Property adviser Knight Frank has announced the winners of its inaugural Healthcare Heroes Awards that recognise people working within the social care sector.
Submissions focused on individuals who had shown "leadership, empathy and compassion throughout the pandemic" as well as leading efforts around infection control and commitment to creative thinking to ensure social care residents and customers felt safe and secure, the company said.
Healthcare Heroes award winners include:
• Candy Sharratt – Dormy Care
• Karen Johnson – HC-One
• Luke Owen – Bupa
• Daniel Inglis – Balhousie
• Sally Gregory – Sanctuary
• Peter Widdowson – Country Court
• Frank Cummins – Caring Homes
• Lorraine Windsor – Runwood Homes
• Elaine Mignott – Four Seasons Health Care
• June Hoggart – Barchester Healthcare
“Our Healthcare Heroes Awards showcase those inspirational individuals who have been undertaking exemplary work in the most difficult of circumstances and have recognised some richly deserved winners,” said Knight Frank head of healthcare Julian Evans (pictured).
“Care providers have managed the COVID-19 pandemic brilliantly, particularly given challenges including lack of testing and PPE, and we received many nominations on behalf of some truly outstanding people working within the sector,” he added.
Evans continued: “Despite the fantastic work of the UK healthcare sector, the pandemic has also unfortunately highlighted the lack of investment by successive governments into the sector, and therefore the urgent need to prioritise preventative and crisis funding. The care bed shortage and supply versus demand crisis has definitely not evaporated, and if anything has been emphasised by the crisis.”
Knight Frank estimates up to 6,500 care homes at risk of closure over the next five years, equating to 140,000 beds.
The property company expects the shortage will be exacerbated by the increased demand for care homes by 2050, as the share of people over the age of 80 forecast to rise to one in ten adults by 2050, compared to one in 20 now.
