Life-saver apprentice recognised with NHS award

The annual awards ceremony recognises the outstanding contribution and achievements of apprentices from across Lancashire and South Cumbria. Holly was celebrated for her passion for helping patients at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to lead active, healthy lives.

During Holly’s apprenticeship so far, she has not only excelled in the academic aspects of her course, but even helped save a patient’s life after using her skills to detect a bilateral pulmonary embolism – a serious condition that could have been fatal if left untreated – something which she describes as one of her proudest moments.

“The patient and her husband were so thankful for my input and quick thinking, and I still regularly receive updates from her about returning to her normal life again, playing with her grandchildren in the park and just enjoying the things we all take for granted. Being a physiotherapy apprentice, my course is not just about fixing broken bodies, it is about changing and improving people’s lives and I am very proud to be a part of that!

“I also had a patient who was dealing with chronic pain and quite low in mood - I used my social prescribing skills to help her find activities that were meaningful to her whilst remaining active and managing her pain. I worked with her to get her active and she is now a regular member at the local gym.”

As well as helping her patients, Holly goes above and beyond to support the services she works alongside. She set up a total knee rehabilitation class which is still going strong today with physiotherapists running it in the format Holly designed, supported by research she compiled.

Keen to pass on everything she’s learned so far, Holly has also been acting as mentor for other first year apprentices, helping them practice for exams and sharing her experiences. 

This hard work and dedication has seen Holly receive a number of awards, including Salford Clinical AHP Apprentice of the Year and the Blackpool Teaching Hospital Learner of the Year Award.

On winning the NHS Apprenticeship Awards' Clinical Apprentice of the Year award, Holly said: “It was amazing to be recognised for the hard work I have put in as well as my passion for physiotherapy and commitment to learning. I have very little confidence in myself at times and can be very hard on myself so felt that be shortlisted was an achievement in itself...but to actually win it! It was quite emotional.

“I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia and am just starting to receive university support for this. I feel this makes my achievements even more special really as I was able to succeed without a diagnosis and support in place. I’m looking forward now to having the support and assistance I need – who knows what I’ll be able to achieve next!”