Our Health Heroes Awards: Portsmouth family liaison officer takes home prestigious national award

Tina Jackson, a family liaison officer at Queen Alexandra Hospital, won the bronze prize for Operational Support Worker of the Year at the Our Health Heroes Awards. The award recognises the support and care that Tina has provided to patients and their families.

Speaking from the awards ceremony held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London, Tina said: “We are quite a small team, and for me to be nominated I just think is really amazing. I work with such an amazing group of people and the support that you get from everybody is there every single day. Our work makes a massive difference to our patients, knowing that there's somebody there for them when they need that little bit of extra support.”

Tina was nominated for the award by Michelle Lobo, the family liaison manager at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust. Michelle believed the award was well earned. She said: “Tina is a tower of strength to patients and has been a fantastic role model to other team members and staff. Tina goes above and beyond what is expected of her daily, whether it’s connecting a husband and wife together virtually or providing toiletries for a long stay in hospital.”

Liz Rix, chief nurse at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, said, “Tina is a fantastic example of the impact our non-clinical colleagues can have on the experience of our patients and their loved ones. I am incredibly proud that her passion and dedication has been recognised in this way. Congratulations to Tina and thank you to her and the wider Family Liaison team for all they do to support our patients.”

This was the eighth edition of the annual Our Health Heroes Awards, delivered by Skills for Health, which celebrates the wider healthcare workforce that support NHS doctors and nurses.