Thursday 2 February 2012

Hospital projects shortlisted for national awards

Two projects designed to improve patient experience at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) have been shortlisted for national honours.

The Advancing Healthcare Awards recognise and reward projects and professionals who lead innovative healthcare practice and make a real difference to patients’ lives.

The two NUH projects shortlisted are:

• The Ultrasound Team has been shortlisted in the ‘Rethinking the Patient Care Pathway’ category. The team has reduced patient waits and saved money by using electronic referrals, giving strict deadlines on waiting times and introducing extra weekend working. Kathryn Manderson, Lead Sonographer at NUH, said: “We’re delighted to be shortlisted for this award – it really has been a team effort to improve the referral process and ultimately improve patient experience. When we started the project in August 2010, some 60% of inpatients were scanned within 24 hours of referral; now it’s over 90%. All of the work has had a big impact.”
• The Maternal PKU Team has been shortlisted in the ‘Leading Together on Health’ category. Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic condition which stops the normal breakdown of protein containing foods. A child born with PKU is unable to break down one of the building blocks of protein called Phenylalanine. High blood phenylalanine can lead to developmental delay and brain damage. The Maternal PKU Team works to ensure that women with PKU control their blood level of Phenylalanine and keep their baby healthy as it grows in the womb. The project team at NUH has established a network of staff from dietetics and clinical chemistry to ensure women get intensive advice and monitoring, including rapid analysis of twice weekly blood tests. Dr Gillian White, Therapy Services Manager, Dietetics and Nutrition at NUH, said: “In the last five years the team has supported five PKU women through eight healthy pregnancies, getting funding from the primary care trust to ensure that women get the support they need during their pregnancy."

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 30 March 2012. For more information, visit www.ahpandhsawards.co.uk.

ENDS