Northampton General Hospital team 'highly commended' at national awards for patient safety work

Northampton General Hospital’s patient safety improvement team are runners-up in a prestigious national award.

The team, led by Dr Jonathan Hardwick, were ‘highly commended’ in the Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards in the early-stage patient safety innovation category.

The team’s entry was called the Deteriorating Patient Task List, a checklist and improvement model that supports early recognition of deterioration in patients.

It uses innovative real-time IT provided by ibox dashboards to trigger an appropriate response by clinical teams to support the patient.

Patient safety improvement manager Charlotte Hoodless said: “I could not be prouder of the team for their commitment to patient safety and the dedication to recognising deterioration in patients.

“I am delighted that we have been recognised with a high commendation in the prestigious national safety award.”

Dr Hardwick and Ms Hoodless were the awards presentation in Manchester, joined by members of the critical care outreach team, Vikki Harrison and Helen Wood; and also acute medical ward managers Shannon Coughlan and Laura Allen — supported by the Northamptonshire Greenheart health charity.

Six other hospitals were shortlisted for the award that went to Yeovil District Hospital — one of 23 winners at the annual event.

HSJ awards recognise and reward hard-working teams and individuals who are striving to deliver improved patient care.

The NGH patient safety improvement team were also shortlisted for its deteriorating patients task list in another award category.

Other HSJ Patient Safety Awards finalists included Kettering General Hospital’s acute illness response team in two categories: patient safety team of the year and deteriorating patient and rapid response initiative.

KGH interim medical director Rabia Imtiaz and medical directorate project manager Claire Knibb were also shortlisted in the changing culture category for a shared learning initiative called Yokoten and one to promote kindness, goodwill and civility, called Compassionism.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group – which runs Kettering and Northampton general hospitals – was a finalist in the digital system and process development award for the way it is using digital tools to ensure frail patients are cared for in the right location for their needs.