Local NHS organisations have been recognised for their work as part of the national HSJ Patient Safety Awards, winning in two categories and being highly commended in a third.
The awards recognise and reward the hard-working teams and individuals in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) who are striving to deliver improved patient care.
The BNSSG Vaccination Programme team won the Improving Health Outcomes for Minority Ethnic Communities Award for their insight-driven approach to maximising Covid-19 vaccine uptake among minority ethnic and non-English speaking communities.
South Gloucestershire’s Director of Public Health Sarah Weld said: “Congratulations to the entire BNSSG vaccination programme team, of which our own Covid-19 vaccination team played a vital part in establishing local vaccine clinics.
“Communications, engagement and insights played a crucial role in all of our Covid response, not least in the vaccination programme. Using insights to unravel why certain groups were not taking up the vaccine and responding with a targeted approach to dispel myths, answer their questions and provide reassurance ultimately led to more people protecting themselves and others against the virus, and to returning to normality sooner.
“This important work helped to reduce health inequalities and the lessons learned will continue to bring benefits by being incorporated in future public health campaigns.”
BrisDoc Healthcare services, who provide out of hours GP and urgent care support across BNSSG, won the Changing Culture Award for their honest, supportive workplace culture and values driven leadership.
BrisDoc Healthcare Service, Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust, South Western Ambulance Service FT, Avon and Somerset Police Constabulary and Healthier Together were also highly commended in the Mental Health Initiative of the Year Award category for their work to enhance mental health urgent care services with the Mental Health Integrated Urgent Front Door.
Dr Jeff Farrar QPM, OStJ, Chair of the Healthier Together Integrated Care System, said: “It is fantastic that local health and care services have been recognised for their individual and collective work on a national scale. This innovation and commitment to provide the very best services is a real asset to the local health and care system and benefit to local people.”
Anne Morris, Chief Nurse for the BNSSG Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive this award and the recognition it gives to the leaders from our local communities and all of our colleagues across the system. They have supported and worked so hard to focus on equity of access, tackling health inequalities and improving outcomes for our local population. Working together we have harnessed collaborative partnerships across the whole system with communities leading the way.”
Dr Kathy Ryan, Medical Director at BrisDoc Healthcare Services, said: “We are delighted to receive the Changing Culture Award. Being recognised in this category is a testament to the open, supportive learning culture which we have nurtured for some years. It is also a tribute to our wonderful staff and their dedication to patient safety day in, day out.”
Mathew Page, Chief Operating Officer at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust said: “I am incredibly proud that this partnership approach to urgent mental health care is attracting national attention because of its success. What motivates me is getting all the relevant parties around the table so we can deliver the best, quickest and most appropriate service possible. Our hope is to one day see this service or a similar model being used across the whole South West region and even beyond. I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this a success.”
