Thank You Event 2023: Kate Granger Patient Care Award - Winner
Every year we celebrate our amazing staff and their achievements at our Thank You ceremony. Board members will surprise colleagues at their bases and present them with a hamper, balloons and a certificate for being shining examples of our magnificent staff behaviours.
Kate Granger Patient Care Award - Winner
Lynda Dexter, Podiatrist
Lynda Dexter is a Podiatrist who champions inclusion health locally and nationally. Her work reaches people experiencing homelessness, drug and alcohol dependence, people with a learning disability, vulnerable migrants, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, sex workers, people in contact with the justice system and other socially excluded groups. Lynda has a gift to reach and connect with people who are mistrustful of healthcare services. She understands the diversity of people’s lives and how best to adapt to holistically meet a person’s needs. She is a clear communicator, shares others’ viewpoints, and is goal driven in seeking justice. She adapts with flexibility, collaboration, and compromise, and is not deterred by setbacks.
Recognising that the work she does needs coordinated and integrated approaches, she has built her reputation and established strong relationships with Leeds’ NHS and third sector organisations. To these organisations Lynda is an established educator, mentor and champion for mental capacity. Her work instils confidence in individuals and teams to holistically support complex cases, so they are inclusive and bespoke.
To ensure change at a national, system level, Lynda has worked with the Royal College of Podiatry in defining mental health podiatry roles, to ensure this role is recognised and commissioned nationally. She is also part of the Homeless and Inclusion Health Programme, Queen's Nursing Institute advisory board in developing national guidelines for foot health.
Lynda’s recent achievements include; partnership working by coordinating podiatry and dental care to reduce the distress to the people receiving care, trauma informed care by providing psychological safety for service users, and proactively leading on a health equity project. The learning and legacy of the project influenced and enabled funding to support outreach point of care testing, podiatry care on an outreach bus, footcare and diabetes training and, the formation of integrated pathways for homeless diabetes care.
Chair, Brodie Clark CBE and Director of Workforce, Jenny Allen popped into Seacroft Clinic to award Lynda with the award.
Brodie praised Lynda saying, "It's a pleasure and a huge privilege to give you this award. For me it reads across three very important counts. The scale, the width and depth of the work that you deliver on behalf of this Trust, the communities and the populations that you deal with on a regular basis including, the homeless and the many different vulnerable people, you give them your care and full attention. Also, the recognition for the work you have done for other partners and partnerships across the communities we serve. You have reached out and made connections in the interest of the patients. Thirdly, your gentle and caring manner, style and tone in what is dedicated and comprehensive work. For this we are deeply appreciative."
Lynda said, "Thank you very much. I really appreciate it, it's brilliant. I love working in this organisation and I want to help people and enjoy doing it."
Lynda was nominated by Podiatry Operational Team Managers: Gail Fort, Operational Head of Service, Jill Halstead-Rastrick, Clinical Head of Service and Nina Davies, Clinical System Pathway Lead.
They said, “We nominate Lynda recognising that she doesn’t do this for the praise and respect. The work she does gives her quiet satisfaction of helping others and had the steadfast belief that the work is the right thing to do and the only thing to do.”
