http://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/our-hospitals/leeds-childrens-hospital

Leeds Children's Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds (2025)

18/09/2025

And the award goes to...

The Delivering the Best Award at the Leeds Children's Hospital Kite Awards was presented to Laura Knight (Discharge Facilitator).

The Kite Awards were presented at a glitzy event at Headingley Stadium on Friday evening. The Delivering the Best Award recognises colleagues who go above and beyond to deliver outstanding patient care.

Laura received multiple nominations from services across Leeds Children's Hospital recognising her above and beyond approach to facilitating safe and effective discharges from hospital. Laura's moto is 'Let's get home in time for tea!' She works with families and community services to ensure that patients are ready and feel safe to go home.

Ward Manager Rachel said:

'Laura has such dedication to the families of the children's hospital. Striving to ensure a thorough and safe discharge is completed, ensuring follow up's are made and the requirements for discharge are completed. Laura goes above and beyond in her role, making the workload for the ward nurses so much easier. She ensures that transfers are seamless, she relieves parents' anxiety and she has had a significant impact across the hospital. I often here parents say "that nurse is brilliant!!!"

Laura was presented with her award by Laura Whelan (Head of Nursing), Colin Holton (Clinical Director) and Jo Haigh (General Manager) and celebrated her win with her colleagues from the Discharge Team.

Also awarded Highly Commended in this category were:
👏 Gill Ellis and Emma Frudd (Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners) for their Coffee, Cake and Unwind staff welfare initiative.
👏 Ward L38 Housekeeping Team, recognising them as 'the heart of Ward L38', going above and beyond every day to make patients smile, maintain a clean and safe ward and look after the wellbeing of the team.

Congratulations to Laura, Gill, Emma and all the Housekeepers on Ward L38!

Thank you for your amazing contribution to Leeds Children's Hospital.

17/09/2025

Celebrating 25 Years of Life-Changing Liver Transplants in Leeds!

This year marks the 25 year anniversary of the Leeds Paediatric Liver Transplant Programme! Since 2000, we have been transforming lives, one transplant at a time.

Thanks to fundraising by families and staff, support from Leeds Hospitals Charity and other charities, the Paediatric Hepatology Team are delighted to be able to host an anniversary event to celebrate, reflect and raise awareness of paediatric liver transplantation in Leeds.

The event will take place on 25 October in the centre of Leeds. Guests will include past and present staff, transplant recipients and their families and charity partners who have supported the unit over the years.

If you would like more information about the event please email:
leedsth-tr.paedliverandrenaladmin@nhs.net
before 30 September.

*Picture shows 2 year old Myla, a liver transplant recipient celebrating her transplant at the 2025 British Transplant Games.

17/09/2025

This week Leeds Children's Hospital says a very fond farewell to PICU Senior Sister (and legend) Emor Miller.

Emor is heading off to enjoy a well-earned retirement after a 39 year career in the NHS, 23 years spent as a PICU Nurse. Emor started her career in 1986 as a Health Care Assistant. Since then she has trained to be a Registered General Nurse and worked in adult Intensive Care Units before switching to paediatrics in 1998. Emor was instrumental in creating the Children's Critical Care Unit at Leeds Children's Hospital as we know it today.

Emor has cared for thousands of patients and supported countless families through their most difficult moments. She has also found time to contribute to multiple charitable missions oversees in Mozambique and Bangladesh, using sharing her expertise to help train staff in developing countries.

As Emor finally hangs up her uniform her colleagues have shared their thanks. One colleague said:

'Emor has supported me through courses, helped prepare me for interviews and always been there to support on shifts. I know she has done this for literally hundreds of staff members who have passed through those very daunting PICU doors. She will be a massive loss but her influence will shine on in others.'

Thank you Emor for your incredible contribution over a distinguished career. We wish you a long and happy retirement. From all your friends and colleagues at Leeds Children's Hospital.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

17/09/2025

And the award goes to...

The Keeping Patients Safe Award at the Leeds Children's Hospital Kite Awards was presented to the Children's Pre-operative Assessment Team. The Kite Awards were presented at a glitzy event at Headingley Stadium on Friday evening.

The Keeping Patients Safe Award recognises an individual or team that has made the hospital safer for patients and families.

The Children's Pre-operative Assessment Team make sure that patients are ready for surgery before the day of the operation. They check that patients and families have all the information they need, they check that patients are properly supported and ensure that everything is in place to ensure that surgery can take place safely.

The Team have been recognised for the work they have done to develop the team and increase the number of assessments that take place, reducing cancellations and making surgery safer.

Tracy Garner (Team Leader) said:

'The team have increased capacity from 7 patients assessed per day per nurse to 10, to meet the needs of the 12,000 patients listed for a procedure every year. They have introduced new pathways working with anaesthetics colleagues, and undertaken training to improve the quality of the assessments we offer.

Recruitment of further skilled nurses is taking place so we can increase our assessment services to specialities not yet included... Improvements to the service will reduce cancellations on the day of surgery and improve theatre start times meaning that more patients will get the treatment they need, when they needs it'

The team were presented with there award by Laura Whelan (Head of Nursing), Colin Holton (Clinical Director) and Jo Haigh (General Manager).

Also awarded Highly Commended in this category were:
👏 Paediatric Emergency Department for their School Knife Crime Workshops.
👏 Ward L50 and Hepatology Teams for their work to cut waiting times for liver biopsies.

Congratulations to our Children's Pre-operative Assessment Team, colleagues in the Paediatric Emergency Department and Ward L50 and Hepatology teams!

Thank you for your amazing contribution to Leeds Children's Hospital.

16/09/2025

And the award goes to... 🦸‍♀️

The Flying High Award at the Leeds Children's Hospital Kite Awards was presented to Elaine Edwards (Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist) in our Cystic Fibrosis Service. The Kite Awards were presented at a glitzy event at Headingley Stadium on Friday evening.

The Flying High Award recognises colleagues who lead the way in professional practice in their area of expertise.

Elaine was recognised by her colleagues for the leading role she plays in supporting and empowering children and young people with Cystic Fibrosis as well as her national work, co-authoring guidelines and delivering training.

Elaine was nominated by Dr Tim Lee (Consultant Paediatrician) who said:

'...as lead physiotherapist within our Children’s Cystic Fibrosis team she (Elaine) continually innovates in providing patient centred care – engaging and empowering young people who may be impacted by disadvantaged or difficult backgrounds through listening; targeted home visits; creating bespoke accessible treatment plans and enabling young people to regain some control and autonomy in their lives and improve their health.
..Elaine is always positive, always brings constructive solutions, always champions patient centred values – flying high for our patient group.'

Elaine was presented with her award by Laura Whelan (Head of Nursing), Colin Holton (Clinical Director) and Jo Haigh (General Manager) and celebrated her win with her colleagues from the Cystic Fibrosis Team.

Also awarded Highly Commended in this category were:

👏 Amber Canavan (Acting Ward Manager - Ward L30), recognising Amber's leadership and her ability to create a positive work environment.

👏 Becky Mernenko (Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Children's Surgery), recognising the positive impact that Becky has across the service and her 'Let's get it done' approach.

Congratulations to Elaine, Amber and Becky! Thank you for your amazing contribution to Leeds Children's Hospital.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Leeds Hospitals Charity

16/09/2025

Recognising our colleagues at The Kite Awards! 👏

On Friday evening colleagues from across Leeds Children's Hospital attended The Kite Awards annual staff recognition event at Headingley Stadium. The Kite Awards recognise excellence, team work, innovation and compassion across all children and young people's services at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Across nine award categories - curated by children's hospital staff - there were awards for improvements in patient safety, going the extra mile for patients and families, inspiring colleagues, leading on innovations and research, a 'Rising Star' award for colleagues who have joined the team in the last two years, and more.

Among those recognised were Nurses, Consultants, Resident Doctors, Allied Health Professionals, Housekeepers, Surgeons, Ward Teams as well as specific projects. All part of the Leeds Children's Hospital family.

Awards were presented by Colin Holton (Clinical Director), Laura Whelan (Head of Nursing) and Jo Haigh (General Manager).

160 Kite Award nominations were received in 2025, all submitted by colleagues for teams and individuals. A panel of judges whittled these down to a shortlist of just three nominations for each award. 260 guests were invited to the glittering event at Headingley including senior colleagues from across Leeds Teaching Hospitals and representatives from our local charities.

General Manager and awards co-host Jo Haigh said:

'The Kite Awards has shone a light on roles, projects and achievements at all levels. We've heard about teams, individuals and projects that have excelled in their areas but what really stands out is the genuine care and compassion that our colleagues bring to their roles every single day.'

Look out for details of winners and highly commended awards coming up in the next few days!

The 2025 Kite Awards were supported by Leeds Hospitals Charity with additional contributions from Children's Heart Surgery Fund Candlelighters and The Millie Wright Children's Charity. We are also grateful to local artists and suppliers for supporting the event: Rockingham Trophies, Balloon Bear Occasions, Headingley Stadium, Rockaeoke, Nineteen52 Media and Events, Limelight Hire and our own fabulous Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Medical Illustration photographers.

11/09/2025

Only one day to go! 🎉

Tomorrow night Leeds Children's Hospital colleagues will gather together to celebrate excellence, teamwork, innovation and compassion at our annual staff recognition event - The Kite Awards!

The Kite Awards recognise colleagues from across children and young people's services for their outstanding contribution in the last year.

This year's event is supported by Leeds Hospitals Charity with additional support from our other local charities: Children's Heart Surgery Fund, Candlelighters and The Millie Wright Children's Charity.

Good luck to all our colleague who are nominated for awards! 🤞

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

10/09/2025

Helen wins Well Child Nurse Award! ⭐

Helen Tooby is our Well Child Tracheostomy Nurse Specialist and earlier this week she was named as winner of the Well Child Nurse Award in the prestigious national 2025 Well Child Awards, in association with GSK.

Helen was nominated by Leeds Children's Hospital colleague, Emma Gilpin and was chosen from hundreds of nominations from across the UK to win the Nurse Award. This was category sponsored by the Royal College of Nursing, recognising her extraordinary ability to combine clinical excellence with genuine empathy.

Helen supports children with complex medical needs with tracheostomies and provides expert clinical care alongside unwavering compassion and dedication. Over the past year, Helen has shouldered much of the tracheostomy service during a period of unprecedented demand. No matter how long the day or how heavy the workload, she works tirelessly to ensure every child is safe, every family supported and every detail taken care of.

Emma said in her nomination:

'Helen is not just a nurse; she is a lifeline for so many. Her work has been nothing short of life-changing, and she embodies the very essence of what it means to be a Nurse. Helen stands out as a beacon of hope and excellence in her field, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition'

Helen received her award at a star-studded ceremony in London, where she met Well Child Patron Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, at a private reception ahead of the event.

Congratulations to Helen from all your friends and colleagues at Leeds Children's Hospital!

Read more on our website: https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/news/leeds-nurse-wins-well-child-nurse-award/

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust WellChild - the national charity for sick children

09/09/2025

Leeds Children’s Transplant Team represent Team GB in Dresden!

Fresh from the British Transplant Games held in Oxford in July/August, members of Leeds Children’s Transplant Team joined team GB at the World Transplant Games in Dresden in August.

Alisha, Ava, Erin, India, Emily, Violet and Jack – all recipients of life-saving liver, kidney or bone marrow transplants at Leeds Children’s Hospital – helped team GB lead the medal table with 400 medals (173 gold, 132 silver, and 98 bronze).

The World Transplant Games represents the largest organ donor awareness event in the world. We are over the moon to see Leeds transplant patients achieving their sporting potential on the international stage.

Volunteer Team GB Manager (and Therapeutic and Specialised Play Manager at Leeds Children’s Hospital) Lisa Beaumont supported the team in Dresden. Lisa said:

‘We’re just so proud of all our inspirational young people who have once again proved that there are no limits to what you can achieve!’.

Well done to all our amazing transplant athletes from Leeds.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Leeds Hospitals Charity World Transplant Games Federation

01/09/2025

Happy Mawlid Al-Nabi and Eid Milad un-Nabi to all our staff, patients and communities celebrating the birth and life of the prophet Muhammad this week.

29/08/2025

✨ Wear your support with pride ✨

Looking for a simple way to stand with children affected by cancer? Grab a gold ribbon pin badge!

Available with a sparkle of pink or green these badges are perfect for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September or any day you want to make a difference.

Every penny from your purchase helps provide emotional, practical, and financial support for families - and funds vital research.

Get yours here 👉 https://www.candlelighters.org.uk/product/gold-ribbon-pin-badge/

26/08/2025

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all of our staff, patients and community celebrating. Ganesh Chaturthi is the day that marks the birth of Lord Ganesha who is the god of wisdom, knowledge, prosperity and happiness.

Leeds Children's Hospital

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