University Hospitals Sussex is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 STAR Awards.
The annual award ceremony, held on Friday evening at the Worthing Pavilion, celebrated colleagues, volunteers and teams who have excelled within their roles whilst improving patient care every day.
Winners were selected from more than 1,200 nominations, which were submitted by colleagues, patients, and members of the public earlier in the year.
Each category is designed to celebrate a range of achievements aligned to the trust’s values including compassion, communication, inclusion, respect, teamwork and professionalism.
Dr George Findlay, Chief Executive, hosted the awards ceremony: “It was a real honour to welcome everyone to this year’s STAR Awards on Friday evening.
“The atmosphere was full of warmth and celebration as we came together to recognise some of the fantastic work happening across our hospitals and the remarkable individuals and teams making it possible.”
“A huge congratulations to all our winners—who each bring such valuable expertise and dedication to colleagues, caring for patients and inspiring those around them.”
The awards evening was made possible thanks to funding from the Trust’s dedicated charity, My University Hospitals Sussex, and corporate sponsorship from Willmott Dixon Interiors.
Winners of 2025 STAR Awards:
All Star Award: Crawley Sexual Health Team for their respect, inclusion, compassion and communication skills supporting asylum seekers who are in distress, often fleeing war-torn countries.
Charity’s Champion of the Year: Coco Highton, Medical Secretary who goes over and above to make things happen, notably giving her time and energy to set up the Southlands Hospital Commemorative Garden.
Clinical Team of the Year: Heart Failure Team, Royal Sussex County Hospital, for the huge impact they have on patient care, resilience and ability to go above and beyond.
Mentor of the Year: Dr Davide Ravaccia, IMT Doctor at Worthing Hospital, recognised for his reliability, passion and compassionate teaching.
Princess Royal Hospital Hero: Beverley Killick, Sister, for making patients laugh and at the same time feel cared for, noted as an outstanding nurse by her patients, she is always going above and beyond for everyone.
Royal Sussex County Site Hospital Hero: Reception and Volunteer Team at the Louisa Martindale, for their dedication and friendly welcome and for helping anyone who walks through the doors of the hospital.
St Richard’s Hospital Hero: Amelia Sowry, Specialist Biomedical Scientist noted for her compassion, humour and professionalism, has saved many lives through her attention to detail to support colleagues.
Worthing & Southlands Hospital Hero: Bereavement Multidisciplinary Team for making parents feel love, kindness and personalised care in such difficult situations.
Support Service Team of the Year: Security Department, Royal Sussex County Hospital for their incredible ability to manage challenging situations whilst putting colleagues, patients and visitors’ safety at the forefront.
Visionary Award: Surgical Carbon Footprint Study Group, Royal Sussex County Hospital, for reducing the environmental impact of surgeries and promoting sustainable practices within healthcare.
Volunteer of the Year: Chris Samraj, Charity Volunteer for his dedication and professionalism supporting charity events with his impressive and high-quality skills.
Star of the Year: Children’s Emergency Department, St Richard’s Hospital for their hard work and commitment to creating a better, welcoming environment for children and young people.
Chair & Governors’ Award: Colorectal Cancer Surgery Implementation Team, for their ability to find solutions in difficult circumstances and work together well to find the best way forward for patients.
You can read more about the 2025 winners here on meet the finalists page.