A DEDICATED team of mental health professionals at Midpark Hospital in Dumfries have been recognised on the national stage after being shortlisted for a prestigious nursing award.
Staff from Balcary Ward, the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit (IPCU) at the hospital, have been named finalists in the Mental Health Nursing Award category of the RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year Awards 2025.
The accolade celebrates the team’s outstanding commitment to delivering compassionate, person-centred care to patients undergoing acute and complex mental health episodes. Their nomination places them among the top nursing teams in Scotland, reflecting the unit’s dedication and innovation in supporting some of the region’s most vulnerable individuals.
“This nomination is a huge honour for our team, and it speaks volumes about the dedication, resilience and skill of everyone working on Balcary Ward. Every day, they go above and beyond to ensure people in crisis are met with compassion, dignity and the highest standard of care. To see that recognised at a national level is incredibly rewarding,” said Justin Murray, general manager for mental health at NHS Dumfries and Galloway.
The team is honoured to have been nominated for the award, but says awards are not the motivation behind the job, said senior charge nurse Alistair Carlyle, adding: “The team has worked really hard, reducing adverse incidents by over 50 per cent through a local project to improve patient and staff experience. However, We don’t do this job for awards but because we care, but to be recognised like this means so much to every single member of our team. It gives us even more drive to keep pushing for better outcomes for our patients.”
The award winner will be announced at a ceremony on June 12 at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
