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A nurse, a ward manager and a midwife from Kettering General Hospital have received DAISY Awards to mark their outstanding contributions to patient care.

  Nurse Emily Donaghey was nominated by Natalie Brinkman, from Kettering, after being admitted for an extended stay to the Medical Assessment Unit following an episode of mental illness.

  Part of her nomination reads: “ I was in an extremely dark place having lost everything to my mental illness. 

“But along came MAU with some of the most kind, genuine, and passionate staff that have left a positive warmth in my heart but, more than anyone, along came Emily. 

  “Emily was beyond exceptional in dealing with complex little old me and she did not give up on me. She is born to nurse, has the most amazing people skills, her dedication to not just myself but all patients as I witnessed, was just something I’ve never seen before. Emily is THE prime example of a nurse and a genuine, lovely, kind-hearted person. 

 “Consistency, care, compassion and time is all I’ve ever needed, and I’ve been denied of this so much on my tiresome journey, but it was like Emily knew this without me having to explain and therefore she nursed with these qualities and went above and beyond.

  “It restores your faith in humanity and the national health service when nurses like Emily come along.”

  Natalie also nominated Interim MAU Ward Manager. Sister Emma Ellis. and said: “ Many of the staff shone during my nearly three weeks stay, but Emma was extra special, comforting and beyond exceptional with me.

  “As a ward manager Emma had key responsibilities and deadlines to meet but this didn’t stop her from dedicating time, compassion and exceptional care to myself, a 25-year-old who has been failed by the system, broken and had little faith.

  “She restored the faith that I’d lost in thinking that nobody cared and Emma is evidence that not all heroes wear capes! Thank you Emma, born to be nurse, born with the warmest heart and open mind and left me knowing that in the darkest of times I can get through and someone will hold a light if I can’t. Emma left a handprint on my heart.”    

Labour Ward midwife Kristina Marshall was nominated by a who had previously had multiple miscarriages and difficult pregnancies.

  She said: “I was taken down to labour ward and met Kristina. I immediately felt at ease, something about her made me feel reassured I was in safe hands, and my baby was going to be well looked after.

  “After a long day of labour, my baby became stuck and the emergency button was pulled but all thanks to Kristina closely monitoring my baby before it got to that stage as she already had brought the doctor into the room suspecting this was going to happen, she knew what I and my baby needed before it even happened!

  “Thank you, Kristina, I will eternally be grateful for you being there that day. Absolutely amazing from start to finish and I cannot believe how lucky I was to have her placed with me. Thank you so much! “

  The partner of a second patient also nominated Kristina for a DAISY Award.

  That nomination reads: “Kristina was exceptional. Every midwife and support worker we saw was brilliant however Kristina stood out. She consistently went above and beyond for my partner Bethan and every other patient I saw her dealing with during our week stay at KGH. She is truly top class and we are very grateful to have had her during our time here. “

  KGH’s Director of Nursing Robin Binks said: “Emily, Emma, and Kristina have all gone above and beyond to care for their patients in an exceptional way.

  “Those outstanding efforts have made a real difference to the lives of their patients in a deeply personal way for which they are clearly very grateful.

  “They are very deserving of their DAISY Awards.”

  DAISY Awards were first launched in America in 1999 following the death of a patient Patrick J Barnes who had received outstanding care for a Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem, (DAISY).

  They are now operated in hospitals across the UK as an internationally recognised achievement.

  Anyone who has received outstanding care can nominate a member of KGH staff for a DAISY award by going to: https://www.kgh.nhs.uk/the-daisy-award/