Catherine Whittaker displays selfless dedication, compassion for her team and patients, and unparallelled leadership skills when faced with a crisis

It is testament to the calibre of the entries for this year’s Outstanding Contribution Award that Catherine Whittaker (known as Katy), who was dubbed “an absolute credit to our profession” by APTUK president and awards judge Tess Fenn, received a highly commended in the Day & Night Nurse sponsored category.

Katy, who works at Boots in Oulton village, near Lowestoft in Suffolk, says she stumbled into the sector when she took a job in the photo lab of a small community pharmacy. Over a decade later, now an accuracy checking technician and manager, all the skills she had developed over the years were put to the test when the doctor’s surgery next door to the pharmacy was abruptly shut down, causing chaos not just to the staff, but also to patients.

Katy led her team in dealing with the most important task: allaying the fears of many people over how to get their prescriptions. “The team never considered quitting… we were always there to provide the best healthcare we could,” says Katy. “I am very proud to say that I led the team through this difficult period, which could have resulted in us closing too.”

Personal connections lie at the heart of everything Katy does, from going to an elderly woman’s home to dress her wound, to spending time with a customer with mental health problems who was contemplating taking his own life. This last relationship has been so impactful that the patient’s mother has commented on how the pharmacy represents “a safe place” for her son, who now feels more in control of his medication and health.

Janice Perkins, Well’s superintendent pharmacist and Awards judge, stated: “Catherine has shown great leadership in adversity and has really stepped up to help her colleagues and the local community through a very difficult time. Her professionalism and dedication has helped the pharmacy go from strength to strength.”