The winners of The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Health Awards 2019 have been revealed at a star-studded ceremony at The Sun’s News Building HQ this evening, attended by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised toasters and hot buttered toast in every hospital. 

He said: “Is Matt Hancock still here? We agreed this, we are going to end the political correctness and health & safety fanaticism that has meant toasters have been banished from the ward and we are going to ensure that hot buttered toast is available on the ward, in the way that it used to always be. And speaking as somebody that has often been in a NHS ward wondering if there is a chance of a piece of toast I think that also would be very useful.

He said of the NHS: "If our country was a complicated omelette, the NHS is the egg white that holds the great British cake together. "It is a uniquely British thing."

He also praised the "world class" staff, doctors and nurses, who make up the health service, adding they have the "fanatical support" of No 10.

The Who Cares Wins ceremony, which honours those across the health and charity sector who go above and beyond for their patients or causes, proved an emotional evening.

Hosted by much-loved Sun columnist and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, the awards also saw Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens welcome the opportunity to shine a light on the kindness at the heart of the caring services.

Speaking at the event he said: “Searching for and then telling the stories of some of the NHS’s kindest and most caring people has become one of the highlights of the NHS year. Patients and families are at the heart of what the NHS does, and these awards are a fitting way to show appreciation for frontline staff as well as those working behind the scenes. My personal thanks go to The Sun for organising these awards and to my fellow NHS staff who we celebrate and honour tonight.”

Some of Britain’s best-loved charity campaigners and famous faces were on hand to present the awards: including Virgin Radio presenter Chris Evans, Penny Lancaster, The Duchess of York, TV doctors - Dr Hilary and Dr Alex, news presenter Kate Silverton, Christine Lampard, Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, AJ and Curtis Pritchard and best-selling author of ‘This is Going To Hurt’, Adam Kay. 

The Sun editor-in-chief Tony Gallagher said: “The strength of feeling for those working across the NHS and in the charity sector is truly remarkable. It is our honour to formally recognise nominees across 11 different categories celebrating doctors, nurses, midwives, GPs, paramedics, volunteers, fundraisers and many more. We also pay tribute to The Sun’s Christina Newbury who was the driving force behind setting up these awards.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented the Ultimate Lifesaver Award to porters Nick Evans and Ruth Lowe for saving the life of seven-week-old baby Logan.

He added: “The NHS is revered around the world, and in no small part due to the heroes working in it every day.

“Congratulations to Nick and Ruth on winning this much deserved award – they truly are lifesavers.

“Their response to saving baby Logan’s life was incredible, and their actions showcase the very best of the NHS.

“I’d like to thank The Sun for recognising all our winners, and for honouring the memory of Christina Newbury, who launched these awards.”

The awards are now in their third year after being pioneered by The Sun’s late Health Editor Christina Newbury, who died suddenly last year, aged 31. The Christina Newbury Memorial Award is named in her honour.

Winners

Ultimate Lifesaver

Nick Evans and Ruth Lowe

Sarah and Mike Clifford have nominated porters Nick and Ruth for saving the life of their seven-week-old baby, Logan. He stopped breathing as they walked through the main entrance of The Princess Royal Hospital in Telford to visit a sick relative. Ruth shouted for colleague Nick who grabbed Logan out of his mum’s arms and performed CPR as he ran down the corridor to A&E.

Best Neonatal Specialist

Professor Kypros Nicolaides

Sherrie Sharp was 27 weeks pregnant when world renowned foetal surgeon, Professor Kypros Nicolaide performed pioneering keyhole surgery for spina bifida on her unborn son Jaxson. By extraordinary coincidence, as a young surgeon, Professor Nicolaides, now based at King’s Hospital in London had also operated on her own mother, Jacqueline, when Sherrie was in the womb.

Best Midwife

Jane Parke

When Jennie Powell went into labour at just 22 weeks, medics decided to fly her 190 miles to a specialist neonatal unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to give her and her unborn twins the best chance of survival. Jennie has nominated midwife Jane Parke, from the Royal Cornwall Hospital, who accompanied her in the air ambulance. Jenson and Reuben became the youngest surviving twin boys in Britain when they born last year. 

Best Health Charity

Matt Hampson Foundation

Former English rugby union player Matt Hampson was left paralysed after a scrum collapsed during a training session in 2005. He can now only breathe with the help of a ventilator but, despite his own health battles, he set up his charity the Matt Hampson Foundation to help others. The charity has been nominated by Giselle Moor who took her first steps unaided at its specialist rehabilitation centre.

Best Nurse

Liz Monaghan

Liz is the Matron of the Florence Nightingale Hospice in Aylesbury, Bucks, and came up with the idea for the Purple Rose initiative to improve the care for patients – and their loved ones - in the last days of their life. She has used her own money for some parts of the project, which includes supplying a special purple rose that can be placed on the door or curtain to allow families privacy.

Best Doctor

Dr Matthew Boulter

Action man Dr Boulter is a GP at St Clare Medical Centre in Penzance, Cornwall, has been nominated by patient Sue Robinson, who says “every town should have a Dr Boulter”. As well as working full time, Dr Boulter volunteers as a Lifeboat doctor and is a military reservist. He has served in Afghanistan and teaches wild trauma to army medics. 

Groundbreaking Pioneer or Discovery Sponsored by Pfizer

Guy's and St Thomas' London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service

Leia Armitage, eight, was born with a rare form of deafness and was never expected to speak. But she now can thanks to pioneering brain surgery and speech therapy carried out by the Guy’s and St Thomas’ London Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) Service. And now children with the same condition as Leia are able to access the treatment via the NHS. 

Young Hero

Ronnie Musselwhite

Little Ebonie Musselwhite, from Crawley, West Sussex, was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia aged four. Her only hope was a bone marrow transplant and her whole family were tested. Ebonie’s brother, Ronnie, then aged four, was a perfect match and he offered to help his sister by giving her a transplant. Ebonie nominated her brother for his bravery.

Unsung Hero

Therapeutic Care Volunteers, South Tees NHS Foundation Trust

Ify Nwokoro was paralysed following a road traffic accident in 2009 but gives up his time to support patients with spinal injuries at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. He is one of the 29 therapeutic care volunteers, who all have a learning or physical disability, at the hospital. The volunteers have been nominated by patient Sam Watson, 21, who was left paraylsed in July. 

Mental Health Hero

Ben West

Ben lost his brother Sam, 15, to suicide last year and since his death, has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of mental health. His Project Walk to Talk raised £15,000 for mental health charities and a foundation has been set up in Sam's name. Ben’s friend Sebastian Yeandle has nominated him for helping to save others despite his grief.

The Christina Newbury Memorial Award

Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF)

Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, from Fulham, West London, died after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette on a flight to France in 2016.

Natasha, 15, was severely allergic to sesame but the sandwich had no allergen advice printed on the packaging because, as it was made on the premises, it wasn’t required law. Since her death, her family, parents Nadm and Tanya and brother Alex have successfully campaigned for better food labelling and Natasha’s Law will come into force next year. They have also set up the Natasha Ednan-Laperouse Foundation (NARF) which is dedicated to funding scientific research into allergies and helping find a cure.