24 May 2017

Quadruple award nomination for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals


Four teams from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are to be recognised for leading the way in improving value and efficiency in healthcare at a national awards ceremony today (Wednesday 24 May).

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals has been named as a four-times finalist in a prestigious national award scheme rewarding NHS organisations that are leading the way in using innovation to improve value and efficiency in healthcare.

The series of nominations from the Health Service Journal’s Value in Healthcare Awards – who received over 1,500 entries for the awards – is one of the highest recorded by any NHS organisation in the country

In contention for the ‘Improving Value in Surgical Services’ category is the Seamless Surgery programme. This aims to reduce delays and potential cancellations for patients undergoing planned surgery.

Some amazing results have already been achieved including the introduction of an electronic personal assessment questionnaire, shortening the length of time fit patients undertake pre-operative assessments. Improved planning, scheduling, communications and organisation between staff working in all parts of the planned surgery process has reduced expenditure on unused medicines by £66,000 in gynaecology and meant that the Trust has been able to provide planned surgery to an additional 26 patients a week within existing resources, giving even more patients access to timely, high quality care.

Up for the ‘Facilities and estates management’ award is the Trust’s Estates Team. The team, who are responsible for maintaining all five of the city’s main adult buildings and their grounds, devised a radically innovative solution to replace an old traditional steam system and its associated 4km of pipework at Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital with a significantly smaller and compact, virtually maintenance-free system. The innovative scheme is saving the Trust £1.5m per year and has exceeded the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy targets for the site.

In the spotlight for the ‘Improving Value in the Care of Frail Older Patients’ category is the general surgery and geriatric medicine department’s ‘Older Surgical Patients Pathway’. Through the establishment of a multi-disciplinary team, patients over the age of 75 who are referred to colorectal surgery, who often do not need surgical procedures, are reviewed by a specialist in health care for older people. This has led to a better identification of their needs, reducing mortality rates, and enabling more patients to go back to their place of residence with a relevant care package in place.

Finally, the Trust’s sexual health team have been shortlisted in the ‘Community Health Service Redesign’ category for improving services by integrating the cities’ three sexual health services so that patients can now access contraception services and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections in one appointment rather than having to attend separate services at different locations.

Sir Andrew Cash, chief executive for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for four top national health awards.Devising innovative ways to improve patient care is central to everything we do. To have not one, but four teams, singled out from thousands of entries from across the country by national experts, is a testament to the fantastic work that our dedicated staff put in every day to ensure that we provide the best possible care to our patients.”

The winners of all four awards are set to be announced at a ceremony in London today (24 May).

ENDS

Photos:

The electronic personal assessment questionnaire system in use at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital’s pre-assessment unit 
 


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