Derbyshire's dedicated duo wins top nursing award

Two Derbyshire nurses have won have received their profession's top accolade after introducing a new immunisation programme, which smashed the take-up rate for vaccinations in one year.
Amy Sims and Susie Scales award winnersAmy Sims and Susie Scales award winners
Amy Sims and Susie Scales award winners

Susie Scales and Amy Sims, from Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, managed 67,000 vaccinations in the first year with a team of just six nurses during the immunisation programme for five to 19-year-olds.

This included delivering four different vaccinations to 45 senior schools and 235 primary schools over 1,000 square miles in one academic year.

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Susie, who leads Derbyshire’s Healthy Child Programme and Amy, the immunisation co-ordinator, were crowned winners of the leadership category of the RCNi Nurse Awards - the nursing profession’s top accolade.

The pair put their success down to the support of a fantastic small team helping them deliver the immunisation service.

Susie said: “It was a year of hard, hard work. We looked at our staff and used their strengths. We are incredibly proud of them every day, and of their continued enthusiasm and the effort they put in. They have worked above and beyond, from travelling the many miles they need to reach the school on time to the great number they have immunised in schools.”

Amy added: “We’d like to continue to improve the already great achievement of the team. We want to ensure that every child and young person gets the immunisations that they need.”

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The nurses’ manager at the time, Helen Cooper, nominated them for the award.

She said: “They overcame challenges with grace and professional style, never losing sight that this initiative would protect the health of their five-to-19 population.”

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