The lead forensic nurse at Homerton’s medium secure unit scooped a prize at the annual award ceremony of the NHS health trust.

Day Njovana won the Dr Robert Dolan Leadership Award at the East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) staff awards at the Barbican on February 4.

"If you go to a meeting lost or stuck, Day will lift you," said the judges. "You will come out feeling energised, hopeful and positive. Day's quiet strength touches everyone around him."

In total 15 awards were given out. The team that oversaw a pioneering rollout of a new digital ePrescribing service across the City and Hackney won the Improving Value Award.

Presenting the award, non-executive director Mary Elford said: "This team are our unsung heroes. Clinical, technical and administrative staff have worked tirelessly to implement an electronic prescribing system across seven hospital sites and 58 inpatient wards.

"Reducing dispensing errors and enhancing patient safety is at the heart of this ground-breaking project."

The Chief Executive Award went to Lisa Rajan, clinical psychologist with City & Hackney's mental health service. A colleague who nominated Lisa said: "She listens, she cares, she respects and is inclusive in all her interactions with service users- she see the individual first and foremost.

"If we treated all service users the way she does, we could ensure people seek help sooner, which would mean a quicker recovery!"

ELFT's 6,000 strong workforce provide mental and community health services for over 750,000 people in east London and a further 630,000 across Bedfordshire and Luton, and the trust was rated as an Outstanding trust by the Care Quality Commission in 2016 and 2018.

It was a poignant night for staff as well, with trust chair, Marie Gabriel CBE taking the opportunity to say farewell. She is taking on a new role as independent chair of the emerging north east London integrated care system in the spring.

Summing up the evening's celebrations, Marie said: "I may be moving on but I will always be part of ELFT. I feel privileged to have worked alongside such dedicated staff that inspire me every day."