Published on: 14 July 2023
The team who look after the health of our accounts have scooped an award for their work.
The South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Director of Finance Hayley Wardle, front right, with her team and their award.
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust’s (STSFT) Finance Department has been recognised at the regional Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) awards.
Its members won the Large Team of the Year award at the event, which was hosted at the Grand Hotel in Gosforth Park.
The celebration also saw Finance Manager, Fiona Barnes win a Lifetime Achievement award.
The team’s nomination highlighted its work to ensure patients get the best level of service, with the award won jointly with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board’s Finance Team.
Improvements by the STSFT team have led to automation and standardisation of tasks handled by the department.
These include financial forecasting, efficiency and board reporting.
The team was also heavily involved in supporting the Trust and its frontline staff through the pandemic and continues to help in its recovery.
Work on developments involving the team were also noted in the nomination, showing how the team play an integral part of helping services grow.
They include supporting the Integrated Diagnostic Centre at South Tyneside District Hospital, the new Sunderland Eye Hospital, which is due to be built in Sunderland city centre and the Path to Excellence programme.
Hayley Wardle is the Trust’s Director of Finance.
She said:
"Being both shortlisted and successful in the large team category is a real honour.
"I’m just thrilled for the teams involved who make up our department.
"They all work quietly, diligently and so hard in the background to ensure that finance isn’t an obstacle to excellence in the care we provide to patients.
"Winning this prestigious recognition is a really outstanding achievement."
Also in the same category were North of England Care System, Support Accounts Payable at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Financial Services Team at Northumbria Health NHS Foundation Trust.
The Trust’s Accounts Payable team was also shortlisted in the same category.
The Trust's Finance Team as they collected their HFMA Award.
Fiona has worked for South Tyneside and Sunderland for more than 30 years.
She joined the then City Hospitals Sunderland in 1990.
Fiona has since held a series of roles within financial management. She has worked in the role of Finance Manager since 2019.
She plays a vital role in budget setting, co-ordinating divisional plans and ensures accuracy.
She helps with month end tasks and handles the production of the NHS Improvement returns, board reports and central Trust activities.
Fiona, who is due to retire in the coming year, also leads when it comes to team morale and is a health and wellbeing champion in the department.
Hayley added:
"Fiona has shown consistent dedication to the team over the year and she can always be relied upon to help with urgent tasks and support others whenever required.
"She supports with all aspects of financial management and is an invaluable person within the team.
"Fiona will be a huge loss when she retires in the coming year and will be missed by all of us within finance and the wider Trust."
