There was double cause for celebrations for a Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ team recently when they scooped both individual and team awards at a national ceremony.
The NBE Excellence Awards are annual awards run by the National Back Exchange (NBE), a UK charity and professional network focused on moving and handling practice in healthcare and social care. The awards recognise individuals, teams and organisations that demonstrate outstanding performance, innovation and leadership in safer moving and handling of patients.
From left, Helen with Simon Love’s wife Julia and daughter Sarah
Lead Moving and Handling Specialist Advisor, Helen Naylor, was named winner of the ‘Simon Love Mentorship Award’ which recognises individuals who have made a significant and positive impact through outstanding mentorship in the field of moving and handling.
The award celebrates those who support and inspire others while helping to develop the profession and after almost 30 years working at the Bradford Royal Infirmary, Helen, who previously worked at Pinderfields Hospital, continues to mentor colleagues at the city’s hospitals as well as across the North East and Yorkshire NHS region.
Helen said:
The awards, which celebrate the achievements of moving and handling practitioners and suppliers from across the UK, recognise everyone from rising stars and innovative practices to those who go above and beyond to promote safe practice and deliver the best possible care for patients.
I’m incredibly humbled and honoured to receive this award and it came as a total surprise as I was nominated by several individuals I mentor across West Yorkshire.
I love sharing my knowledge and it feels good to help, support and guide other practitioners coming through into my area of expertise but it’s the quality impact on the patients that is most important to me.
Team of the Year Award winners, from left, Katarzyna Babaczyk, Helen Naylor Shirley Horsfall receive their trophy from NBE’s Jo Barker
The Foundation Trust’s Moving and Handling Team which Shirley Horsfall, Katarzyna Babaczyk, Yasar Hussain, Administrator Jed Lazarte and Helen, also won the ‘Health Care Team of the Year’ award which recognised them for making a significant positive impact on patient care while supporting organisational aims and objectives through a strong focus on person-centred care and positive outcomes.
Their nomination cited how they “consistently prioritises patient dignity, comfort, and independence, ensuring that all care decisions go beyond functional tasks to reflect holistic, person-centred needs. This reinforces the importance of mobility in recovery and overall wellbeing.”
It continued: “Their resilience and adaptability have enabled them to respond effectively to evolving service demands, maintaining high standards of care delivery. They continuously review performance and embed sustainable improvements despite resource limitations. By delivering high-impact outcomes in a resource-constrained environment, the team exemplifies professionalism, innovation, and dedication, making them highly deserving of national recognition as Team of the Year.”
Helen added:
I’m so proud of the team – they are a wonderful bunch and the award is so richly deserved.
Helen being interviewed on stage after collecting her award
The Trust which runs Bradford Royal Infirmary, St Luke’s Hospital and the local community hospitals at Westwood Park, Westbourne Green, and Eccleshill, has more than 7,500 staff working across its sites.
Head of Education, Faye Alexander, commented:
Helen has made an outstanding contribution to the Trust and to the wider profession over many years, inspiring and supporting colleagues across the region. This award is a fitting recognition of her expertise, dedication and commitment to developing others. I am also incredibly proud of the Moving and Handling Team for their national success, which reflects the difference they make every day for patients and colleagues.