Staff Recognition Awards 2026 finalists: Sterile Services Decontamination Department

Congratulations to all teams, individual members of staff, volunteers and fundraisers who were nominated for the OUH Staff Recognition Awards 2026, and thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate.

In total, we received more than 1,900 nominations for this year's awards, which will be held at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford on Thursday 18 June.

Ahead of the awards, we wanted to introduce you to some of our finalists. Here, we learn more about our Sterile Services Decontamination Department.

The Sterile Service Decontamination Department has been nominated for this year’s Award for Excellence.

The team, based across three sites, the John Radcliffe Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury, is responsible for the decontamination and sterilisation of reusable surgical instruments and medical devices.

It is their work that delivers safe, sterile equipment, available when needed, to clinical teams across all of OUH’s hospitals. The team’s work is largely behind the scenes, but it is fundamental to patient safety and to maintaining effective day-to-day clinical services.

The anonymous nominator said: "Behind every safe and successful surgery is a sterile services decontamination technician that never compromises on standards.

"The Sterile Services Decontamination Department delivers Excellence not through visibility or recognition, but through consistency, precision, and an uncompromising commitment to patient safety. As a department, it plays a critical role in the Trust’s ability to provide safe, timely, and effective surgical care, ensuring that every instrument released meets the highest standards, every time."

Headed by Gavin Luck and managed by Linda Kinane and Clair Lamburn, the department demonstrates outstanding leadership, structure, and accountability. The patient and patient safety are at the heart of everything that the team do, with a culture where quality is non-negotiable, standards are upheld under pressure, and staff understand the importance of their role within the wider clinical pathway.

Although the work of Sterile Services is often underestimated or overlooked, its impact is extraordinary. Without it, surgery cannot happen safely. This department underpins the Trust’s surgical services and protects patients in ways that are fundamental but rarely recognised.

The nominator said: "The Sterile Services Decontamination Department exemplifies Excellence through consistency, resilience, and integrity."

Gavin Luck, Head of Sterile Services and Trust Decontamination Lead, said: "We're absolutely thrilled that our department has been recognised as a finalist for the Award for Excellence. Our team works behind the scenes to make sure reusable surgical instruments are processed to the highest standards so patients can receive safe care.

"This nomination is a real credit to the professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment our colleagues show every day."

The Award for Excellence is for the person or team that consistently demonstrates excellence; through the quality of their work, or through the care and services they provide. Good luck to our finalists: Sagittarius Team (University-NHS Ulcerative Colitis Flare Programme), Sterile Service Decontamination Department, Dr Garry Tan and Kerrie Woods.