IT experts from Newcastle Hospitals shortlisted for Unsung Hero award

IT experts from Newcastle Hospitals have been shortlisted for this year’s Unsung Hero Award.

Sean Dodds, an IT development manager at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is a finalist in the ‘Everyday hero in IT’ category.

He’s joined by the IT development team at the Trust, who are finalists in the ‘Team of the year in IT’ category.

Sean was nominated by his line manager Daniel Simms, head of IT delivery, for his “talent and dedication”.

“Sean manages the IT development team at Newcastle and is not only the most talented developer I have met in my career, but is also the most dedicated and genuinely cares about what he does,” Daniel said.

“The role is very demanding, with many projects being developed at any one time under tight timelines, but this never phases Sean and he is truly respected across the organisation as the person who will solve your problem no matter how hard.”

Daniel also nominated the IT development team for their “can do” attitude.

“The IT development team at Newcastle are incredibly dedicated to what they do and have worked tirelessly over the last year to produce enterprise wide software that has really changed patient experience and safety for the better,” he added.

“They have been implementing a bespoke electronic observation system that sets a new bar for quality and is now being used on wards to genuinely save lives.

“They have also been producing a world class electronic documentation product, which has radically improved discharge and clinic letter production times, as well as delivering a significant saving in postage to the trust.

“The team are incredibly dedicated to patient care and always approach a clinical problem with a positive “can do” attitude no matter how complex or how tight timelines may be.”

The Unsung Hero Awards are the only national awards recognising non-medical NHS staff and volunteers.

The award ceremony will be held on March 1.