Doctors’ and midwives’ work recognised at awards event

Two of our doctors and three of our midwives have had their work recognised.

Dr Gavin Guy was crowned Obstetrician of the Year, Dr Helen Gbinigie was awarded Neonatologist of the Year, and Meye Bevoro-Sami – Recruitment and Retention Preceptor Lead, Fiona Drayton – Student Practice Development Midwife (PDM), and Samantha Burton – Clinical Facilitator Maternity Support Worker Lead, won the Education and Development category at this year’s Kent and Medway Local Maternity and Neonatal System (KMLMNS) Awards

They were among 110 healthcare professionals working across Kent and Medway to be nominated by their peers and line managers for 21 categories, with the winners announced during a virtual awards ceremony held on Thursday 15 May.

Both the winners and the finalists will be presented with a certificate and pen over the coming weeks.

Dr Guy was nominated for focusing on personalised care and developing tailored care plans for high-risk pregnancies as well as his ability to explain complex medical information in an understandable way.

He said: “I’m truly honoured to have received the award. This recognition means so much to me, as it reflects not only clinical work but the values I strive to uphold, compassion, empathy, and leadership, in every interaction. Obstetrics is a deeply human field, and I feel privileged to help women and families during some of the most vulnerable and transformative moments of their lives. I’m incredibly grateful to my colleagues and the wider maternity team whose support and shared commitment to excellence make this work possible every day.”

Dr Gbinigie was nominated for her commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of women and infants by ensuring everyone, regardless of background, has access to the quality healthcare they need. Her work to create a toolkit to help clinicians diagnose jaundice in babies with darker skin tones was recognised in particular.

She said: “I’m incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the award. This recognition means so much to me, both as a clinician and a system leader. I’m proud to be part of a community working together to improve care for our tiniest patients.”

Meye, Fiona and Samantha were nominated for their work to continually improve the maternity unit by educating and developing staff and ensuring they feel supported and part of the team.

Speaking on behalf of the team Fiona said: “We are delighted to have won this award. We are passionate and dedicated to educating our workforce, providing support for all staff and working collaboratively with other disciplines to continuously make improvements. We would like to also thank our manager Sorcha Magee for her support and expertise.”