THURSDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PHOTO ATTACHED: NHS TAYSIDE CHIEF EXECUTIVE LESLEY MCLAY, SENIOR SYSTEMS SUPPORT SPECIALIST DAVID WILSON, CONSULTANT CARDIOLOGIST DOUGLAS ELDER, SYSTEM SUPPORT SPECIALIST DENISE FYFFE, CONSULTANT IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE BRODIE PATERSON, CHAIR OF THE QUALITY AWARDS GROUP ALISON ROGERS AND NHS TAYSIDE CHAIRMAN SANDY WATSON

And the winner is...

NHS Tayside today (Thursday, 4 December) announced the winners of the 2014 Quality Awards which recognise staff’s ideas for improving the care and treatment of patients.

Chairman Sandy Watson and non-executive member of Tayside NHS Board and Chair of the Quality Awards Group Alison Rogers hosted the awards ceremony which was held in the Ian Low Centre in Ninewells Hospital.

The top prize was picked up by a team whose project has delivered instant access to patients’ ECGs (heart tracings) to all health professionals 24 /7 at the click of a mouse, allowing potentially lifesaving decisions to be made quicker.

The ECG is the most commonly undertaken test in assessment and management of patients with heart disease and critical medical decisions are often influenced by the ECG trace.

Developed by a multidisciplinary team of A&E consultants, cardiologists, GPs and IT specialists amongst others, the system has delivered high-quality ECG support and cardiology results for patients across Tayside.

On receiving the award, Dr Douglas Elder, Consultant Cardiologist and lead for the winning team said, “I am absolutely delighted that the work of the team has been recognised. This has been a truly multidisciplinary clinical and IT team effort to improve our ability to treat patients more effectively and improve their experience with us.”

The awards, now in their fourth year, recognise and reward excellence and quality in healthcare services across Tayside. Over 45 teams entered the competition and 11 projects from across Tayside made it to the finals. 

Projects can be entered in four categories: Improving Outcomes for Patients; Improving Health and Wellbeing of Communities and their Local Citizens; Working Behind the Scenes; and Partnership Working.

The category winners were:

Improving Outcomes for Patients - Rethinking Unscheduled Admissions

Using team thinking, this project increased the capacity, flexibility and diversity of the unit to ensure that everyone, including staff, has the best possible experience of urgent medical care. The number of patients waiting for a bed on arrival went from 236 to 0 within 12 months with no change in readmission or cardiac arrests rates.

Working Behind the Scenes - Provision of a robust ECG storage, archive and retrieval system (2014 overall winner)

Partnership Working- Camperdown Cycling Group

Camperdown Cycling Group works with people in Dundee aged 16 and over who live in areas of deprivation and with those suffering from or recovering from the effects of mental ill health. The group’s aim is to improve the quality of life of those who are disadvantaged and vulnerable by improving their mental and physical wellbeing and encouraging them to use cycling as their mode of transport.

Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Communities - Lochee Local Cafe Drop-In
The Lochee community café works with partners including Dundee City Council, volunteers from the local church and drugs and alcohol agencies to provide health information, a free healthy lunch, information about local services and a listening ear to all community members. The café has been running for three years and aims to reduce social isolation, improve community health and empower the community to make positive changes to their health.

NHS Tayside Chairman Sandy Watson said, “Huge congratulations go to the winner of this year’s Quality Awards and to all of the category winners and finalists.

“The Quality Awards give us the opportunity to say a big thank you to all our staff for the good work that they do.

“Year-on-year I am blown away by the exceptional and innovative improvement work which our staff carry out to ensure the best patient care and treatment for their patients.”

Notes to editors:

Representatives from the winning teams are available for interview upon request to Gaynyr Dickson at gaynyr.dickson@nhs.net or 01382 740716.

Contact:

Gaynyr Dickson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740716