Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) is celebrating after being shortlisted in six categories in this year’s Nursing Times Awards.
In total, WWL has been shortlisted for awards in:
- Critical and Emergency Care Nursing (Digital Health Referral Form)
- Dame Elizabeth Anionwu Award for Inclusivity in Nursing and Midwifery (The Otis Project)
- Nursing in Mental Health (Digital Health Referral Form)
- Patient Safety Improvement (The ‘Welcome to Surgical Admission Lounge’ Film)
- Technology and Data in Nursing (Emergency Department Escalation Assurance Dashboard)
- Theatre and Surgical Nursing (The ‘Welcome to Surgical Admission Lounge’ Film)
One of the projects to be shortlisted is ‘The Otis Project’ which looks at the ways in which the Trust delivers care and creates a more inclusive environment within WWL’s Emergency Department (ED). This was pioneered by one of WWL’s Lived Experience Partner Volunteers, Jessie Hunt.
Jessie has been instrumental in supporting WWL’s Patient Experience Team and, feeling that more support could be provided to those patients with hidden disabilities, set up Otis’s Voice to help to create a sensory space and more inclusivity for children to receive treatment and care within ED. As well as setting into motion the development of this sensory space, Jessie has also implemented the use of a Calm Cart; a mobile resource to help children with autism who come to the department, and continues to work with the Trust to provide ongoing staff training to raise awareness of reasonable adjustments for children and adults.
Two projects have been nominated in two of the national award categories: one supporting patients experiencing mental health crisis within the Emergency Department (ED) at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, Wigan, and the other a film created by a staff nurse to help improve the patient experience by reducing anxiety.
The Digital Health Referral Form project was established in a bid to cut down on delays to mental health patients, improve patient flow and, more importantly, patient experience and safety, as well as reducing the risk of referrals being delayed and helps aid timely, safe, and efficient reviews. Similarly, the ‘Welcome to the Surgical Admissions Lounge’ film was created by a member of staff to walk the patient through what they can expect when attending, helping reduce anxiety and ease any nervousness.
Kev Parker-Evans, WWL’s Chief Nursing Officer, said: “I am incredibly proud of the teams and each of the shortlisted entries that show how inclusive and engaged our workforce really is. They are a true reflection of transforming the way we deliver care while continually keeping patients at the heart of everything we do. Good luck to everyone on the big night!”
All shortlisted organisations will present their award-worthy projects to a prestigious judging panel made up of senior and influential individuals from the healthcare sector in September, in a bid to be crowned the winner of a Nursing Times award.
The Nursing Times Awards are the most respected and relevant awards in the nursing and healthcare sector, representing true excellence in nursing and patient care. The awards ceremony will take place in a glittering evening of recognition at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London on Wednesday 22nd October.