NHS Tayside Trio in National Antibiotic Stewardship Success

FRIDAY, 16 JUNE, 2017

PHOTO ATTACHED: JO MCEWAN, SRAH THOMSON AND HEATHER KENNEDY AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY IN LONDON

NHS Tayside Trio in National Antibiotic Stewardship Success

Three NHS Tayside staff members were finalists in the Antibiotic Guardian Awards held in London in June. The awards celebrate work in reducing antibiotic resistance and increasing public and health professional awareness.

Sarah Thomson, an antibiotic stewardship pharmacy technician, Heather Kennedy, an antibiotic pharmacist and Jo McEwen, an advanced nurse practitioner in antimicrobial stewardship were chosen as finalists and attended the ceremony.

Jo McEwen picked up the award for staff engagement following an educational programme which enhanced nursing knowledge within community hospitals around antimicrobial stewardship.

Nursing involvement in antimicrobial stewardship is a new approach and a subsequent change in clinical practice reduced the levels of inappropriate lab samples by 29%, ultimately preventing unnecessary antimicrobial prescribing. Jo’s specialist post was the first of its kind globally, showing that NHS Tayside is leading the way in antimicrobial stewardship.

Sarah Thomson was nominated for her educational activities and staff engagement with other pharmacy technicians across NHS Tayside and Heather Kennedy was nominated in the Stewardship and Prescribing category for Pharmacist/Nurse led antimicrobial stewardship ward rounds. This work demonstrates another new approach to stewardship involving a collaboration between two different disciplines.

On picking up her award, Jo McEwan said, “I am delighted to have won the Antibiotic Guardian Award and to have the opportunity for our team to showcase some of the excellent work that is taking place within NHS Tayside around antimicrobial stewardship.

“I would like to share this honour with the community hospital nursing teams; without their continued support, enthusiasm, engagement and dedication to optimising patient care outcomes, none of this would have been possible.”

 

Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Dr Keith Ridge presented the awards and spoke passionately about the importance of stewardship in the face of the global challenge of antibiotic resistance.

Contact:

Gaynyr Dickson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138

16 June 2017