A NURSE at an elderly care ward has been given an award for sticking up for her patients and providing excellent care. Jane Chapman, sister at the Bristol ward at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, has won the first award set up by the hospital’s patient safety ombudsman.

It recognises her courage in implementing the six Cs of nursing and midwifery - care, compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.

Ms Chapman has been a nurse throughout her career.

She told The Argus: “I feel very chuffed, it is on behalf of everybody here, they work really, really hard.”

She added: “It is such a difficult job at the end of the day, if I can just make one person smile or one person happy, that to me is more than anything. Of course the ward is busy but I think the most important thing is to communicate. I always teach people never to take anything home.”

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust’s patient safety ombudsman, Delilah Hesling, said she created the award to encourage people to raise concerns.

She said: “It was started to get rid of this perception that people who raise concerns are like whistleblowers or snitches.

“An awful lot of people in the trust do raise concerns with me and it has affected changes in patients and staff. “Jane Chapman has been very courageous on several occasions in going that extra mile to advocate for patients in a very professional and responsible manner. She will never walk past poor care.”

She added: “Her team is very dedicated and inspiring to work for. On Monday we had the VE day celebrations “The patients loved it as did their relatives, it was a real celebration and there was a three-minute silence where all the doctors and nurses just stood still nearby.”

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DELILAH Hesling role as the patient safety ombudsman is the first in the country.

It was created by the trust after a nurse who exposed poor nursing care in 2009 was banned from nursing. She was restored to the nursing register after a public petition.

The role exists to provide an independent, impartial and confidential service to the trust’s staff, patients and carers.

According to the trust the ombudsman may act as mediator, bringing parties together; supporting inquirers when they may fear retaliation; influencing systems and culture to provide an honest, open, no-blame culture within the service.