Jo Mahoney, National Lead for Pre-operative Assessment at Circle Health Group, has been awarded the prestigious Florence Nightingale Foundation (FNF) DAISY Award.
Awarded to nursing professionals who demonstrate a relentless commitment to delivering an outstanding quality of care to the patients they support. The FNF DAISY Award is only presented to a small number of nurses each year making it one of the most prestigious achievements internationally.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation, founded and run in the memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.
Patrick’s family were so moved by the care he received from nurses whilst he was in hospital that they created an award to recognise the commitment, professionalism and impact that nurses make to the lives of the patients in their care. The award uses an evidence-based means of providing recognition and looks to thank nurses for their extraordinary work.
Jo Mahoney has been a nurse for over 40 years and has been a specialist in the field of pre-operative assessment for nearly a decade. Since 2022, she has led a landmark project to standardise and implement pre-operative assessment services across 45 of Circle Health Group’s 54 hospitals in the UK. Not content with just implementing a service, Jo has worked tirelessly to support and educate teams across the UK on the importance of pre-operative assessment, sharing best practice, personal experiences and running educational workshops to encourage her colleagues to develop their own skills and interests.
Moreover, Jo’s award recognises her commitment to leading by example and demonstrating the values of the FNF DAISY Award in everything she does. Jo’s work has seen a dramatic increase in patient satisfaction across Circle Health Group, with patients and colleagues alike, remarking on the effectiveness of Jo’s work to drive positive and meaningful change in the delivery of care.
Jo was presented with her award in London on Monday 27th October, where she was joined by previous winners and representatives from The DAISY Foundation and the Florence Nightingale Foundation.
Commenting on her award, Jo Mahoney said: “I am truly grateful and honoured to receive this award. To be recognised alongside such dedicated, extraordinary and compassionate nursing professionals is deeply humbling. My 40 plus years in nursing has been an incredible adventure. It’s more than a career – it's my vocation and who I am as a person. I am fortunate to work alongside some incredible people who share my passion for delivering outstanding, patient centred care. This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”
FNF’s Director of Academy, Natasha North, said: “The DAISY Award is a powerful reminder that leadership should be built on compassion. It celebrates those who inspire through trust, reflection, and the courage to make care better every single day. it was a privilege to meet with the honourees, and some of the nominees too, to hear about their leadership journeys and the impact of recognition.”
Victoria Jones, Professional Nurse Lead said: “Jo is an outstanding role model to us all and I am overjoyed that she has been recognised with this incredible award. At Circle, we make it our mission to deliver safe, compassionate and effective care to the patients we have the privilege of caring for. Jo lives and breathes those values and receiving The DAISY Award is recognition of that commitment. We couldn’t be prouder of her.”
