In the lead-up to the NHS Lanarkshire Staff Awards 2026, we are shining a spotlight on the exceptional individuals and teams shortlisted for this year’s awards.
Today, we are celebrating Suzanne Shields, a Clinical Manager whose vision is helping transform NHS Lanarkshire’s Neurodevelopmental Service for children and young people.
Faced with lengthy waiting lists and growing pressure on families and schools, Suzanne looked beyond the traditional assessment model and championed a pioneering school-based approach.
The new model brings a multidisciplinary team into one school for an intensive two-week period, enabling staff to complete coordinated, high-quality assessments.
Following successful pilots, the approach became a permanent part of the service. Since January, one five-person school team has completed assessments and reports for 180 children, increasing capacity within the locality model by around 90 per cent.
Suzanne has driven the planning, logistics, funding and service development needed to make this possible.
Her innovation also extends beyond assessment. She has supported workshops, targeted interventions and post-diagnostic sessions for autism, ADHD and intellectual disabilities, while empowering staff to contribute ideas and use their individual strengths.
Suzanne has been shortlisted in recognition of the way she combines imagination with practical leadership, creating faster access, meaningful support and a model with the potential to influence services far beyond Lanarkshire.
The NHS Lanarkshire Staff Awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday 7 October 2026.
Look out for our next finalist spotlight as we continue the countdown to the ceremony.
