Every day people working for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust go above and beyond to make sure people receive safe compassionate care.
Now you can help decide who your local NHS star is by voting in the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s Our People’s Choice Award.
The annual staff recognition award scheme celebrates people who have provided excellent care to people either hospital or out in the community. The Our People’s Choice Award is one of two awards where people can nominate and vote for their favourite individual or team.
The annual award recognises those who have delivered excellent care, service with a smile, kindness, understanding, or exceptional support.
All the nominations have been considered by a judging panel and four individuals have been shortlisted. Members of the public can now read the nominations and vote for their choice, with the winner announced at Torbay and South Devon’s awards celebration event in May.
The shortlisted individual finalists for the award are:
- Jessica Hooper, Occupational Therapist, Children and Family Health Devon
- Nick Gemesi, Nurse on Dunlop Ward, Torbay Hospital
- Rebecca Shields, Tissue Viability Nurse
- Gabriel Moroti, Nurse, New Forrest Ward
Jessica Hooper, Occupational Therapist, was nominated by a patient’s family for her compassion and dedication to their daughter, who has complex needs. Jessica supported and advocated for her, creating a bond and becoming one of the few people their daughter trusts completely.
Nurse on Dunlop Ward, Nick Gemesi, was nominated by a patient’s family for the outstanding care and compassion he showed in the last few days of their uncle’s life. Nick communicated complex medical updates in a clear and sensitive way. He provided calm, honest, and articulate explanations, always ensuring that the family felt informed and supported.
Gabriel Moroti, Nurse on New Forrest Ward was nominated by a patient for how he made them feel when they came into hospital. They were feeling vulnerable and emotional as this was their first ever hospital stay.
Despite it being very busy, Gabriel was warm, light-hearted and empathetic. He took the time to provide reassurance that they were in a safe place and that he was nearby if they needed him. True to his word, he checked in regularly, always with a smile and kind word.
Tissue Viability Nurse, Rebecca Shields, was nominated by a patient for the care she gave them over a three year period. Rebecca has been a constant, reassuring presence through some incredibly difficult moments.
She supported her patient through multiple post-surgical complications and infections following C-sections. From months of complex wound care to urgent follow-ups and even removing a retained stitch when others couldn’t, nothing was ever too much trouble.
Nicola McMinn, Chief Nurse, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “These nominations are a powerful reminder of the difference our colleagues make to people’s lives every day – in hospital settings and out in the community.
“Each of the shortlisted finalists has been nominated because of the care, kindness and professionalism they showed when it mattered most. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to submit a nomination and encourage people to read the stories and vote for their Our People’s Choice Award winner.”
The voting for the Our People’s Choice Individual Award is now open, and people can vote and find out further information about the finalists here: https://tsdft.uk/OPChoiceIndividual.
Voting will close at 11.59pm on Monday 20 April 2026.
The Our People Awards celebration event is paid for entirely thanks to the generosity of the corporate sponsors: Hulley and Kirkwood Consulting Engineers; Services Design Solution; Nevada Construction; Bailey Partnership; MW Benney; Stride Treglown Architects; Multiverse; Peninsula Projects Consulting and Arque Ltd.
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