On Sunday night we were overjoyed to see the Who Cares Wins Awards shared on screens across the nation. As the proud charity partner for the event, it was beyond special to have an opportunity to celebrate the UK’s incredible health and care workers.
Hosted by Davina McCall, the event honoured dedicated doctors, nurses, teams and carers from all over, and was attended by VIPs including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, boxer Anthony Joshua, musician and actor Martin Kemp, comedian Al Murray, singer Mel B and Love Islander Olivia Attwood.
One of the many deserving winners was the remarkable Dr Freda Newlands who won the Best Doctor award – presented by none other than King Charles III in a surprise meeting. Dr Freda is an emergency medicine specialist, who most recently bravely spent two months in Ukraine treating victims of the war.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented the East of England Ambulance Service, MAGPAS Air Ambulance, and Linda, Paul and Tommy Sadler with the 999 hero award. And later in the evening Dorcas Gwata was presented with the Best Nurse award by Katie Piper and Piers Morgan.
Dorcas started her career aged 21 as a hospital cleaner, before becoming a healthcare assistant, and she is now a Psychiatric Liaison Nurse, working out of the A&E department at St Mary’s Hospital in London.
Speaking about her role, Dorcas said:
“I care deeply about the young people I look after; they are as vulnerable as they are resilient. Sometimes I bump into them in the market or street, they are always polite and cultured in their interactions with me – a side of them that society does not always see.”
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together, said:
“It was fantastic to see everyone come together at the awards ceremony and show their collective appreciation for our NHS and healthcare workforce. It was a rare opportunity to give them the recognition they deserve, and a very emotional night for everyone.
“Frontline and behind-the-scenes staff are the beating heart of our NHS, and the stories of their dedication were truly inspiring. We hope everyone had the tissues ready if they were tuning in on Sunday!”
The full list of winners at the Awards are:
- Best Doctor: Dr Freda Newlands
- Best Midwife: Wendy Warrington
- Best Team: Teams from Southampton Children’s Hospital and Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH)
- Best Nurse: Dorcas Gwata
- Best Health Charity: Jump Children’s Charity
- Unsung Hero: Rhys Langford
- Young Hero: Jayden Sorhaindo
- The Caroline Flack Mental Health Hero: Dr Ahmed Hankir
- 999 Hero: East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST), Magpas Air Ambulance and Linda, Paul and Tommy Sadler
- Christina Newbury Memorial Award: Dame Deborah James
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees, you are all phenomenal and should be very proud.
