16 April 2026

Our staff have once again been recognised through an award that gives patients and families the chance to say thank you.

A total of 36 nominations were submitted for this year’s Delivering Excellence Awards, People’s Choice category, each highlighting the exceptional care, kindness and professionalism shown by individuals across our Trust.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and recognise those who have made a real difference during some of life’s most challenging moments.

A judging panel has now selected a shortlist, and voting is open to decide this year’s winner.

Among those nominated is:

Charlotte Gibson from the Emergency Department

Charlotte is the kind of nurse I want to be when I qualify from my Nurse Degree Apprenticeship. I am lucky enough to work alongside her in ED as a support worker, but I was also able to work with her as a student nurse in resus. The one day I spent with her as a student changed my whole perspective of nursing and the role we have in providing care to patients and relatives.

Charlotte delivers excellence every day, even when she is tired, and even when we are understaffed. I have truly never seen someone care for patients in such a holistic way. One example that stands out in my mind was a patient who came in very unwell after they had recently been discharged from another hospital. She made sure all of the observations, investigations, skin check, and documentation was completed. The patient was so unwell and their relative was incredibly worried. Charlotte made sure that she was talking to the relative throughout the whole process, keeping them updated, and explaining what she is doing and why, and this helped reassure the relative despite the patient’s physical condition. Due to the recent discharge and physical state of the patient, Charlotte made sure that she completed a datix and this wasn’t finished until after shift had ended. I often see things like this being handed over to the next shift, but Charlotte goes out of her way to make sure everything is completed and demonstrates that patient care and safety is a priority for her.

Not only does Charlotte deliver excellence to patients and their relatives, but she is also an outstanding role model and colleague. It is an honour to work alongside her and to learn from her.

Evangeline, a nurse in the Critical Care Unit, E5

I would like to nominate Evangeline, a nurse in the Critical Care Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, for the People Choice Award in recognition of the extraordinary compassion and professionalism she showed during the final days of Julia’s life.

Critical Care is an environment filled with fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming emotion. During the hardest moments our sons John and Matt and I have ever faced, Evangeline brought calm, dignity, and kindness into a space that felt unbearable.

She did not simply carry out clinical tasks, she explained everything she was doing, step by step, with patience and gentleness. She made sure we understood what was happening, never rushing us, never speaking over us, and never making us feel like we were in the way. In a time when we felt powerless, her communication gave us clarity and reassurance.

What stood out most was her kindness. In moments that will stay with us forever, she treated Julia with the utmost dignity and respect. She treated us not as visitors in a hospital, but as a family going through the most painful experience imaginable. She saw our fear. She saw our heartbreak. And she met it with compassion.

Evangeline’s presence changed the atmosphere in that room. Her calmness steadied us. Her empathy comforted us. Her professionalism gave us confidence that Julia was being cared for with skill and humanity.

When everything else felt out of control, Evangeline made us feel supported.

We will never forget her kindness in those final hours. For the way she cared, the way she explained, and the way she simply was with us, she embodies everything the People Choice Award stands for. We are deeply grateful.

Dr Rupesh Sutaria from E3 General Surgery

I was admitted to QA via ambulance to the emergency department on 10/8/25.  Dr Sutaria was just amazing. He really listened to what I was saying and his whole manner gave me confidence and calmed me down.I was in a lot of pain and he was honest about the medication that he could prescribe me and how much effect it would have. His calm and reassuring manner meant that I trusted him implicitly.

During rounds, Dr Sutaria always made me feel like a person and not just another ‘case’ he was dealing with. He took time to reassure me about the treatment and operations that I needed.

I really felt like he cared what happened to me. He was due to go on holiday and made sure that I knew what was going to happen next and that I understood the implications of going home or staying in hospital whilst waiting for my next procedure.

Following my next procedure, I developed acute pancreatitis and was admitted to hospital again. I still had a bile drain at that time, and once Dr Sutaria was aware that I was in hospital again, he took the time to come and assess how I was doing and explain what needed to happen with taking the bile drain out over the coming weeks.

He was patient with family who wanted to know what was happening and explained everything very clearly.

Some doctors rush through (I do appreciate how busy they all are!) and you feel like just another case on a computer, but he REALLY listened and made me feel at ease. If only every doctor had his ‘bed side manner’. It probably didn’t take any more time to be like that, but it makes a HUGE difference when you’re feeling in pain, scared and vulnerable."

The People’s Choice Award is part of the Trust’s annual Delivering Excellence Awards, celebrating the incredible work of staff across all services.

Voting is now open and will close on Friday 8 May 2026.

The winner will be announced at this year’s Delivering Excellence Awards, taking place on Wednesday 3 June 2026.

You can read the full nominations and have your say in choosing this year’s winner by using our online form.