Nurse praised for giving patient ‘another chance at life’ after seeking mental health support
A community nurse has been recognised for the support he provided to a patient accessing Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s mental health services.
Ben Milward, Lead Nurse for the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment team at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, was celebrated for the support he provided to an individual wanting to settle into community life after struggling with their mental health.
In the Trust’s Delivering Excellence Every Day (DEED) awards, which recognises and celebrates Derbyshire Healthcare staff and volunteers who have gone ‘above and beyond’ in their work, and thereby demonstrated one or more of the Trust values, the patient wrote a special thank you message for the support they received.
The patient wrote: “To Ben and the Mental Health Team: I would like to firstly be very clear and saying with a whole heart how grateful I am of the support, empathy and strength given to me by the team and more specifically from Ben who from start to finish helped me overcome mountains I felt I would never be able to overcome.
“Throughout my darkest days and times where I felt lost in a deep ocean, I was safely and securely day by day, brought to the surface and I have been and I’m now in a position of mental strength and confidence.
“My gratitude to the performance of Ben as a member of staff cannot be placed into words. I owe my life and my recovery to what I would safely say is to his commitment and confidence in facing my challenges with me and giving me guidance at what I think I must say was every day.”
They added: “My journey with the mental health team and Ben has now come to an end. However, I will forever hold a place of thankfulness and gratitude always for being given another chance at life. I wish Ben and the team all the happiest of days and again I am grateful.”
Ben has worked at Trust for four years and was inspired to become a nurse after working in his final year of university as a trainee nurse during the pandemic.
Vikki Ashton Taylor, Deputy Chief Executive/Chief Delivery Officer at Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Ben is an exceptional colleague and an absolute credit to the NHS.
“He services all the recognition for going above and beyond to support a patient in need of immediate mental health support.”
She continued: “He has displayed exactly what standards we set across our services to care for those who are most vulnerable, and patients are lucky to have him in their care plan.
“I look forward to hearing more about Ben and his team’s efforts to provide the care that the public deserve.”
Speaking after his nomination was announced, Ben said: "I feel humbled to win this month’s DEED.
“It makes me feel happy knowing that someone I've supported under home treatment has found the intervention from myself and the rest of the team empowering.
“The most rewarding aspect of my job is that I often meet people who are in the darkest moments of their life and being able to help lift and support them out of that is such a fulfilling role to have.”