A CHAPLAIN working with patients, families and staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital has won a national award for his work spreading positive news about the hard work carried out by healthcare workers across the UK.

Rev David Southall, who writes about his experiences at the hospital in a weekly column for the Worcester News, was honoured in the innovation category at the Healthcare People Management Association Excellence in Human Resources Management Awards on Thursday, June 26 for his ‘good news’ blog.

Rev Southall runs the blog at www.revdavidsouthall.com, featuring morale-boosting stories for patients and staff, as well as a popular Twitter feed @revdavesouthall, which has 1,529 followers.

Speaking after the ceremony in London he said he “couldn’t believe” he had won.

“I am really honoured and thrilled to have won the award,” he said.

“It gives me chance to make the blog more nationally known and to create a network of good news blogs which can help make a difference in other hospitals around the country.”

He said he was particularly thankful for the support of the board of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal along with Kidderminster Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital, particularly chairman Harry Turner and chief executive Penny Venables.

“I really want to thank all those people who have contributed, allowed their stories to be used, or spoken about their experience,” he said. "They have made a difference to our staff at the hospital.”

Rev Southall also expressed his thanks to the trust’s human resources director Bev Edgar, who was also a runner up in the award’s HR director of the year category.

The trust’s human resources team was also named runner-up for best contribution to organisational change for its work managing temporary staff.

Read Rev Southall's coliumn in your Health every Monday in the Worcester News.