A trio of engineering apprentices at NTH Solutions, the subsidiary company of North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, were recognised in this year’s J R Fletcher Memorial Awards as bright spark Olivia Hawke scooped the 1st Year Apprentice of the Year Award.
The awards, which are held in memory of John Robert Fletcher, a former site engineer at University Hospital of North Tees who sadly died in a tragic accident while swimming in the Lake District, take place each year to recognise the efforts of NHS colleagues and apprentices across the region.
Evaluation by the Management Review Group, made up of NHS directors and senior managers, saw apprentice medical engineer Olivia Hawke named the 1st Year Apprentice of the Year as she proudly took home the prestigious J R Fletcher cup.
Olivia, who previously completed two and a half years’ service as a Ward Hostess at University Hospital of North Tees, started her apprenticeship in August 2019 and has since consistently achieved high marks for her work, as well as praise for her initiative and ambition to excel in the field of medical engineering.
Also celebrating the J R Fletcher Memorial Awards were Olivia’s colleagues at NTH Solutions, Oliver Potts and Connor Dickinson, who were awarded certificates of commendation for scoring highly in the same category, the criteria for which was presented by the Northern & Yorkshire NHS Assessment Centre.
With the vote for the award winner being the closest ever experienced by the Management Review Group, apprentice electrical engineer Connor and apprentice mechanical engineer Oliver were commended for their hard work so far since starting their apprenticeships in August 2019.
Olivia said: “I am truly honoured to be taking home the R J Fletcher cup. This award has really highlighted what I have achieved over the past year – when I first started my apprenticeship I had very little knowledge of medical engineering, whereas now I am gaining confidence as an engineer and helping to deliver a vital service to our Trust.”
Mike Worden, Managing Director at NTH Solutions, said: “Our team of apprentices at NTH Solutions play a vital role in supporting the hospitals in our Trust and I am extremely proud of Olivia, Connor and Oliver for being recognised in the J R Fletcher Memorial Awards for their achievements.
“While our medical, electrical and mechanical engineers often work within the background services of the NHS, they are the backbone of the non-clinical support at our Trust and are fundamental in providing a high level of patient care to the community. The importance of such work has been highlighted throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the presentation of such well-earned awards really reflects that message.”
