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Patient safety at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals praised as Trust wins two national awards

A pioneering project which helps patients who have had to undergo a gastrostomy procedure has been recognised at a national award night which highlights innovative patient safety. 

Staff from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals won two awards at the Patient Safety Awards and the Care Integration Awards, both run by leading publication the Health Service Journal (HSJ).

The Care Integration Awards are a new initiative set up to recognise partnership working between staff in different parts of the healthcare system. The Patient Safety Awards are an annual scheme promoting the best work across the NHS in improving the safety of patients.

The Trust won the Primary Care category at the Patient Safety Awards and the Gastrointestinal Care award at the Care Integration Awards for the work of its Department of Gastroenterology, together with colleagues in primary care.

A team from the Department of Gastroenterology ran a project to improve outcomes for patients who have returned home having had gastrostomy tubes inserted in the hospital. The tube passes through the skin of the abdomen into the stomach and allows patients to be fed directly into their stomach with specially made liquid food and water.

Complications can occur following the procedure and patients have to be supported when they return home. To help patients during this time the Trust established a dedicated community service which included the employing a dedicated gastrostomy specialist nurse and two community dieticians. The project was successful in significantly reducing the number of patients requiring readmission to hospital.

Professor David Sanders, a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, who lead the award winning project said: “To win one award is a great honour, but to win two is just fantastic, especially such prestigious awards as these. This is down to the hard work and dedication of our staff in the Department of Gastroenterology, who work tirelessly for patients. The project that has been recognised represents multi-disciplinary work between different parts of the NHS in Sheffield, from hospitals to primary care and then back again. I am proud of the way that staff have worked together so effectively.”

Sir Andrew Cash, Chief Executive of the Trust, said: “It is fantastic news that we have won two awards in this prestigious national award scheme. As a trust we are committed to continually improve patient safety. This award is a clear testament to the department’s hard work and dedication.”