Lincolnshire NHS teams shortlisted for the 2024 HSJ Patient Safety Awards

Three NHS teams which help to improve safety, culture and care experiences for patients in Lincolnshire have been shortlisted in this year’s Health Services Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards. 

The teams from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS), NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) caught the eyes of judges in the awards, which are organised by the national publication, from 415 entries submitted from organisations, projects and individuals across the country.

LCHS joined with Health Innovation East Midlands for a joint entry recognising Lincolnshire's transforming wound care project in the Community Care Initiative of the Year category.   

The Skegness and Mablethorpe Community Nursing Team took part in a year-long pilot to improve care for patients with lower limb wounds. The team used recommendations from the National Wound Care Strategy Programme to implement a new pathway and provide additional training which has resulted in patients receiving care quicker, improving healing rates, improving their quality of life and restoring independence. 

Kay Traves, Clinical Implementation Lead, and Vicky Callaby, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist, said: "We are thrilled that this project has received national recognition and are so pleased it’s had a positive impact on so many patients with lower limb wounds.

“Since implementing the project, almost 20% of patients have healed within 12 weeks of their initial assessment, even though some had been dealing with wounds for over 18 months before the new pathway was implemented. 

“The new pathway has significantly improved the support and care they receive, transforming their lives for the better."

NHS Lincolnshire ICB’s Elective Activity Coordination Hub (EACH) team has been shortlisted in the Patient Safety in Elective Recovery category. 

The hub is a Single Point of Access for patients and health care providers, which is designed to help with referrals to community services and hospitals, ensuring patients are provided with a choice of appropriate options for treatment.

Since it was launched in August 2021, EACH has coordinated and assessed 193,000 patients, and validated 28,000 patients who have been waiting a long time for treatment, enabling transfers to other organisations where appropriate, to reduce waiting times.

Clair Raybould, Executive Director for System Delivery at NHS Lincolnshire ICB, said: “We are delighted that the EACH team has been shortlisted in the Patient Safety in Elective Recovery category. 

“This is much deserved recognition of the vital work the team undertakes in coordinating, assessing and validating patients who have been waiting for treatment, which has made a significant contribution to an improvement in waiting times, as well as making a substantial positive difference to the lives of many of our patients.”

She added: “It’s fantastic that, as a system, colleagues across the NHS in Lincolnshire have been shortlisted in these categories and we are excited about the awards ceremony in September.”

ULHT has been shortlisted in the Patient Involvement in Safety category for a programme to introduce a Patient Safety Partner role across the Trust. 

ULHT has five volunteer Patient Safety Partners, giving a patient voice to more than 20 patient safety-related forums.

The support of these individuals continues to positively impact across many activities at the Trust, and has included improvement programmes, recruitment panels, ward assurance visits, patient safety incident investigation, delivery of presentations and medical articles which have later been published. 

Kathryn Helley, Director of Clinical Governance at ULHT, said: “This national recognition is testament to the dedication of our Patient Safety Partners, who have embraced the role and acted as a critical friend across many different areas at ULHT, with a particular emphasis on safety.  

“This role is one of the ways we ensure we are involving our patients at the earliest opportunities, and that their opinions and experiences are listened to and directly influence discussions and decisions.”

She added: “We are proud of the impact it has had and welcome the opportunity to showcase Lincolnshire and our amazing people on this national platform.”  

The winners of the 2024 Patient Safety Awards will be announced during the awards ceremony at Manchester Central on Monday, September 16.