Just eight months after joining Royal Primary Care, data technician apprentice Nicola has been formally recognised for her outstanding contributions to the organisation.
On 9 February, our Nicola was officially announced as the 2026 Joined Up Care Derbyshire Apprenticeship Award winner for the Advanced Apprentice (Level 3) category.
The Level 3 award recognises apprentices who have delivered outstanding performance in their roles and shown the motivation, confidence and capability to thrive in their career pathway.
“It was a complete surprise to me,” said Nicola, “I had no idea I was nominated until the day I was presented with the winner’s certificate. I was so shocked but delighted at the same time, it feels good to know that colleagues are happy with how I’m doing.”
Nicola – who joined in June last year – was nominated for the award by her line manager, Laura, Coding and Onboarding Manager.
“From the moment she stepped foot inside the building for the first time, she’s established herself as a highly valued member of the RPC team and the demand for her support is growing as her work spreads across the organisation,” Laura said, “Her work might not be seen in patient areas or clinical rooms, but her skills and fresh thinking have opened doors to new ideas, using data which is available to us in our record systems and providing data for supporting strategic decisions.
“Her work is instrumental to making the most out of using data for improving how we care for our patients – she can help to identify patterns and opportunities to help our teams work more efficiently.
“I’m ecstatic to have her with us and I’m proud of the progress she has made in such a short space of time. She is thoroughly deserving of this award.”
Previously a dental nurse, last year Nicola took the brave step to start a new career in the data world, having realised that working with data was her true passion.
“I always enjoyed working with spreadsheets and numbers – in every job I had, it formed a small part but I eventually realised it was the part I enjoyed the most. It was daunting to start something new, but to me it’s important to be doing what you love for your job. Here (at Royal Primary Care) I’m working with some amazing, friendly people and using my skills for helping patients – it was the perfect combination to me.
“To be recognised with this award has made me feel even better about my decision to change career. The apprenticeship allowed me to learn the necessary skills but remain in work, and the support I’ve received from Laura, my mentor Grace and the RPC team has been incredible.”
Thriving in her new role, Nicola plans to continue her education in data science onto Level 4 at the conclusion of her current apprenticeship.
It’s National Apprenticeship Week 2026! Find out more about apprenticeships with Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.