Frontline health and social care staff awarded with ‘Purbeck Petals’

Health, social care and therapy teams across the Isle of Purbeck have been presented with a ‘Purbeck Petal’ by the local community.

The brooch was designed by Dorset HealthCare’s Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Purbeck Hub Lead Sally Hill, who is based in Wareham. The brooch was funded by the Friends of Wareham Hospital to say ‘thank-you’ for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It represents the integrated approach that has been adopted across NHS and social care within Purbeck. Sally explained:

“The centre of the brooch is a love heart which represents the patient, and the different coloured petals represent all the services that feed into the patient’s journey, putting them at the heart of everything we do.”

A total of 500 badges were produced and presented to team representatives by Brad Rootes, Dorset HealthCare’s Locality Manager for Purbeck, Sally Hill and Maggie Hardy, Chair of The Friends of Wareham Hospital.

All staff across the Purbeck, providing care and support during the COVID-19 pandemic were included, from frontline staff based in both community and hospital settings to volunteers, administrative staff and cleaners.

The Friends of Wareham Hospital kindly funded the petals as a gesture of appreciation for all of the hard work the integrated services have provided, and continue to provide, during the pandemic. 

Friends Chair, Maggie Hardy, said:

“We were delighted and honoured to be asked by Sally to fund her kind and thoughtful Purbeck Petal initiative, recognising the way the staff are working during these unprecedented times.”