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Maternity staff recognised with awards in memory of midwife, Hannah Seeley
Every year, the Trust honours the memory of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust midwife, Hannah Seeley, who sadly passed away in 2012. The Hannah Seeley Ball takes place every September, followed by an annual set of awards in November, where midwives, maternity support workers and student midwives are recognised for their exceptional work.
On Friday, 22 November, a ceremony took place at the West Suffolk Hospital, where dozens of members of staff working in the Trust’s maternity services and members of the senior leadership team enjoyed light refreshments as the awards were presented to the winners, who were nominated by their colleagues.
This year’s Midwife of the Year Award was won by Diane Hele. Her nominators highlighted her having now completed 51 years of service at the West Suffolk Hospital, her dedication to midwifery and being a “true icon in the field of midwifery, a strong advocate for women and providing exemplary care to pregnant people and their families”.
Diane said: “Working at the West Suffolk Hospital is very important to me, as it has given me the career that I would not change for the world.
“I feel honoured to have received this award having been nominated by my colleagues, and in memory of Hannah Seeley, who I worked with as a student and newly qualified midwife who I will never forget.”
If you’d like to know more about Diane’s journey, please read our recent press release.
Maternity care assistant, Kate Jones, was the recipient of the Support Worker of the Year Award. Kate joined the Trust in October 2023 and works in the West Suffolk Hospital’s antenatal clinic. She was nominated for her kind, friendly and hardworking attitude and for being someone who is “always willing to help and is so wonderful with women and families”.
Kate said: “I love being involved in the care of the ladies and families and being able to provide reassurance and support to them at a vulnerable time. I love to learn and feel like I learn something new every day.
“I feel very grateful for this award, especially having only worked at the Trust for a year. I have really tried to learn as much as possible and be an effective member of the team. It’s amazing to be recognised by my colleagues, who are so skilled at their jobs.”
The winner of this year’s Student Midwife of the Year was Claire Jones, who unfortunately could not attend the ceremony to collect her award in person. Claire was nominated “for always being an exemplary student midwife”, with one saying “Claire is a pleasure to work with, she is eager to learn and asks questions in the appropriate ways. She is friendly to the families and is proactive in soaking up opportunities.”
Claire said: “It was such a shame that I couldn’t collect my award in person, however, I feel honoured to be nominated by my colleagues for this award. I’m loving completing my training at the Trust, and I look forward to completing my degree in 2025 and becoming a fully-fledged midwife!”
Karen Newbury, director of midwifery for the Trust, said: “Each year, we look forward to continuing Hannah’s memory through the ball and these awards. Each year, it seems harder and harder to pick the winners as so many in our teams do amazing work every day. However, Diane, Kate and Claire have been exemplary. We are lucky to have such experienced, dedicated midwives like Diane, who are passing on their experience to the next generation of midwives and support workers, like Claire and Kate.”
“I would also like to thank the My WiSH Charity, who so generously paid for the catering and the awards.”
Kim Dines, who organised this year’s events, said: “This is such a brilliant opportunity to remember Hannah, who many of team worked with and were lucky to call their friend. By recognising those colleagues in our service that have gone above and beyond, it keeps Hannah’s memory alive, which we know brings great comfort to her family who are still involved with our service.”
Next year, the number of awards will be expanded to include all staff groups within the maternity and neonatal teams.
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