Good luck to all who made the Shortlist I Very proud and honoured to be nominated The Scottish Health Awards 2013

Good luck to all who made the Shortlist for the Scottish health awards 
As a son I was very honoured to be nominated so good luck to all who made the Shortlist across the different categories 

Thank you 

Tommy  


Hi

I had a very  pleasant surprise today, to be contacted by the Daily Record. To be   told I have been nominated in  The Scottish Health Awards 2013 for my dementia carer voices project  

I feel very honored  and grateful and a big thank you to the people who nominated me 

we are approaching the anniversary of my mum passing away and i am proud mums life story has had this nomination #formum  

TOMMY Whitelaw is devoted to helping improve the lives of those who care for dementia sufferers through his campaign Dementia Carer Voices.


Tommy Whitelaw has toured the country giving talks about being a carer

Phil Dye/Daily Record

TOMMY WHITELAW spent five years as a full-time carer to mum Joan as she suffered from dementia.

The 51-year-old, of Glasgow, gave up his job handling merchandise on concert tours to care for her as the progressive disease took its toll.

Initially, he struggled but after getting help he set out to make sure other carers didn’t suffer in silence.

Joan died a year ago, aged 73, but Tommy is still working to improve the lives of other carers.

Now he’s been nominated for the Scottish Health Awards in the Volunteer category.

Tommy told how his work began two years ago with a tour of Scotland, speaking to fellow carers.

He said: “I wanted there to be fewer people feeling the way I did, and I also wanted to find out how other people coped, so that I could be a better carer and a better son.

“I asked people to write to me with their experiences and that’s something that continues to this day.

“I handed a lot of those letters in to the Scottish Parliament and now I’m going out and speaking about those experiences in hospitals, colleges and universities, health and social care departments and carers’ centres.

“I speak about the things as a carer that helped me move forward and also about the things which held me back and I show people the difference a good nurse, doctor or social worker can make.

"I remember once having a district nurse who sat and put her arm around me, told me I was doing all right and showed me how to do some things. That meant the world to me.

“Without the right people around you, caring can become impossible, so it’s important they know the difference they make to the lives of others.”

Tommy now works with the charity Alliance on his campaign – named Dementia Carer Voices.

He has already spoken to thousands of people around the country, with his talks focusing on his story of becoming a carer, and those of many people like him.

“My mum had always put her arm around me and made things better but, for the first time I was having to do that for my mum,” he said.

“In trying to do that I lost my voice and I was falling apart beside her, and not feeling able to tell people about that is a dreadful place to be in.

“So I don’t have slides or facts and figures. It’s about how starting this campaign helped me realise I wasn’t alone and how people can make a difference to the lives of carers.”

As well as his talks, Tommy made a short film called It’s Okay to Ask for Help and is planning a concert as part of Celtic Connections in January.

Nominations close today. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on November 7 hosted by Fred MacAula

The Scottish Health Awards 2013, is the most prestigious and recognized awards ceremony for healthcare professionals within Scotland. Run by the Daily Record, in partnership with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Government the awards are now well established in the Scottish calendar.

@Daily_Record: Scottish Health Awards: Nomination for Scot who helps dementia carers after going through the same with his mum http://t.co/a01FlsOdIT

Hosted by top comedian, Fred MacAulay, this year's glittering awards ceremony will take place on Thursday 7th November, at The Corn Exchange, Edinburgh. These awards will reward Scotland's most dedicated and caring NHS workers.

The Daily Record is proud to play a part in recognising the extraordinary work of the people on the frontline of Scottish health care. These awards reflect that amazing diversity of talent and showcase the dedication and innovation of the people who work tirelessly on our behalf.

NHSScotland is committed to delivering the highest quality healthcare services to the people of Scotland and we are looking to give recognition to those who work in and with NHSScotland, especially staff who do an exceptional job and who are prepared to go that extra mile to deliver these services.

We want to know about those workers who have genuinely made a difference to your life or to that of your family. It might be an individual or a team who have provided outstanding care to their patients or those who are in jobs that normally don't have a high profile and who generally should be recognised for their commitment to the NHS.

• Tell us about your healing hero and/or the teams they work in
• Tell us what they did that was special
• Tell us what difference they made

There are sixteen award categories - whether it's the local doctor's or dental practice, the support workers, the nursing teams, paramedics or a volunteer. No matter what their title, or where they are based, if they have made a difference, we want to know about it. Your nominee must work for NHSScotland, with the exception of the Healthier Lifestyle, the Volunteer, the Health Promoting Business, the Integrated Care for Older People, the Innovation and the Unsung Hero categories where nominations are welcomed from those that support healthcare in the communities in which we live.