West of England AHSN's emergency department safety checklist scoops national patient safety award

The West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) initiative to support the adoption and spread of the emergency department (ED) safety checklist across all trusts in the West of England won the HSJ Patient Safety Award for ‘Best Patient Safety Initiative in A&E’.

The winners of the 2017 Patient Safety Awards were announced on 4 July at Manchester Central. The awards were a great evening of recognition and celebration for all the organisations demonstrating improved practice and delivery in patient safety, as well as an opportunity to help spread best practice and learn from others.

The checklist was piloted at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust in 2014 with demonstrable success in improvements in patient safety. With the support of the West of England AHSN, this tool has been adopted by all seven EDs in the region, spanning six trusts and the ambulance service, in order to address the shared challenge of ensuring patient safety during periods of crowding.

The judges felt that this entry had a significant impact on patient safety during periods of crowding in ED. It has already spread across multiple organisations and using established tools has potential for wider spread across the UK.

This year saw fierce competition for the coveted Patient Safety Awards with over 550 submissions, of which only 170 made it to the final cut, and from those 21 deserving winners were decided by an expert panel of judges, with an additional 12 projects also receiving a high commendation in their category. The judges were very impressed with the high standard of this year’s entries.

Shaun Lintern, Senior Patient Safety Correspondent for the HSJ, said:

“The Patient Safety Awards, now in their ninth year, is an annual celebration of the NHS’s fantastic efforts to improve the quality of healthcare. The winning projects are led by dedicated teams or individuals who have made measurable differences to the care their patients receive. Our independent judges, drawn from across the health service, have chosen the very best of the best – a collection of talent that every year helps the NHS continue to be a global leader in safety.

“It’s important we remember these teams and projects have been delivered during a time of tremendous pressure when staff are having to work harder and harder while under the shadow of austerity and pay restraint. This is one of the toughest times for the NHS as patient demand and acuity continue rising and there are workforce shortages across all health sectors. In that context the success of each of the winners and shortlisted projects are that much more deserving of our thanks and recognition.”

Members of the West of England AHSN’s Patient Safety Collaborative attended the awards event and enjoyed a fabulous evening, celebrating their own achievements and those of colleagues around the country. Two other initiatives led by or involving the West of England also made it through the finals: the Emergency Laparotomy Collaborative (‘Patient Safety in Surgical Care’ category), the West of England AHSN’s work to support the South Western Ambulance Service’s Electronic Patient Care Record & National Early Warning Score (NEWS) (‘Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety’ category).

For the full list of winners, visit the Patient Safety Awards website.