Two NBT projects have been announced as finalists for the national Innovate Awards
Start Well > End Well and Improving Patient Choice in the Prescription of Heparins, both funded by Southmead Hospital Charity, have been shortlisted in the inaugural awards organised by the NHS Confederation and The AHSN Network, which will be announced at the end of the month.
Start Well > End Well has been shortlisted in the Innovation Spread category. The programme was developed during Covid to support the wellbeing of staff by providing a psychologically-informed structure for managers to check in with their staff at the start, during and after shifts. This is based on the recognition that ‘prevention is better than cure’ and that fostering healthy team cultures also influences our ability to deliver effective, high quality, safe, and compassionate care. It has now been adopted by NHS England as best practice and has received interest from more than 70% of NHS trusts across the country.
The heparins project has been shortlisted in two categories – Excellence in Patient and Public Involvement in Transformation and Innovation, and the Innovation Helping Address Health Inequalities category. The heparin routinely prescribed to reduce the risk of in-hospital blood clots is derived from porcine products, which may not be appropriate for some patient groups for a range of religious or non-religious reasons. The project team has been working with patients, staff and community leaders to improve patient information and choice.
In its inaugural year, The Innovate Awards saw a grand total of 194 entries from health and care teams across the country covering ten award categories. The 10 eventual winners will also compete for ‘Innovation Champion of the Year’ to be announced on the evening of the award ceremony in September.