Cygnet Group CEO Dr Tony Romero said: “These awards recognise the achievements and difference our motivated, compassionate and value-driven doctors and teams make for our services users and residents every single day.
“We have seen so many wonderful examples of our doctors and other clinicians, going above and beyond over the last year, stepping up to work beyond their role and sacrifice their time and dedication for the benefit of the individuals in their care.
“As CEO I am proud to count these exceptional individuals as colleagues who exemplify our values at Cygnet.”
The finalists and winners were:
Cygnet Educator of the Year
- Winner: Dr Fabian Haut: Cygnet Wallace Hospital
- Dr Hashim Zainy: Cygnet Hospital Woking
- Dr Omer Malik: Cygnet Churchill
- Dr Laurie Van Niekerk: Forestwood Cygnet Hospital Bury
Cygnet Medical Leader of the Year
- Winner: Dr Richard Church: Cygnet Hospital Woking
- Dr Mark Luffingham: Cygnet Alders Clinic
- Dr Markus Bienroth: Cygnet Hospital Beckton
- Dr Sai Achuthan: Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke
Cygnet Innovator of the Year
- Winner: Dr Sree Thamburaja: Cygnet Hospital Clifton
- Dr Ewelina Dobrzynska: Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke
Cygnet Mental Health Team of the Year
- Winner: Cygnet Hospital Sheffield: Pegasus Ward
- Cygnet Hospital Blackheath
- Cygnet Hospital Beckton: Upping Ward
- Cygnet Alders Clinic
Cygnet SAS Doctor of the Year
- Winner: Dr Karl Jose Solang Balansay: Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke
- Dr Ravinthirakumar Sutharshanan: Cygnet Heathers
- Dr Nnamdi Chi-Nwankwo: Cygnet Hospital Taunton
- Dr Edwin Sampier: Cygnet Hospital Taunton
Cygnet Consultant Psychiatrist of the Year
- Winner: Dr Amit Mistry: Cygnet Hospital Ealing
- Dr Rachel Mortimer-Cawley: Cygnet Hospital Sheffield
- Dr Mahathir Chan: Cygnet Appletree
- Dr Ewelina Dobrzynska: Cygnet Hospital Kewstoke
Cygnet Lifetime Achievement Award ‘The Swan Award’
- Winner: Dr Enrique Bonnell
Group Clinical Director Special Recognition Award
- Winner: Cygnet Wast Hills
Dr Sree Thamburaja, winner of the Cygnet Innovator of the Year award, said: “I feel highly honoured that Cygnet and my colleagues have chosen me as the winner of this prestigious award. To be recognised for innovating and providing service users with the highest level of support is a privilege. I try every day to make a difference to the lives of those we support and winning this award filled me with pride.
“For me, the best part of my job is that I work with a fantastic team and service user group. They are kind, smart, resilient and dedicated to changes lives for the better.”
Dr Fabian Haut, winner of the Cygnet Educator of the Year award, said: “I am humbled in receiving the Cygnet Educator of the year award, recognising my commitment to medical training and the importance of teaching to multidisciplinary colleagues as well. Working in a discipline where recruitment can be challenging providing students and young colleagues with inspiration and instilling enthusiasm I feel is of great importance and I find it thoroughly rewarding. As we strive to provide the best possible care for our patients, education and professional development is integral to our efforts.”
Stacey Burgess, Ward Manager of Pegasus Ward, which won the Mental Health Team of the Year award, said: “I am immensely proud of every single member of the team for their 100% dedication they bring to the team, the support and feedback of the external professionals we work with, and the positive and influential leaders leading the team. This year has been amazing with the teams success stories and achievement.
“I would like to thank all the families and carers who have worked with us and thank you to all the young people who come through the door. You have made us the team we are today.”
Dr Amit Mistry, winner of the Cygnet Consultant Psychiatrist of the Year award, said: “It’s a real privilege to have been nationally recognised by my colleagues at Cygnet Hospital Ealing. I am proud to lead such a dedicated, hardworking team aiming to provide exemplary, inpatient care for those suffering from an Eating Disorder.”
Presenting the Cygnet Lifetime Achievement Award ‘The Swan Award’ to Dr Enrique Bonnell, Dr Romero said: “I’m very pleased to present this award to Enrique Bonnell, who I’ve known for many years. He is one of the most knowledgeable doctors in the field of learning disabilities and yet one of the most humble. Thank you for all your years of dedication.
“This accolade is testament to the hard work, commitment and dedication of Enrique. At Cygnet Group, we strive to provide the highest quality and standard of care and always put our service users at the heart of what we do. This is demonstrated impeccably by Enrique.”
Thank you to the following guests for presenting the awards:
- Subodh Dave, Dean of The Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Karen Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Behavioral Health Division, Universal Health Services
- Stephen Firn OBE, CEO Health Care, Cygnet
- Lord Kamlesh Patel of Bradford OBE, Senior Independent Board Director, Cygnet
- Dame Clare Gerada, Medical Director of the NHS Practitioner Health Programme and Independent Governance Advisor, Cygnet
- Subulade Smith CBE, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Dr Tony Romero, Group CEO, Cygnet
- Dr Jon Van Niekerk, Group Clinical Director, Cygnet
The awards ceremony followed our free, CPD accredited Psychiatrists conference which was open to clinicians internal and external to Cygnet. The theme this year was ‘Improving Quality Through Innovation’, and an experienced panel explored a range of topics covering the latest research and developments in psychiatry.
Workshops and networking opportunities were delivered with peers from across the NHS, public and independent sectors.
The programme featured presentations on person-centred care, mentoring, and utilising technology within health care. Thank you to everyone who took part and especially our guest speakers Dr Rahul Bhattacharta, Dr Jeya Balakrishna and Dr Alice Duncan.