The service team for children and young people at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust have been announced as runners up and highly commended for the acute sector innovation category at the HSJ Awards. These national awards recognise key areas of outstanding practice and innovation that have helped to improve patient care, as well as enhance value and efficiency.
Representatives from children and young people services were joined by colleagues from across the Trust who had also been shortlisted for awards and together, celebrated being finalists at this prestigious ceremony, this year held at the InterContinental O2, London.
BSUH was shortlisted for four awards, which is more that any other NHS Trust. The categories include Acute Sector Innovation, Patient Safety, Most Effective Adoption and Diffusion of Best Practice, and Specialist Service Redesign.
In addition to being announced as runners up with non-invasive ventilation in paediatric critical care, other submissions were centred on evidence-based changes to clinical practice in peripheral cannulation, and implementing a multi-faceted frailty strategy.
The services for children and young people have been praised for their work into non-invasive ventilation as an emerging treatment for acute respiratory failure in children. Developments by the team continue to benefit many patients who may otherwise need intubation and transfer to a paediatric intensive care unit. Significant change has been achieved through a combination of small increments in all possible areas, creating a new care pathway and clinical score, successfully pushing the boundaries of practice.
Chief Executive Dr Gillian Fairfield said: “It is a fantastic achievement for our work around non-invasive ventilation to be announced as highly commended, as well as BSUH being shortlisted for more awards that any other Trust.
“This really has shone the spotlight on some of the phenomenal work and innovations being carried out by teams throughout the Trust to deliver ever better patient care.”
The HSJ Awards were launched in 1981 to recognise the projects and initiatives that deliver healthcare excellence and innovation. This year, there were prizes in 24 categories, including a special prize to recognise the work of NHS EU staff.
In his opening speech at the ceremony, HSJ editor Alastair McLellan praised the contribution of all NHS staff. He said: “Over the last 35 years, the HSJ Awards have grown to become the largest celebration of healthcare excellence in the UK – and very probably the biggest healthcare awards in the world.
“It has done so for one reason above all: the dedication of NHS staff from every discipline and every sector to drive improvements which benefit patient care and strengthen a service which has become the defining characteristic of this nation.”
