In celebration of National Healthcare Estates and Facilities Day, apetito has revealed the winners of its 2025 Estates and Facilities Heroes competition.

Aimed at recognising the essential work carried out by those working across the Healthcare Estates and Facilities (E&F) professions, the competition asked hospitals to nominate individuals and teams that they feel are the unsung heroes of their E&F departments.

With record entries from right across the sector, the independent panel of judges, consisting of Phil Shelley, Alison McCree, Amanda Roberts and Neil Hargreaves, paid tribute to the winning entrants citing their standout performance which went far beyond the extra mile.

This year’s winners have all been presented with a luxury Fortnum and Mason hamper by team members from apetito, supporting each hospital’s celebrations of the National E&F Day. They are as follows:

Making a Real Difference Winner: Paul Jackson, Porter at James Cook University Hospital, Serco

Paul is described as a renowned Porter by his colleagues, always going out of his way to support those around him and making a real difference to all the patients that he meets.

One remarkable occasion of Paul going above and beyond, prompting his nomination, was a routine patient transfer that suddenly changed into a life-or-death situation. Through Paul’s quick-thinking and fast-acting initiative, he ensured the patient in distress got the immediate and appropriate care required from the crash team and nurses which literally, saved their life – and stayed by the patient’s side through the ordeal. Judges said that Paul is a true embodiment of this award, making a significantly positive impact in his role at James Cook University Hospital.

Leading the Way Winner: Derek James, Head Chef at Yeovil District Hospital

Derek puts sustainability at the heart of everything he does, embracing innovative practices and cutting-edge technologies to create an environmentally friendly food service and inspiring his own colleagues along the way. His dedication to reducing food waste throughout operations is commendable, with one example of this commitment being the introduction of a unique scheme to distribute coffee ground waste to staff members and visitors across the hospital to use in their gardens – a simple yet effective initiative devised by Derek that has diverted more than 5 tonnes of coffee waste in 2024-2025.

Catering Champion Winner: Stephanie Doyle, Catering Manager at Yeovil District Hospital

Stephanie is labelled the “driving force” behind the department, fostering a culture of positivity and collaboration and demonstrating adaptability and determination. Under Stephanie’s leadership, the catering department has undergone a remarkable transformation through embracing new technology to streamline processes and enhance efficiency, setting a new standard for service excellence.

A notable achievement is Stephanie’s introduction of a dynamic, weekly menu incorporating seasonal ingredients and current food trends, providing a new approach that has revitalised the dining experience. She also oversaw the expansion of the servery area to greatly optimise service flow and reduce wait times. Projects like these have delivered significant positive change to the catering operations at Yeovil District Hospital and wouldn’t have been possible without Stephanie at the helm.

Rising Star Winner: Ian Powell, Fire Safety Advisor at University Hospitals of Liverpool Group

With a mission to make University Hospital of Liverpool Group an exemplar institute in fire safety, Ian has instigated change during his time in role by redesigning how things are done, driving efficiency and process. This has included implementing fire safety apprentices into the organisation, as well as a programme of fire safety advocates – supporting and mentoring those interested in the fire safety profession and resulting in four new team members.

Through his actions, Ian has driven a culture change in fire safety and enabled the introduction of a fire safety policy, demonstrating accountability for continuous improvement. His passion for the profession shines through and he continues to drive forward safety culture and management within both the hospital and wider afield in his role as Chairman of the Northwest Branch of the National Association of Healthcare Fire Safety Officers.

Innovation Excellence Winner: Thomas Lait, Deputy Head of Estates at Yeovil District Hospital

Always thinking outside the box, Thomas continues to go beyond his job role to bring new ideas to the table and explore ways to enhance services for patients, staff and visitors.

Notably, Thomas has led the charge on the integration of a pioneering Sustainable Energy Controller (SEC) system at Yeovil District Hospital, an innovative heat recovery system that captures waste heat from the refrigeration process and repurposes it for potable hot water or heating - deemed a “world-first” approach. Not only does this reduce the need for fossil fuel-based heat sources and help to decarbonise the site but reduces energy bills for the hospital as well – a win-win that showcases a project of innovation excellence.

Team of the Year Winner: Community Facilities Team at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

The catering team within Somerset NHS Foundation Trust Community has demonstrated true teamwork and commitment to improving the patient meal experience through introducing new and improved ways of working. To utilise their catering expertise and knowledge, the team transformed its role into a patient-facing approach to follow the journey of the food directly to patients, which has involved considerable reorganisation of everyday working practices as well as learning new skills and confidence.

Seeing the whole process for each meal from start to finish has provided many benefits such as better control of portion sizes and the opportunity to ask direct questions to the nursing team about changes in diets and specialist diets of new patients upon arrival. Stepping up to this challenge took strong support and training from the whole team, alongside dedicated leadership to ensure all were taken on the journey.

Commenting on the winning entrants, Neil Hargreaves, General Manager of Healthcare at apetito said:

“This year’s competition was nothing short of inspiring. We were blown away by the wealth of brilliant entries and all the impactful stories shared. The submissions are a true testament to the dedication and important work happening across Estates and Facilities departments nationwide.

“A huge congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who made the shortlist – you should be incredibly proud. We hope you have all enjoyed every moment of recognition this National Estates and Facilities Day!”