| 21 December 2022
As we lead up to the launch of nominations for the 2023 Our Health Heroes Awards in January, we’re shining a spotlight on the 2022 winners.
A Liverpool Women’s Hospital bereavement support officer won gold at Our Health Heroes with the category sponsored by UNISON – in recognition of her work supporting parents and their families who have lost a child as a result of molar or ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth or just after birth.
34 year-old Sarah Martin from Liverpool is part of the Honeysuckle Bereavement Team, a service that cares for bereaved families following the loss of a baby from very early in pregnancy to just after birth.
The Honeysuckle Team is small with Sarah and two clinical staff providing support across the Trust.
Sarah won the public vote due to her tireless work to meet and exceed the team’s ethos to ensure that positive memories are created by showing due diligence in all processes that ensure the last part of a baby’s journey, however small, is carried out with compassion and dignity.
The death of a baby is a taboo subject; Sarah strives to address this by engaging with staff across the Trust. She supports all grades of staff with her expert knowledge of the legalities involved around bereavement services. Sarah actively listens, and provides reassurance, guidance, and comfort.
Sarah co-ordinates the annual Trust memorial service that takes place during Baby Loss Awareness Week and goes above and beyond to ensure everything is seamless and cohesive to ensure that all Honeysuckle families are remembered.
Liverpool Women’s Patient Experience Matron, Gillian Walker had this to say:
“Sarah is a unique, special person who is remembered by the people whose lives she touches. Sarah is honest, warm, open and more than anything: caring. Her energy and focus are second to none and an asset to our Trust. Sarah is humble and does not see how absolutely amazing she is.”
Speaking at a glittering Awards ceremony held at the Science Museum in London Sarah said:
“I can’t quite believe they read my name out! I was quite shocked that I was even nominated and shortlisted. It’s a lovely thing to get recognised for what you do. People here today don’t do what we do to get recognised, but it’s just a lovely thing to learn that people do really care about what we do.”
Be the first to know about the 2023 launch in January by signing up to hear from us.
See Sarah’s reaction to winning the award below.
About Our Health Heroes
Our Health Heroes Awards celebrate and recognise the hard work carried out every day by the healthcare workforce in the UK. Now in its seventh year, the national awards are an annual highlight and a chance to hear the stories of those keeping our health and care services running.