We are delighted to announce that voting has now opened for the People’s Choice award, for this year’s Scottish Health Awards.
The NHS honours its 75th anniversary this year. We wanted to take delight in this unique year to celebrate the accomplishments of people who have contributed to Scotland’s NHS over the past 75 years.
The extraordinary quality of the nominations made it challenging for the shortlisters to choose the six finalists for the public vote.
We are happy to inform that there are two NHS Lanarkshire finalists and you can learn more about who they are and the work they’ve done below! You can vote here.
Jacqueline McKechnie (pictured above left) is a retired nurse, who worked at University Hospital Hairmyres and made a huge impact during her career.
Over the course of a 40-year career, Jackie McKechnie has performed beyond what is required of a nurse. She has made innumerable kind gestures for patients, such knitting teddy bears with NHS badges and offering them in exchange for donations. Despite suffering from two heart attacks, she finished a charity walk and donated money for supplies for patients including tights, sanitary items, and toiletries.
Jackie, 64, who retired this year after heart surgery, said: “These are things that mothers will go without to feed their children.”
She put in an extra shift every year to earn money for gifts to buy during the January reductions and give to kids. She was working the entire time during Covid-19, obtaining donations from supermarkets.
Jackie added: “It was a shock of my life to be nominated for this award. I appreciate it, but I wasn’t looking for any recognition.”
Janice McClymont (pictured above right), Head of Profession, Occupational Therapy Services is another finalist from our health board. Thanks to the dedication and expertise of occupational therapists under the direction of Janice, numerous individuals have had their lives improved.
“It’s all about helping people to live their best life,” said Janice, who has nearly 40 years’ experience.
With 260 allied health professionals under her management, including occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, nurses, and psychological experts, she is in charge of developing the children and adults service in Lanarkshire.
Janice said: “I work with an amazing team. We treat the whole person as we know that illness and disability affect everyone in a different way.”
She is in charge of many occupational therapy care groups, including acute care, community rehabilitation, mental health and addictions, children and young adults, and specialised services for hand injury, rheumatology, and neurology. Janice pioneered early occupational therapy involvement in primary care, facilitating the earliest possible hospital discharge for patients.
She also had a key role in the creation of the first Long Covid Rehabilitation Pathway in Scotland, developed by NHS Lanarkshire, and she is a member of the Excellent Clinical Guidelines Group for Long Covid Management at the National Institute for Health and Care.
“I’m delighted and overwhelmed to be one of the finalists.” Janice added.
NHS Lanarkshire is extremely proud of our finalists and wish them the best of luck!
To vote online and for further information on this year’s Scottish Health Awards visit the website.
You can also leave a message on the voting line on 07552 268 187 specifying who you would wish to win.
The following are the six outstanding finalists:
• Alan McMillan – Scottish Ambulance Service
• Annette Heary – NHS Lothian
• Christine Thompson – NHS Lothian
• Jacqueline McKechnie – NHS Lanarkshire
• Janice McClymont – NHS Lanarkshire
• Julie Walker – NHS Highland
For further details on the People’s Choice Finalists please visit the website.
Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 23:59 is the closing time for voting. After this deadline, entries will not be acknowledged.
At the awards presentation in Edinburgh on Thursday 2 November, all of the winners across the sixteen categories will be announced.
*Please ask for the bill payer’s permission before calling the voting line.
