Bedfordshire children’s nurses, Emily Martin and Georgia McNamara have won prestigious national awards for championing mental health through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Emily, Specialist Community Nursery Nurse and Georgia, Children’s Complex Health Nurse have received Cavell Star Awards after launching a weekly virtual drop-in service to help colleagues struggling with their mental health during the pandemic.

The nurses, who work for Bedfordshire Children’s Community Health Services – part of Cambridgeshire Community Health Services NHS Trust - had completed a mental health first-aid course. They wanted to support their colleagues in the team by using the techniques they had learnt and sharing information and resources they had been given.

They were nominated for the awards – run by the nursing charity, Cavell Nurses’ Trust – by Sian Hooban, Service Manager for the Community Children's Nursing Services. Sian said: “I am so proud of Emily and Georgia. They have taken the training received and immediately found a way they can use it virtually to help all our nurses who might be struggling during this pandemic.

“It’s been a tough time for everyone and these drop-in clinics have offered our fabulous staff the chance to talk through any issues they might have and find ways to cope and continue supporting the families we serve.”

The Cavell Star Awards are given to nurses, midwifes, nursing associates and healthcare assistants who show exceptional care to their colleagues, patients or their patients’ families.