Help us celebrate outstanding patient recovery from major health setbacks

7th January 2016

Stories of courage, kindness and innovation are being sought to highlight the many inspirational recoveries from illness and injury taking place in Dorset.

The Road to Wellness 2016 awards will celebrate people across the county who have battled – or helped others – to overcome debilitating physical or mental health problems.

Organised by Dorset HealthCare, the awards were launched a couple of years ago to mark patients’ success in coping with mental health issues.

But they have now been expanded to cover physical problems and learning disabilities, and there is a new award to mark the enormous contributions made by carers in helping others get well.

Nominations close on 12 February, with the awards ceremony taking place at Kingston Maurward, near Dorchester, on 15 March. Categories include:

  • Group Award – where a group of people have supported their peers in making a recovery
  • Kindness Award – where someone has shown particular compassion and kindness in helping someone
  • Innovation Award – where someone has come up with a new idea to aid a person’s recovery
  • Inspiration Award – where a person has inspired others by fighting to overcome severe difficulties in their recovery
  • Courage Award – where a person has been particularly brave in the face of adversity to recover from their problems
  • Communication Award – where someone has helped others by sharing their own experiences of rehabilitation and recovery
  • Carers Award – where someone has shown outstanding commitment, support and positivity to aid another person’s recovery
  • Outstanding Achievement Award – a particularly great story where someone has done exceptionally well to recover or made a real difference in helping another’s recovery.

Nominees must have used a service provided by Dorset HealthCare as part of their recovery.

Anyone can submit a nomination, either for themselves or someone they know. If you are not sure which category your nominee fits into, you can nominate them for more than one award.

Mark Storey, a professional musician who lives just outside Weymouth, won the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2014. He overcame mental health issues and now works as a peer specialist for the Dorset Mental Health Forum – often using music to help people on the road to recovery.

“There is nothing unique about me – there are many really brave people out there doing some incredible things,” he said.

“These awards are a great way of recognising that, and giving hope to others who may be in a dark place at the moment.”

To nominate a patient, carer or group, go to www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/road2wellness.htm, call 01202 277118 or pick up a paper nomination form at any Dorset HealthCare Trust community hospital or other site, plus many GP surgeries.

Please make sure you have the consent of the person you are nominating.

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