Chris Finch, Nuffield Health’s Infection Prevention and Control Lead Nurse, has been awarded the Silver Chief Nursing Officer’s Award.
Chris was presented with the prestigious award for her leadership within infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic within Nuffield Health’s 31 hospitals and 113 fitness and wellbeing centres located across the UK.
Launched in 2019, the Silver Chief Nursing Officer’s Award recognises major contributions to patients and the profession and the enormous range of skills, expertise, and enduring compassion that modern nursing and midwifery represents. The award is rarely awarded to a nurse from an independent hospital group.
Ruth May, the Chief Nursing Officer for England, made a ‘surprise’ appearance on a routine, virtual nursing leadership meeting at Nuffield Health to present Chris with the coveted Silver award, giving a moving tribute to her work during the pandemic:
She said: “The COVID-19 global health emergency has been challenging for us all professionally and personally and we have seen nurses like Chris come to the fore. Infection prevention and control is extremely important she thoroughly deserves this award for her leadership in this area. I thank her for stepping up to lead this vital work as part of the partnership between the NHS and independent sector.”
Accepting the award, Chris responded: “Our Infection, Prevention and Control team pulled together so well at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and we shared knowledge across the Charity. I thank everyone who has played such a valuable role, from our housekeepers, matrons, hospital teams and fitness and wellbeing centre sites – it was a real team effort during such a challenging time.”
Carol Kefford, Nuffield Health’s Chief Nurse and Clinical Director, said: “Chris was pivotal in creating a sense of ‘we can do this’ across the Charity during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very proud, and grateful for her exceptional contribution across our 31 hospitals and 113 fitness and wellbeing centres.
“She has layered infection, prevention and control expertise, leadership talent and considerable energy. She is a nurse at heart so that our patients and our teams have been protected. During the COVID-19 pandemic she had an immediate, far reaching impact, driving excellence across clinical care, operations, clean team, procurement and property.
“Her impact is greater than her achievements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses want to be part of her team and learn from her and Nuffield Health’s DIPC infection, prevention and control course at De Montfort University is very popular. Chris has built strong relationships across the infection prevention and control community nationally, with close relationships at the Sepsis Trust and Public Health England. She is also part of the Florence Nightingale Foundation’s working group with NHS England to develop infection, prevention and control leadership training for NHS and independent sector nurses.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nuffield Health has cared for over 340,000 NHS patients in its UK network of hospitals. These NHS patients include COVID-19 positive patients, those needing intensive care or oxygen support, cancer treatment (shielding vulnerable patients from COVID-19), urgent surgery and palliative (end of life) care.
