A community nurse from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Sandeep Hingley, has received the international DAISY Award for the outstanding compassionate, end-of-life care she provided to a patient in their own home.

The DAISY Awards are an international recognition programme that honours and celebrates the exceptional care that many nurses and midwives provide every day.

The nomination, from Trudi Cartwright, the patient’s great niece, reads: Our great aunt was recently discharged home from hospital for end-of-life care. Sandeep was the first nurse we met at home and her care and compassion shone through. The visit was not rushed and Sandeep made the whole situation calm and comfortable.

“On the day our aunt was in her last few hours, Sandeep visited the house, spending a considerable amount of time with my aunt, making her comfortable and ensuring that she was free of pain. Her empathy towards all the family was outstanding and once my aunt had passed, she returned to verify the death ensuring the was no rush and that my aunt’s dignity was maintained.

“Sandeep is one of the most compassionate, caring, and empathic nurses who deserves recognition for everything she does. She has a holistic approach to her patients and the family as a whole and her welcoming smile and soft tones radiates out of her.”

Sandeep received her award from Jane Martin, assistant director for nursing and quality at LPT, accompanied by her nominator, Trudi Cartwright, and LPT colleagues.

Sandeep shared: “I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the recognition of what can be a very challenging job. I feel so happy and proud to be a part of such an amazing profession.

“Receiving the award has boosted my self-confidence and highlighted to me that my career change a decade ago was the correct decision for me.

“Follow your heart and remember that the patient is at the centre of everything we do as nurses – kind words and ways can be a powerful medicine.”

You can thank your nurse by making a DAISY Award nomination here: www.leicspart.nhs.uk/about/daisy-award/

An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, The DAISY Foundation was formed in America in November 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalised profoundly touched his family.

You can find out more about the DAISY Foundation on their website: www.daisyfoundation.org/

Each DAISY Award honouree is recognised at a ceremony in their ward or department and receives a DAISY Award pin, certificate and a hand-carved sculpture A Healer’s Touch, funded by LPT’s charity Raising Health.