developing and leading the team in a way in which they are empowered to use their skills and knowledge for the wellbeing of those we support. Subin has been proud to receive the CQC inspection report with one outstanding rating under responsive. It has been his passion to meet all our residents and met interesting people throughout his career and find out about their life and backgrounds. He believes that life history plays such a vital part in everyone’s care. His vision for Atfield house is to create a “comfortable home-away-from-home environment for our residents being in one big happy family.”
Alison Walvin
Yarningdale - part of Exemplar Health Care
" Alison, Home Manager at Yarningdale, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in creating a nurse-led team that prioritises person-centred care. Her commitment to professional development is evident in her support of student nurse placements, tailored training and preceptorship. Alison’s leadership has fostered a positive learning culture, evident in high colleague satisfaction and compliance with training. Her initiatives, including employee recognition programmes and celebrating colleague achievements, have significantly boosted morale. Alison’s efforts have led to remarkable outcomes for residents, such as Neil, who has seen a dramatic improvement in quality of life. Her dedication and innovative approach make her a deserving award nominee."