International Dayofthe Midwife2026
International Day of the Midwife takes place on Tuesday 5 May. It’s a celebration of the crucial role midwives play in our communities, and the brilliant work our midwifery teams do every day.
Colleagues have been showing their appreciation for each other with nominations for kindness and awesomeness. Tuseday will see people receiving their certificates of appreciation.
Scan to read messages of thanks on Facebook
I’ll be dashing about the Maternity departments on Tuesday with a mobile bake sale. We’ve been collecting nominations of appreciation for midwifery colleagues this week - for anything from going the extra mile every shift to making the best brew!
Next Saturday (9 May), join me in Locke Park for a Parkrun in support of Midwives. Get friends and family involvedwear pink or purple and pose for a group photo at the end. Whether you’re running, baking, buying or popping by, the teams would love your support.
Louise Spence
Pastoral Support Midwife and Lead PMA
Got an inspirational story to share? Click to email the Comms team
A FESTIVAL OF FEEL-GOOD:
Barnsley Hospital’s second
Wellness Festival was a huge success, welcoming over 400 attendees for a vibrant and inspiring day focused on staff health and wellbeing.
From start to finish, there was a real buzz across the Education Centre, with a positive and energising atmosphere felt by contributors and attendees alike. Feedback from staff and partners was overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the value of bringing wellbeing support, information and experiences together in one accessible event.
Activity extended beyond the Education Centre with visits taking place across wards and hospital areas, including a special appearance by Sammy the Samaritans mascot. These visits helped spread smiles, spark conversation and encourage open discussions around mental health and emotional wellbeing.
The festival brought together a wide range of external contributors, including Barnsley Bike Works, Weston Park Cancer Charity, Barnsley Samaritans, Suicide Sucks, ACE Lived Experience, Sleep Posture Experts, Bright White Life Coaching, Community First Bank and BMBC. Staff also had the opportunity to taste freshly cooked lentil dahl from FiveDinners Founder and Chef, Theo Michaels, and switch off and unwind in the Relaxi‐Pod during a busy working day.
ey Premier Leisure played a key role, offering blood pressure checks, lifestyle advice and engaging taster sessions in kurling, bowls and table tennis, encouraging staff to explore fun and inclusive ways to stay active. Internally, fantastic support was provided by the Healthy Lives Team, Chaplaincy, Occupational Health & Wellbeing, PNA/PMA’s, the EDI Team, Barnsley Hospital Charity & Volunteers and the Library Team, showcasing the breadth of support available across the Trust.
The Wellness Festival strongly aligns with the Trust’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy by promoting prevention, early intervention, inclusion and balance. By investing in events like this, BHNFT continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting staff wellbeing, boosting morale, and creating a healthier, more connected workforce.
Pre‐bookable workshops, keynote speakers and Health MOTs were extremely popular, with some sessions fully booked, highlighting a strong appetite for proactive wellbeing support.
It’s fantastic that staff have the opportunity to access all of these resources - and at the Education Centre too.
Great to see people joining in activities during the working day. Even those who are reserved, give it a go and leave with a smile!
Submit your festival feedback
A fab event! We’ve been fed healthy food, got lots of information and freebies. I can’t wait to tell my colleagues about it.
100% of people would recommend this event to colleagues
A shining example of services coming together to help people to feel good.
AccreditationSuccessforED...
We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the Ward Accreditation reviews for the Emergency Department (ED) and Ward 19, marking an important milestone in our ongoing ‘Journey to Excellence’. Both teams have demonstrated exceptional commitment to delivering safe, compassionate, and patient‐centred care throughout a challenging year.
In the Emergency Department, the review highlighted the team’s unwavering resilience and dedication despite significant pressures, including high patient volumes and growing clinical demands. The accreditation recognised their achievements in maintaining strong infection prevention standards, improving dementia care, and embedding compassionate communication across all areas of practice.
...andAccreditationSuccessforWard19
Ward 19 also achieved a highly positive accreditation outcome. The review recognised the ward’s strong culture of kindness, excellent staff retention, and deep commitment to person‐centred careparticularly for patients living with dementia. The team’s ability to maintain high standards in falls prevention, tissue viability, and meal‐time
safety, even during periods of increased operational pressure, was highly praised. Both teams demonstrated outstanding compassion, innovation, and teamwork. We extend our sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks for their continued dedication to delivering the very best for our patients, their families, and each other.
BarnsleyHospitalwinBronzeAward for“CommitmenttoOutcomes”
Barnsley Hospital is proud to have achieved the Bronze Award for Commitment to Outcomes at the DFN Project SEARCH Awards 2026.
Announced at the Gala Dinner on 21 April 2026, the award recognises programmes that demonstrate a relentless commitment to quality and measurable success. The hospital met at least four of five national standards, including strong employment outcomes, high completion rates and living wage earnings.
This achievement reflects our continued dedication to creating meaningful employment opportunities for young people with learning disabilities and autism.
atBarnsleyHospital
DFN Project SEARCH is a programme that helps young people with learning disabilities and/or autism gain the skills and experience needed for paid employment.
Barnsley Hospital is proud to host interns through this initiative, offering real workplace experience in a supportive environment. This partnership promotes inclusion and helps interns build confidence and independence while contributing to our hospital community.
Students participate in three internships exploring a variety of career paths over three rotations each year; October to December, January to March, April to June.
This month we are delighted to celebrate Michael as our Star Intern. Michael received the award in recognition of his resilience, excellent communication with patients and colleagues, and his genuinely caring nature. Since Easter, Michael has been working in portering, where he has quickly become a valued member of the team. He consistently shows a warm, friendly manner and takes great pride in supporting both patients and staff.
Well done Michael!
BRILLIANT INDIVIDUAL
IndiaBiocic
India joined the Diabetes Centre only recently and has already demonstrated exceptional drive and passion in her role. Her manager has observed her motivating colleagues on a daily basis through her positive, can‐do attitude and her pleasant, happy nature at work. Her patient-centred approach is evident in every interaction.
On one occasion, India identified that a patient had a slow, irregular heartbeat and promptly informed the consultant in clinic. As a result, the patient was treated quickly and transferred to the Emergency Department for specialist care. Thanks to her vigilance and prompt action, the patient received timely and safe care.
Nominate a colleague for a Brilliant Award today
PUBLICLY BRILLIANT
Ward24
All staff on Ward 24 (the chemotherapy ward) provided outstanding care and support when the patient’s husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in September 2025. As he had never been ill before, the diagnosis was devastating for the whole family. From the moment they arrived on the ward, they were made to feel extremely welcome.
The team on Ward 24 were described as amazing compassionate, caring and very friendly. The family could not have asked for a better team to look after the patient and remain extremely grateful for the care he received.
Nominate a colleague for a Brilliant Award today
TeamOutstandingAchievement(Clinical)
This award is for the clinical team that has demonstrated their ability to deliver clear benefits to the Trust’s service provision and performance through working together effectively and efficiently.
Phlebotomy
The Phlebotomy Outpatients Team champions resilience, person‐centred care and service continuity through unwavering commitment, adaptability and exceptional professionalism. Their collective dedication strengthens patient experience, safeguards timely treatment and upholds a compassionate, inclusive service that positively impacts the organisation every single day.
Infection Control
The Infection Control Team champions safety, expertise and proactive infection prevention through rigorous monitoring, specialist insight and strong, strategic leadership. Their collaborative work strengthens organisational resilience, reduces risk and embeds a culture of evidence‐based practice that protects patients, staff and services across the entire Trust.
ED
The Emergency Department nursing team drives safer, more efficient care by streamlining safeguarding processes and releasing vital nursing hours back to patients. Their leadership strengthens practice and ensures nurses can focus on delivering high‐quality, compassionate care where it matters most.
TeamOutstandingAchievement(Non-Clinical)
This award is for the non-clinical team that has demonstrated their ability to deliver clear benefits to the Trust’s service provision and performance through working together effectively and efficiently.
CBU2 Leadership Team
The CBU2 Leadership Team delivers resilient, values‐driven leadership by sustaining safe services through significant pressures while driving key improvements across surgical pathways. Their collaborative approach strengthens performance, supports staff and delivers meaningful transformation for patients and the Trust.
Green ED Working Group
The Green Working Group drives meaningful environmental improvement by uniting teams across the Trust to embed sustainable clinical practice and reduce the carbon impact of Emergency Medicine. Their collaborative innovation has delivered measurable waste and carbon reductions and sparked a lasting cultural shift towards greener, safer care.
Medical Education Team
The Medical Education Team sustains high‐quality training through major change by demonstrating exceptional adaptability, organisation and commitment. Their dedication strengthens clinical learning, supports trainees and ensures our Trust continues to deliver safe, effective medical education.
GET INVOLVED
Thank you to everyone who has sent in your photos of your beloved pets. It’s brightened up our inbox.
Every week we will be sharing your pets in each edition of Proud News.
To submit your pet, email the comms team with three facts about them.
Meet fabulous Fergie, the dog of Beth Madden from the physiotherapy team.
