An Acute Pain Nurse at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised at the prestigious Sheffield Lord Mayor's Awards 2026 for leading changes that are reshaping pain management and reducing opioid reliance across the city.
PHOTO: Leanne Bennett-Pitts (centre) received her award from the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Cllr Safiya Saeed (right).
Leanne Bennett-Pitts was named winner of the Contribution to Care, Support & Wellbeing Award at a ceremony held at Sheffield Town Hall on Thursday 19 February, in recognition of her transformative impact on acute pain services and her commitment to patient-centred care.
Through championing innovative, evidence-based approaches, Leanne is helping to overhaul how pain is understood and treated across Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Her work has contributed to a measurable reduction in opioid dependency, improved patient safety, and strengthened continuity of care from hospital to home.
Central to her work has been improving the transition from inpatient care to community recovery, reducing unnecessary GP prescriptions, identifying post-operative complications earlier, and empowering patients to better manage their own recovery.
Leanne Bennett-Pitts said, "I'm truly honoured to receive this award. Improving pain management is a team effort, and I'm grateful to work alongside such dedicated colleagues across Sheffield. Our focus has always been to support safer care, smoother recovery, and empower decision‑making for patients. Above all, I want to thank our patients, whose resilience, honesty and insight continually shape and inspire our work"
The Right Worshipful Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Cllr Safiya Saeed, praised this year's winners, saying they represent "the very best of our community individuals and groups who go above and beyond to support others, champion creativity, protect our environment and help our city thrive."
The 2026 awards ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions across sport, education, environment, arts, community and young hero categories, highlighting the dedication and impact of some of Sheffield's most committed citizens.
