News

At NLFT we believe in recognising the incredible dedication of our staff who go above and beyond to support those in our care. 

Every year, we celebrate their contributions through our Annual Staff Awards ceremony, and we invite you to take part by nominating a staff member for our GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Award. 

The GEM Award is a very special award because it is nominated by you, our service user or family member, for a member of staff who has gone the extra mile to provide really great care.

You can say thank you to someone who made a real difference to your care or recovery. They might work in one of our hospitals or out in the community.  

The nominations close on Thursday 19 June.

Who can you nominate

The GEM Award recognises staff members who:

• Goes above and beyond their usual role to provide excellent care and support
• Makes a positive impact to service users and carers
• Encourages and motivates others to do their best
• Promotes fairness, dignity, respect and shared decision-making
• Creates opportunities for collaboration between service users, carers and staff
• Demonstrates our Trust values in their behaviour

How to nominate

If a staff member has supported you, or a loved one, in a way that stands out, we would love for you to nominate them for this award using our simple nomination form - you can access the form here.  

Thank you for taking the time to make a nomination, it really means a lot. If your nominee is shortlisted, they will be invited to attend our special awards ceremony on Thursday 24 September 2026.
 
If you have any questions, please email nlft.staffawards@nhs.net You can also download our promotional poster: Staff awards GEM category.pdf

"It was wonderful to know how much my care and support really meant"

Vidah, photographed above and recipient of last year's GEM Award, qualified as a nurse in 2004. She worked on hospital wards, including forensic wards, at Barnet, Enfield and Haringey NHS Trust until April 2018. She then moved to the Enfield South Core Community Team as a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN).

When she first joined the community team, she cared for over 30 patients. In 2022, she became Deputy Manager. In this role, she looks after fewer patients herself, but often supports those with more complex needs, or helps when staff are on leave, or when the team is short staffed.

A key part of her role is making sure all staff are providing high-quality care, so she oversees the support given to many patients across the team. Vidah often works with service users for many years and builds strong relationships with them and their families.

When we asked Vidah what the GEM award meant to her, she said

"I really didn't even expect to win the award. When I read what the patient family member said about me, I felt very humbled. I was just working to do the best for my patients I just wanted them to feel they were cared for - so it was wonderful to know how much my care and support really did mean.

Working for a trust who recognises people who put in their best is very commendable. When I go around and see my old colleagues, they tease me saying "Here come our celebrity, Vidah". It has been so lovely"

Send your nominations for the GEM Award today and say thank you to a staff member who provided you or a loved one with outstanding care.