West Suffolk Hospital midwifery awards honour Hannah Seeley

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust hosted the Hannah Seeley Ball in September, in honour of the midwife who died in a crash 12 years ago.

The ball was followed by an annual set of awards where staff are recognised for their work. 

The ceremony took place at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds on Friday, November 22, where the awards were presented to the winners who had been nominated by colleagues.

This year’s Midwife of the Year Award was won by Diane Hele, who has now completed 51 years of service at West Suffolk Hospital.

Nominators said she was a “true icon in the field of midwifery, a strong advocate for women and providing exemplary care to pregnant people and their families”.

Ms Hele said: “I feel honoured to have received this award having been nominated by my colleagues, and in memory of Hannah Seeley, who I worked with as a student and newly qualified midwife who I will never forget.”

Maternity care assistant, Kate Jones, was the recipient of the Support Worker of the Year Award.

She joined the trust in October 2023 and works in the hospital's antenatal clinic.

Ms Jones was nominated for her kind, friendly and hardworking attitude and for being someone who is “always willing to help and is so wonderful with women and families”.

She said: “I feel very grateful for this award, especially having only worked at the trust for a year. I have really tried to learn as much as possible and be an effective member of the team.

"It’s amazing to be recognised by my colleagues, who are so skilled at their jobs.”

The winner of this year’s Student Midwife of the Year was Claire Jones, who was nominated “for always being an exemplary student midwife”.

Student Midwife of the Year Claire Jones (Image: WSH) She said: “I feel honoured to be nominated by my colleagues for this award. I’m loving completing my training at the trust, and I look forward to completing my degree in 2025 and becoming a fully-fledged midwife."

Karen Newbury, director of midwifery for the trust, said: “Each year, we look forward to continuing Hannah’s memory through the ball and these awards.

"We are lucky to have such experienced, dedicated midwives like Diane, who are passing on their experience to the next generation of midwives and support workers, like Claire and Kate.

“I would also like to thank the My WiSH Charity, who so generously paid for the catering and the awards."