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Nurses recognised for work to make hospital dementia friendly

Left to right: NHS England's chief nursing officer Ruth May, Admiral Nurses Hannah Rogers and Tim Allen, and South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland
Left to right: NHS England's chief nursing officer Ruth May, Admiral Nurses Hannah Rogers and Tim Allen, and South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland

Two dementia nurses from Great Western Hospital have won big at a national awards ceremony.

Admiral nurses Tim Allen and Hannah Rogers scooped up the Nursing and Midwifery Award in the 2022 NHS Parliamentary Awards.

The pair were recognised for the support they provide hundreds of patients affected by dementia and their families, friends and carers every year.

Alongside visiting people in their homes and working around the hospital, Tim and Hannah have helped to curate a dementia-friendly space at GWH. The hospital now has a nature mural and reminiscence games, books and toys.

They said: "We’re delighted to receive this award on behalf of our service but also for the carers who are the real heroes providing exceptional care in often complex circumstances."

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Tim and Hannah have also worked with Brighter Futures to raise funds to help make positive change for every patient living with dementia.

South Swindon MP Sir Robert Buckland nominated the duo and went with them to the national awards ceremony in London after they were named regional winners in June.

GWH's chief executive Kevin McNamara said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Tim and Hannah have been recognised nationally, in the NHS Parliamentary Awards, for their work to support hundreds of patients, families and carers affected by dementia.

“Tim and Hannah made up the first national Admiral Nursing service to operate across both hospital and community settings, and the support and dedication they provide to every patient is inspiring.

“They’ve worked exceptionally hard to make our services more dementia-friendly, and have even taken on personal challenges to raise money for the Brighter Futures Dementia Appeal.

“This award is richly deserved, and an absolute testament to Hannah and Tim’s incredible attitudes towards continuously improving the care we provide.”

The Admiral Nursing roles were introduced at GWH in 2019 and the Swindon hospital's was only the second service nationally to "bridge the gap between hospital and community support".

NHS England South West's regional chief nurse Sue Doheny added: “Their determination to offer the very best quality of care and respect for people living in the South West is not only humbling but also inspirational especially in the week we celebrate the NHS’s 74th birthday.”

Sir Robert tweeted: “Congratulations! Hannah Rogers and Tim Allen on winning a National Award for your work helping people with dementia. Very well deserved! We are all very proud of you here in Swindon!”