Greater Manchester award success for NHS Operational Manager

Emma Dickenson at the Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards 2019

The Operational Manager at the North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Emma Dickenson, was  rewarded for her outstanding leadership of the Greater Manchester’s new Control Room Triage service at the Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards 2019 Thursday 4 July.

The Control Room Triage service launched in August 2018 and is a partnership between North West Boroughs Healthcare, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Greater Manchester Police.

Through the service, mental health professionals are based within Greater Manchester Police’s control room in Claytonbrook and provide expert advice to police officers and call handlers, to help them make the right decisions when responding to incidents involving vulnerable people.

Throughout the mobilisation and delivery of the service, Emma has brought together skilled practitioners from the three NHS trusts to work collaboratively with police staff across Greater Manchester.

Kirsty Simpson, Head of Service at North West Boroughs Healthcare, who nominated Emma for the award, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of Emma for winning the Collaboration award. She has motivated the whole team to work together collaboratively and really knows how to get the best from her staff.

“Police colleagues have commented that Control Room Triage is ‘invaluable’ and that Emma is ‘simply brilliant’ in her abilities to resonate with team members both from the NHS and the police.”

John Heritage, Chief Operating Officer at North West Boroughs Healthcare, said: “I am delighted for Emma. Control Room Triage is a shining example of NHS services working collaboratively with the police to improve support for the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“Thanks to Emma’s outstanding leadership, the three NHS trusts and our police colleagues have overcome organisational boundaries to come together and work as one team.”

The Greater Manchester Health and Care Champion Awards evening was hosted by Manchester-based poet Tony Walsh and was held at Manchester’s Museum for Science and Industry, with more than 30 individuals nominated across 11 categories.