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NUH in the running for six prestigious national patient care awards
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has been shortlisted for six awards in the prestigious Patient Experience Network National Awards 2023.
PENNA – now in its 13th year – is the only awards scheme to recognise best practice in patient experience across health and social care in the UK. Last year, four Team NUH projects were winners or runners-up in the awards.
NUH is shortlisted in six categories this year:
- Communicating Effectively with Patients and Families
- Environment of Care
- Innovative Use of Technology/Social/Digital Media
- Partnership Working to Improve the Experience
- Personalisation of Care
- Using Insight to Improve Patient Experience of Access to Services
The projects are:
Keep Moving Patient Information Sheet (Communicating Effectively with Patients and Families Award)
The Patient Partnership Group (PPG) identified a need for patients to stay active in hospital, and created a placemat with information on. It then worked with the Active Hospitals project to create a Keep Moving leaflet, with QR codes linked to online physiotherapy videos.
Patients were included at every stage of planning and delivery. The ward manager who successfully piloted the project has won a Team NUH award for his leadership, with more than 400 people having used the leaflet. The leaflet is being rolled out to other wards, and has attracted interest from Trusts and social care providers across England.
Health Care of Older People (HCOP) Shared Governance Council’s Radio Project (Environment of Care Award)
Patients on HCOP wards have a high risk of social isolation and boredom. The Council worked with a volunteer from Nottingham Hospitals Radio (NHR) to design a simple radio, with just an on-and-off switch to automatically connect to NHR, and Nottingham Hospitals Charity funded 50 radios.
The radios were installed in bays and side rooms, and NHR volunteers visit wards to speak to patients, take requests, perform birthday shout-outs, and schedule quizzes.
Patients were asked to complete a mood assessment before and after listening to the radio; they went from happy to sad, anxious to calm, isolated to included, and bored to entertained.
The Council has met with project leads of the Active Hospitals initiative to create an audio seated exercise programme.
Improvements to new patient systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) information (Innovative Use of Technology/Social/Digital Media Award)
The team created a video for new patient interviews before starting systemic anti-cancer therapy. This move away from leaflets is better for the environment and cheaper, and allows patients to review the information at their own pace in their preferred setting, and share with friends and family.
This means that when the patient comes to their new patient consultation, they can focus on questions and issues personal to them, creating an enhanced personalised care plan.
High Intensity Service User (Partnership Working to Improve the Experience Award)
The establishment of a HISU service is a core objective in the NHS Priorities and Operational plan and NHS England Winter plan in response to increased pressure on the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) pathway.
The Integrated Care Board (ICB) framework found the HISU service directly improved patient outcomes and experience, and reduced health inequalities. National objectives are to reduce ED attendances, non-elective admissions, and ambulance trips of patients who attend ED more frequently than normal. There is a high morbidity and mortality rate in this group of patients, many of whom are vulnerable or disadvantaged. Many have reached crisis point by the time they attend ED, and feel they have nowhere else to turn.
The HISU team works in an advocacy role to support patients and work to influence culture change around stigma attached to this patient group. A collaborative approach with stakeholders enables a more efficient, dynamic person-centred approach to care.
Cancer Prehabilitation Service (Partnership Working to Improve the Experience and Personalisation of Care Awards)
NUH launched its Cancer Prehabilitation Service in April 2022 to prepare patients for surgery through improvements in physical fitness, psychological wellbeing and healthy eating. Research has shown that this can reduce the length of stay in hospital, limit post-op complications, and support recovery.
The scheme offers community-based group sessions, reducing travel time and expense; developed a dedicated direct referral pathway to speed up access to psychological support; involved Social Prescriber link-workers; and created a transitional care pathway, ensuring a seamless transition from prehab to rehab.
The team also worked with digital colleagues to create a bespoke electronic information-sharing process to tackle patients’ frustrations at having to repeat their story to different healthcare professionals.
Delivery of this cost-effective, holistic offer has been achieved by integrating with community partners’ established infrastructure, providing access to physical, psychological health and care services. It has improved patient outcomes, generating positive feedback from patients and their families.
BAME Wig Project (Using Insight to Improve Patient Experience of Access to Services and Personalisation of Care Awards)
The BAME Shared Governance Council recognised the need for appropriate wigs for BAME cancer patients following chemotherapy treatment. Patients had fed back about the emotional trauma associated with the loss of respect and dignity due to being offered inappropriate wigs, the Council wanted to restore patient dignity.
The overall outcome has been the dissemination and the scheme now being offered to ALL patients with alopecia, with the intention of sharing good practice regionally, nationally and internationally.
This year’s winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday 28 September at the University of Birmingham.