Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (BFT) nurses Helen Bishop and Michaela Dixon have been awarded prestigious Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England Silver Awards for their outstanding contributions to nursing and patients.
The CNO for England Silver Award recognises those that go above and beyond, leadership, excellence in clinical practice, and outstanding care.
Cora Presley, NHS England Deputy Director for Service Delivery, Transformation & Resilience presented the pair with their awards at a ceremony surrounded by nursing colleagues.
Helen Bishop, who is in her 42nd year of her career, is Director of Nursing for Specialised Services, which includes cardiology and cancer care at The City and Weston hospitals at BFT. She’s also previously worked in the Medicine Division at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI).
Helen received the award for several outstanding achievements as a nurse in the NHS. She supported teams through BRI redevelopments, which led to upgraded hospital facilities and further improvements to services in 2014.
In 2022, Helen supported the planning and opening of the new extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) service, which was the first in the South West. This resulted in patients no longer needing to travel to London for treatment. Helen is also a passionate about patient experience. She ensured voices were heard and represented when developing support and care offered for patients transitioning between adolescent and adults care.
Helen Bishop said: “I was both surprised and honoured to be receive this award. I have had the pleasure of working in a fantastic organisation with excellent hard-working teams, across all professions, who endeavour to make a difference every day to the patients and their families and the wider community we care for. I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunities I have had to develop my knowledge, skills and experience to be enable to support and encourage others. I would like to thank all those I work with for making work fun, challenging and energising, but an extra special thanks to my colleagues who took the time to nominate me."
Michaela Dixon is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner with experience in children’s intensive care at BRHC and now works for the children’s Critical Care Transport Service (WATCh) at BFT. In her role, alongside the Specialist Transport Nursing team, she is responsible for supporting the transfer of children requiring critical care from hospitals in the South West and South Wales, to BRHC and other specialist centres.
Michaela was recognised for volunteering to support an international humanitarian evacuation trip to bring severely ill children from Gaza to the UK for medical treatment.
During the trip, which was coordinated by a cross-government taskforce, Michaela took care of families and critically ill children offering care, comfort and reassurance. Michaela’s intensive care expertise and dedication to those in her care and empathy offered families what they needed at an incredibly difficult and uncertain time.
Michaela Dixon said: “I am honoured and overwhelmed to have received this award; it was my absolute privilege to play a tiny part in the journey for the children and their families, using the skills, knowledge and experience gained from the job I love, working as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for WATCh, the Paediatric Critical Care Transport service, as part of this humanitarian trip. It was also a real pleasure to work alongside other NHS clinicians who also voluntarily gave their time and expertise to support the safety of those in our care.”
Maria Kane, Chief Executive of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Both Helen and Michaela have had outstanding careers. I’m delighted they’ve received this national award for the work they do, going above and beyond to support patients, colleagues and our services in Bristol and beyond.
“Leadership is decisive in providing excellent clinical practice and outstanding care. Helen and Michaela’s compassionate, visible, credible and open leadership, particularly when faced with challenges is nothing short of exceptional. I’m delighted for them that this has been recognised with a CNO Silver Award.”
Professor Steve Hams, Chief Nursing and Improvement Officer, Bristol NHS Foundation Trust said:
"Helen and Michaela embody the very best of our professions. Their commitment to compassionate care, clinical excellence and continuous improvement has had a profound impact on patients, colleagues and services alike. I am immensely proud to see them recognised with a Chief Nursing Officer for England Silver Award.
Healthcare is ultimately about people. At times of illness, uncertainty and vulnerability, the kindness, expertise and leadership shown by individuals such as Helen and Michaela can make all the difference. They lead by example, inspire those around them, and consistently demonstrate the values that define outstanding care."
Cora Presley, NHS England Deputy Director for Service Delivery, Transformation & Resilience, said: “It was a privilege to present Helen and Michaela with CNO for England Silver Awards. These awards recognise nursing colleagues who go above and beyond to provide excellent patient care, and both Helen and Michaela have undoubtedly demonstrated this. Their dedication to their patients, colleagues and profession is inspiring.”
The Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) for England and Chief Midwifery Officer (CMidO) for England Awards have been developed to reward the significant and outstanding contribution made by nurses and midwives in England and their exceptional contribution to nursing and midwifery practice.
Find out more about the awards on the NHS England website.