January 22, 2021 11.56 am This story is over 38 months old

Countess of Wessex surprises Lincolnshire healthcare staff

Royalty in Lincolnshire… virtually

Her Royal Highness, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, surprised local healthcare staff at the Lincolnshire General Practice Nurse Conference.

The Queen’s daughter-in-law, who is married to Prince Edward, joined the start of the conference on Wednesday, January 20 and thanked all healthcare staff in Lincolnshire for their efforts during the pandemic.

She was welcomed to the conference on what was her 56th birthday by Dr Helen Garr.

She spoke with the nurses and healthcare assistants and asked how they were coping during the pandemic.

Nurses and HCAs attending the conference.

The day before her 89-year-old father had his COVID vaccine and Sophie said “it was a huge weight off my mind”.

“I know that that wouldn’t be happening without the care and attention of the nurses out in general surgeries,” she said.

https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1352211006253051904

The conference also included professional development sessions, the launch of the ShinyMind wellbeing app, and the General Practice Nurse and Health Care Assistant Awards.

The Lincolnshire Training Hub Team.

Lisa Freeman, Director of Nursing at Lincolnshire Training Hub, said: “To have such a high profile visitor attend our conference and recognise all of the hard work which goes on with nursing teams in Lincolnshire General Practice has provided a much needed boost to our workforce.

“We all headed into the practices with a spring in our step.”

Dr Runa Saha, GP and Medical Director at Lincolnshire Training Hub, said: “We are committeed to supporting the recruitment, training and development needs for General Practice in Lincolnshire. Our workforce are passionate about meeting the needs of the Lincolnshire patients.

“We are proud to be supporting the growth of the workforce through placements in Primary Care for students from the University of Lincoln and other institutions, creating a new generation of healthcare staff.”

Awards winners

  • Nurse of the Year – Celia Hughes
  • HCA/NA of the Year – Peter Malleappah
  • Nursing Team of the Year – Church Walk
  • Student Placement of the Year – Abbey Medical Group
  • The Extra Mile Award – Sue Smith
  • Outstanding Contribution to General Practice – Adele Parsons