National award for Falkirk health crusader Wendy

Falkirk Community Hospital’s Wendy Handley received the Healthier Lifestyle Award for her work with young people in custody and with partner organisations working in prisons in the Forth Valley area.

Sponsored by the Scottish Government, the Healthier Lifestyle Award recognises the dedication and commitment of someone who motivates and supports people in Scotland to make changes which have led to them leading a more active, healthier and fulfilling life.

Wendy’s tireless efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of young offenders by increasing their knowledge and understanding and providing essential life skills made her the perfect choice to win this particular category.

The Scottish Health Awards, which took place at Edinburgh Corn Exchange last Thursday hosted by Scottish comedian Fred MacAulay, pay tribute to the NHS staff, support workers, volunteers and specialist teams – people on the frontline of health and social care delivery – who go above and beyond the call of duty to provide exceptional care and support to patients and their families day in day out throughout the year.

Wendy picked up her award on an evening where the achievements of her NHS colleagues from across the country were celebrated through 17 different categories, including Young Achiever Award, Unsung Hero Award, Care for Mental Health Award, Nurse Award, Doctor Award and Leader of the Year Award.

Organiser David Dick said: “A lot of people owe their lives to the amazing work of our healthcare professionals. We are proud to support the awards and pay tribute to the people who go above and beyond for their patients every single day.”

Nominations for this year’s awards came in from individuals, groups and teams working in the NHS or a local authority delivering integrated health and social care services. It was not just NHS staff who were recognised – some award categories were open to partner organisations and to individuals from external organisations.

Sponsors of this year’s event included Unison Scotland, The Scottish Government, Optometry Scotland, the Royal College of Midwives, GSK, NHS Education for Scotland, Unison Greater Glasgow and Clyde, BMA, Unison Lothian, NHS Research and SHIL and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

Visit www.scottishhealthawards.com for more information.