Star compassion earns Cath coveted Cavell Award
A nurse leader at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital has been nationally recognised for her dedication and compassionate care.
Cath Roberts, Sister at the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) at Shropshire’s specialist orthopaedic hospital, has been awarded a prestigious Cavell Star Award.
She was nominated for the award by colleague Sophie Podmore, Student Nurse Associate, in recognition of her support for a patient with learning difficulties who was a high tetraplegic after breaking his neck.
Sophie said: “Sister Cath is the heart of MCSI. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for five years, and in that time, she has consistently gone above and beyond for both patients and staff.
“We recently cared for a patient with learning disabilities who built a remarkable bond with Cath. Despite the complexities of his care, she went above and beyond to ensure he understood everything, taking time to explain each step of his care in a way that made him feel secure and heard.
“She’s a role model in every sense.”
The Cavell Star Awards, run by the charity Cavell, recognise exceptional nursing and midwifery professionals across the UK who go above and beyond to provide outstanding care.
“He took a really big shine to me,” said Cath. “He had no family close by, and he had just the clothes on his back when he came to us, so I got a grant from the League of Friends for him and went shopping. I was so grateful to the League, who gave us a grant of £100 – I went to Primark and got absolutely loads of clothes and shoes. He was over the moon.
“Sophie nominated me for going out of my way for him, but this is what we do for our patients. These guys have got life-changing injuries, so you have to go that bit further with them.”
“I knew nothing about the award,” she added. “I was just about to go for my break when they came and got me. They asked me to get a patient from outside and I said I just needed five minutes to have my coffee. They said ‘no, you have to come now’ and I thought ‘what’s going on?’
“As I walked down there were all these people standing there and I was so shocked. It was absolutely awesome, and I feel really humbled by it.”
Stacey Keegan, Chief Executive, said: “This award is a wonderful recognition of the extraordinary care provided by Cath to patients every day.
“We are incredibly proud to see her commitment recognised at a national level with a Cavell Star Award.”
