The Teenage and Young Adult (TYA) Service at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) has won a national NHS award, the ‘Kate Granger Award for Compassionate Care’.

Dr Kate Granger is an award-winning blogger, NHS doctor and terminally ill cancer patient, who blogs and tweets regularly about her treatment and care in the NHS. In recognition of her inspiring work, NHS England and NHS Employers created the award to recognise an individual, team or organisation that has made a positive difference to patient care.

Selected from over 90 applicants, the TYA Service won the team award at a ceremony in Manchester.

The TYA Service provides age-appropriate care to 16 to 24 year olds with a cancer diagnosis from across the West Midlands. The service is supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust, QEHB Charity and CLIC Sargent and the team is led by Nicky Pettitt, Teenage Cancer Trust Lead Nurse, who said:

“We’re humbled and delighted to have won the award, and it’s made all the more meaningful as it was two of our patients who suggested we put ourself forward for consideration. This in itself was recognition enough that our efforts to put the patient and their loved ones at the heart of all we do is acknowledged by those we aim to care for.

“We can’t change the bigger picture for our patients but we can make a huge difference with the smaller things that are often overlooked within health care. Our innovation is simple - we are not approaching care in a complicated way. This is transferable throughout the health care setting. Young Person first, any diagnosis or disease second…”