Welcome to the WWL STAR Awards 2026!

Tonight is all about celebrating you, our incredible WWL colleagues.

Every day, across our wards, departments and communities, colleagues go above and beyond to help people live well, reach their full potential and feel truly cared for. Your compassion, dedication and determination make WWL the organisation it is.

The STAR Awards give us the opportunity to pause and celebrate some of the remarkable people and teams behind that work. Tonight, we'll hear inspiring stories of outstanding care, innovation, teamwork and those everyday acts that make an extraordinary difference.

Whether you're here as a finalist, a colleague, a supporter or simply to cheer on your WWL family, we hope tonight leaves you feeling proud of what we achieve together.

And look out for two special awards...

Alongside our award categories, we'll reveal the recipients of two very special honours:

The CEO Award
Personally selected by our Chief Executive to recognise an exceptional contribution to WWL.

The People's Choice Award
Chosen following nominations from the public, giving our patients, families and communities the opportunity to recognise colleagues who have made a lasting difference to their experience.

The winners are still under wraps, so keep your eyes on the stage!

Most of all, enjoy the stories, the celebrations and the company, and take a moment to feel proud of everything our WWL colleagues achieve every day.

Share the celebrations!

Help us capture the atmosphere by sharing your photos and reactions throughout the evening using #WWLSTARAwards

We'll also be sharing highlights live throughout the night.

Good luck to all our fantastic finalists. Let's make it a night to remember!

Tonight's Programme

Vegetarian meals will be provided for guests who requested them in advance.

What to do if your name is announced

Congratulations, you're a STAR Award winner!

Please make your way to the stage to collect your award and then make your way to the photo wall to have your official photograph taken. A member of the event team will be there to help guide you.

If you're part of a winning team, it's up to you who takes to the stage. You might choose the whole team or a few representatives. Either way, we'll be ready to celebrate your success.

Photography will take place throughout the evening, with images from the event used across Trust communications, including our intranet, publications and social media channels. So get ready to smile!

Welcome from our headline sponsor - Altera

Altera Digital Health is proud to be part of this year's STAR Awards event as headline sponsor once again, a special evening, recognising the innovation, dedication, and exceptional patient care that you all deliver every day.

As a team, many of us at Altera have walked in your shoes, having worked in the NHS before joining our organisation. We understand the challenges and pressures that come with working in health and care. Tonight, we come together to share inspiring stories, celebrate your achievements, and express our gratitude for your tireless efforts.

These awards are a testament to your resilience, commitment, and unwavering dedication to delivering the best possible patient care. We're honoured to be part of your journey, having partnered with WWL since 2014 to drive digital transformation with the Sunrise™ Electronic Patient Record (EPR) platform. Our partnership continues to grow stronger, and we're excited to support your ongoing digital transformation journey.

To each and every one of you, we offer our sincerest appreciation and thanks for your hard work and dedication. We look forward to continuing our partnership and celebrating many more successes together.

Categories and Finalists

People at the Heart Award

Helen Lindgren, Clinical Triage Nurse, Community React Team
Thomas Linacre Centre Outpatients Nursing Team
Phillip Maxwell, Acute Oncology Specialist Nurse, Cancer Care Centre

Sponsored by:

Listen and Involve Award

Macmillan Upper GI CNS Team
CLEO Project - Pharmacy Services, Paediatric ADHD Team and Digital Services
Frances Parkinson and Craig Sawers, ICU Diary Clinic, Critical Care Outreach Practitioner and ICU Nurse

Sponsored by:

Kind and Respectful Award

Lauren Clay, Urgent and Emergency Care Matron
Laura Ewbank, Orthodontic Consultant
Lucy Highfield, Senior Audiologist

Sponsored by:

The One Team Award (Clinical)

Richmond Urology Unit
Community Neuro Stroke Team
Jean Heyes Reablement Unit

Sponsored by:

The One Team Award (Non-Clinical)

Clinical Audit and Effectiveness
Assisted Feeding Ward Volunteers on Astley Ward
Clinical Informatics Team, Digital (including Clinical Systems and Digital Testing & Training)

Sponsored by:

Innovation, Integration and Improvement Award

Martha's Rule Pilot Team
Venencia Rayson, Clinical Lead Lung Cancer Specialist Nurse
Clinical Audit and Effectiveness Team

Sponsored by:

Leader of the Year Award

Mandy Eccles, Emergency Department Unit Leader, Emergency Care Centre
Melissa Bilsbury, Occupational Therapist/Therapy Team Lead, Jean Heyes Reablement Unit
Dr Noamaan Wilson-Baig, Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia

Sponsored by:

STAR of the Year Award

Andy Thompson, Consultant Urologist
Louise Clarke, Urology Nurse Specialist and Unit Manager
Cheryl Crompton, Personal Secretary to the Head of Capital and Projects Team

Sponsored by:

People’s Choice Award

Nichola Mount - Early Pregnancy Nurse Specialist/Unit Lead
Sam Barnsley - Bereavement and Rainbow Midwife
Amber Broughton - Specialist Community Outreach Nurse

Sponsored by:

CEO Award

Winner revealed tonight!

Sponsored by:

A heartfelt thank you

To everyone who nominated a STAR:

An incredible 420 nominations were submitted this year.

Each one represents someone taking the time to recognise a colleague or team who made a difference. The quality of this year's nominations was outstanding and reflects the compassion, dedication, innovation and teamwork taking place across WWL every day.

Congratulations to every colleague and team who received a nomination.

To our judges:

Thank you for taking on the difficult task of selecting this year's finalists. With such a strong field of nominations, it was no easy decision. We are incredibly grateful for the time and thought you put into recognising our STARs.

To our finalists:

Tonight is your night.

Thank you for everything you do for our patients, communities and colleagues. Your achievements are something to be incredibly proud of, and we're delighted to celebrate them with you.

To our compere:

A huge thank you to our brilliant compere, Leanne Campbell, for guiding us through tonight's celebrations and bringing plenty of laughter and energy along the way.

To our organisers:

Thank you to our Communications and Organisational Development Teams for the hard work, attention to detail and planning that has gone into bringing tonight's STAR Awards to life.

To our sponsors:

Finally, a huge thank you to all our generous sponsors. Your support has helped make tonight possible and enabled us to give our colleagues and services the celebration they deserve.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our WWL STARs.

Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of a company or its products and does not influence or jeopardise any purchasing decisions made by WWL as an NHS organisation.