Staff gathered in the summer evening sun to celebrate our 2020/21 RFL Oscars winners at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

A highlight of the Royal Free London calendar, the RFL Oscars are a chance to say thank you to all our staff.

Yesterday’s event followed on from the virtual Oscars held back in December and offered colleagues the opportunity to come together to celebrate their successes in person.

Mark Lam, RFL group chair, opened the evening with a thank you to staff for their dedication and hard work: "It has certainly been a challenging time for everybody, and we are incredibly proud of how you have excelled against the odds over the past two years."

Caroline Clarke, RFL group chief executive, added: “Today’s anniversary of the NHS is the perfect time to reflect on all of your remarkable achievements and your dedication to our patients.”

Held in the historic venue of the RCP – the oldest medical college in England – the event was generously sponsored by the Royal Free Charity. Also thrilled to be able to celebrate in person, Jon Spiers, chief executive of the charity, thanked supporters: “From small acts of kindness to huge investments in discovery and innovation, everything we do in partnership with the Royal Free London is about changing lives for the better.”

Colleagues were also joined by surprise guest, physician and comedian, Dr Phil Hammond. Paying tribute to NHS staff, Phil helped to announce this year’s group winners and welcomed them to the stage. You can see them below.

Our 2020/21 winners

  • Volunteer of the Year: Sue Young
  • Outstanding contribution to patient safety: Infection prevention and control multidisciplinary team.
  • Celebrating diversity: Neuro rehab centre multidisciplinary team.
  • Outstanding contribution to education: Clinical practice educator ICU multidisciplinary team.
  • Group clinical team of the year: Chase Farm Hospital theatre team.
  • Clinician of the year award: Anand Sivaramakrishnan, consultant microbiologist and infection control doctor.
  • Quality improvement and innovation: Deborah Kirby, critical care matron at Barnet Hospital.
  • Non-clinical employee of the year award: Nigel Brinkhurst, head chef at the Royal Free Hospital’s private patients unit.
  • Non-clinical team of the year award: Bereavement and mortuary services team.
  • Chairman’s leadership award: Angshuman Mukherjee, clinical director and consultant in emergency medicine.

 

The bereavement and mortuary services team, winners of the non-clinical team of the year award

 

Shoulder to shoulder with the charity: Sue Young, Barnet hospital volunteer and winner of the volunteer of the year award, Adam Hutchinson, Chase Farm Hospital volunteer of the year, Adam's mother, Sucica Kapetanovic-Hutchinson, and Jon Spiers, chief executive of the Royal Free Charity

 

Pictured is Angshuman Mukherjee, winner of the chairman's leadership award, Zarina Khan, winner of the corporate services outstanding contribution to education award, and Anand Sivaramakrishnan, winner of the clinician of the year award

 

The infection prevention and control team were awarded the outstanding contribution to patient safety award

 

The neuro rehab centre multidisciplinary team won the celebrating diversity award

 

Group clinical team of the year award went to Chase Farm Hospital's theatre team

 

Staff came together to celebrate in the medicinal gardens

 

We were joined by Dr Phil Hammond, broadcaster, journalist and comedian