WIREDGOV

An NHS worker who is committed to promoting home safety and the prevention of unintentional injury through her work has been handed RoSPA’s prestigious Archangel Award.

Lesley Nish, a health improvement senior in the child and maternal health team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, handed the accolade at the Scottish leg of the 60th RoSPA Health and Safety Awards at the Hilton Glasgow on September 15.

The RoSPA Guardian Angel Awards scheme recognises individuals who go above and beyond to improve the safety of others.

In the UK around 2.7 million people are treated for home accidents at hospital each year, with deaths numbering in excess of 4,000. Lesley has shown exceptional drive to make sure home safety is on her regional agenda at every opportunity.

She facilitates the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Unintentional Injuries Steering Group – the like of which exists nowhere else in any of the other health boards in Scotland.

Lesley is also integral to the Not For Play, Put Them Away project, which aims to prevent liquid laundry capsule injuries to young people in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Engaging leading brand manufacturers and the public alike, the campaign has been so successful that it was recently Highly Commended in the Prevention Team of the Year category at the BMJ Awards in London.

Lesley Nish said: “It was such a pleasure to receive the award and so nice to be invited to attend the Health and Safety awards evening in Glasgow. Hearing about the work that we do in NHSGGC reminded me why we develop preventative programmes and work so hard with all of our partners. 

“Over the years we have worked really hard to raise the profile and prevent unintentional injuries in children including our Straight Off Straight Away hair straighteners campaign and our Not For Play liquid laundry pod ingestion prevention programme. It was so nice to be recognised in such a special way for leading this work and for what I think of as really, just doing my job.”

Dr Karen McDonnell, head of RoSPA Scotland, said: “We congratulate Lesley on her well-deserved Archangel Award, as she becomes its first Scottish recipient.

“She has shown unwavering commitment to making our homes a safer place, particularly for young children, has a great relationship with everyone that she works with in the public health sector, and is a well-respected professional.”