Success for Team North at Advancing Healthcare Awards
The Northern Trust was among the winners at the NI Advancing Healthcare Awards held at Stormont Hotel in Belfast on Thursday 10 October.
The awards recognise and celebrate the work of allied health professionals, healthcare scientists and those who work alongside them in support roles, leading innovative healthcare practice.
Congratulating the winners and finalists Assistant Director, Allied Health Professions, Jill Bradley said: “I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who were winners and finalists at the awards.
“For the Trust to have seven finalists, and three winners, is a magnificent achievement and a testament to the fantastic work of all our Allied Health Professionals.
“Jenny has shown great dedication and innovation, in promoting the work of orthoptists and is a deserving winner of this award.
“Heather and Katherine have demonstrated their strong leadership and excellent partnership working, which has made a real difference to people living in care homes.
“The production of the Advanced Cancer Toolkit by the Cancer Services Team has allowed local people living with advanced cancer vital access to wellbeing information and resources.”
Orthoptist Jenny McAlister – Rising Star Award winner
Jenny has demonstrated remarkable skill, dedication, and innovation in promoting and advancing the orthoptic service. She has shown drive to develop the service, having recently participated in a health care careers event promoting our small but mighty service. She exhibits leadership by supervising the orthoptic assistant staff members. Her commitment to continuing education and professional development is evident through her participation in the post-graduate paediatric OCT interpretation module, which will help to support and enhance her clinical practice. Jenny has taken up the role of encompass Super User, and has played a pivotal role in this digital transformation. Jenny has helped to drive change with her willingness to adapt with a positive attitude which shines through in everything that she undertakes.
The Cancer Services team – Excellence in Cancer Care award winners
The team worked closely with local service users to co-develop an Advanced Cancer Toolkit after a service user identified a gap in resources for people living with advanced cancer. The toolkit provides tailored, evidence-based health and wellbeing information and resources, and it will continue to develop and grow.
The lived experience of people with advanced cancer is evident from start to finish within the project.
Find the toolkit at Advanced Cancer Toolkit – Northern Health and Social Care Trust (hscni.net) or email palliativecare.events@northerntrust.hscni.net if you would like information for patients.
Outstanding Leadership award
Speech and Language Therapist Heather Stevenson and Dietitian Katherine Hudson won the award for Outstanding Leadership for ‘Milkshakes Matter’: a collaborative approach to enhancing nutritional and dysphagia care of frail care home residents.
Heather and Katherine adopted a ‘whole home’, collaborative approach, with a range of improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and safety of nutritional and dysphagia care for residents.



11th October 2024




