Ballymena lady named Healthcare Assistant of the Year

Deirdre McMullan from Flourish Care in Ballymena was named Healthcare Assistant at the Northern Ireland Health & Social Care Awards.

The winners of the inaugural NI Health & Social Care Awards were announced at a prestigious ceremony in the Crowne Plaza Belfast which were hosted by Dr Amir Khan, resident GP on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, and Paediatric Nurse and Cool FM presenter, Katharine Walker.

Health Minister Robin Swann and Former Joint Head of Government, Michelle O’Neill were both in attendance at the event.

There were 21 awards which recognised and celebrated the vital work and dedication of health and social care staff right across the sector and the independent judging panel included some of the industry’s most respected individual including former Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland, Professor Charlotte McArdle; Dr Sinead Campbell-Gray, Emergency Medicine Consultant for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Andy Mayhew, Chief Executive of Praxis Care.

Registered Nurse and Co-Founder of the Northern Ireland Health & Social Care Awards, Kieran McCormick said:

“Throughout the last two years, COVID-19 has presented the biggest challenge that the health and social care sector has ever faced and our health and social care professionals continued to deliver services with the utmost of compassion and care.

“The inaugural NI Health & Social Care Awards set out to bring the whole sector together and to recognise all services and frontline workers and I can confidently say that this has been achieved. Tonight was a well-deserved and long overdue occasion of recognition for many frontline colleagues.

“A massive congratulations to all of our winners and finalists and a heartfelt thank you to all of the health and social care sector workers across Northern Ireland for your continued hard-work and dedication.”

Director of Bond Healthcare, Jonathan St Clare said:

“Bond Healthcare is delighted to be the headline sponsor of the inaugural Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Awards.

“The response from across the health and social care sector has been incredible, and after what has been a very challenging two years in particular, everyone is genuinely a winner in our eyes. A huge congratulations to all of those recognised on the night - both our winners and finalists."

Individual category sponsors include Balmoral Healthcare, Beyond Digital, Connected Academy, Exchange Accountants, HSC Clinical Education Centre, Keenan Recruitment, Sewing Solutions, Tayto, Strategic Thinking and TruWASH.

The full list of winners can be found at:

www.healthandsocialawards.com