Voting is now open.
This award will be for individuals or teams who have demonstrated care and compassion towards colleagues or patients and their families with exceptional care, compassion, dignity and respect. This may include nursing, midwifery, allied health professional, GP, care home colleagues and staff providing an NHS contracted service.
Finalists:
- The Community-Based Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist Team – Lynda Bryceland, Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership, Alison Jones Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership and Joanne Milliken, Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership
- Day Opportunities Development Workers
- NHS Ayrshire & Arran Staff Care, Spiritual Care and Person Centred Care Team
Read their amazing nominations below and vote for your winner!
The Community-Based Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialist Team
Lynda Bryceland, Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership, Alison Jones Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership and Joanne Milliken, Respiratory Nurse Specialist East Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership.
The Community-Based Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialists – Lynda, Alison and Joanne – deliver expert, compassionate care across East, North and South Ayrshire, ensuring people with respiratory conditions receive timely, equitable support close to home. Working across diverse rural and urban communities, they improve access, reduce health inequalities and drive safer, more effective respiratory care. Their leadership has contributed to significant prescribing improvements, including reduced use of high‑dose inhaled steroids and overused bronchodilators, resulting in better outcomes and meaningful cost savings. With a strong Caring for Ayrshire approach, the team continually adapts services to meet local needs, developing successful respiratory hubs in Cumnock, the Doon Valley and northern localities, with further expansion planned. The introduction of FeNo testing in primary care has improved diagnosis, reduced exacerbations and prevented long waits for secondary care. Widely praised by patients and colleagues for their professionalism, kindness and ability to empower people to manage their conditions, this team exemplifies high‑quality care and is truly deserving of recognition.
Day Opportunities Development Workers
The Day Opportunities staff team has shown remarkable creativity and dedication in developing innovative, person‑centred ways to support individuals with diverse needs. Their approach blends therapeutic activities, rebound therapy, social enterprise projects and creative opportunities that build confidence, emotional wellbeing and personal growth. Highlights include their successful theatre productions, which offer both entertainment and a powerful outlet for self‑expression, as well as their thoughtful ‘Supper Club,’ which provides a discreet and supportive environment for individuals who may experience challenges with eating or social situations. The team also enhances quality of life through short breaks, tailored learning partnerships with Ayrshire College and therapeutic sessions such as massage and rebound therapy. Social enterprise initiatives help individuals develop meaningful skills, while the Glam Hideaway and Makaton signing group promote relaxation, communication and inclusion. Through these imaginative and impactful supports, the Day Opportunities team has created safe, empowering spaces where people feel valued and able to thrive – demonstrating exceptional commitment to person‑centred innovation..
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Staff Care, Spiritual Care and Person Centred Care Team
The Spiritual Care, Staff Care and Person-Centred Care Team have shown outstanding compassion and innovation, developing Ayrshire’s first Spiritual Care strategy in Scotland written in response to the Scottish Government national framework. Their wide‑ranging support for staff, patients and families is both meaningful and responsive, with significant impact: in the last six months of 2025 alone they delivered over 1,300 one‑to‑one staff care sessions, supported 67 people through group work, and aided 485 individuals through spiritual care sessions, alongside bereavement groups and broader wellbeing initiatives. Notably, 80% of staff reported that the team’s support was central to remaining at work or returning after absence. At a time of unprecedented pressure within health and social care, their contribution has been vital – yet often unseen. Despite facing personal challenges themselves, the team has remained united, resilient and consistently committed to the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of colleagues and patients. They embody the essence of compassion, creating safe spaces for reflection, healing and support, and are truly deserving of recognition for their exceptional impact across NHS Ayrshire & Arran.