An NHS team has received a national award for its work incorporating acute and community services to support vulnerable and elderly people. The team has received the NHS Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award at this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards, in recognition of its innovative and proactive thinking.

MPs and NHS leaders in the Midlands joined forces to identify and highlight innovative and high-quality care. The awards recognise the dedication, hard work and commitment of NHS staff.

Midlands MPs sent hundreds of nominations that celebrated examples of staff who have gone above and beyond the call of duty including doctors, support workers and volunteers who work tirelessly to make a genuine difference to the people they care for.

The winning team (Integrated Frailty Service) at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) was awarded the Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award during a ceremony at the House of Commons yesterday (Wednesday 5 July 2023). The ceremony was part of the celebrations taking place to mark the 75^th birthday of the NHS.

The Integrated Frailty Service works collaboratively with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and primary care providers on a range of projects. The team ensure patients receive the highest level of care in the right place first time – supporting frail older adults in crisis to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

The initiatives the team has implemented have had a positive impact on patient care and experience, with people receiving hospital-standard care in the comfort of their homes. This is achieved by:

• All patients over 75 receive follow-up calls following discharge from hospital. This scheme has reduced re-attendances from 15% to 3%.
• Urgent Community Response (UCR) – a community clinician is deployed to care for a person experiencing a crisis in their home environment. On average, this service responds to 800 calls in South Warwickshire per month – preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Same day care services implemented have saved more than two wards worth of beds a year – supporting the Trust to have the capacity to care for the people that need inpatient services.
• Using technology that enables ambulance crews to talk to a frailty consultant and seek advice. This has meant 50% of these calls has resulted in a hospital attendance for a patient being avoided.

The Integrated Frailty Service from South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust wins the Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award.

Upon receiving the national award, Rachel Williams, Associate Chief Operation Officer at SWFT, said: “It is such an honour to be awarded with a national NHS Parliamentary Award and for our dedication to improving patient care to be recognised in this way.

“Almost 50% of our Trust’s medical admissions result from patients aged 75+, with 66.5% of all bed days in hospital deriving from this cohort of patients. Hospital is not always the best place for people, with research suggesting caring for a select group of vulnerable older people in their home environment can improve patient outcomes, while reducing pressures on hospitals. By the team boosting care in the community, people receive hospital standard care in the comfort of their own homes – aiding recovery and preventing re-admissions.

“I am extremely proud of our team’s ethos to ensure patients receive the highest level of care in the right place first time. This drives us to proactively trial new ways of working, utilise available technology and work closely with our health and social care colleagues from partner organisations.”

The Trust plans to further develop their service to support an increasing number of specialty patients, who are frail, to receive and manage their care within the community.

Adam Carson, Managing Director at SWFT, said: “The national NHS long term plan places huge significance on not just treating people, but also preventing them from getting ill in the first place. Our Trust’s Integrated Frailty Team has fully embraced this movement. Through innovation, strong leadership, collaborative working and team vision, the service has shifted their culture to prevention by adhering to a home first mindset.

“This award recognises the team’s dedication and tireless efforts to transform the delivery of urgent and emergency care to make a real difference in improving patient outcomes and experience. As an organisation we are extremely proud that our team has been acknowledged in this way.”

Nominated by Matt Western MP, the team was among nine other winners announced during the ceremony.

Also recognised at the awards is a long-serving volunteer and shop manager of League of Friends at Queen’s Hospital Burton, who has been awarded with Highly Commended for her commitment to volunteering.

Julie Hammond from University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, receives Highly Commended for the Volunteer Award.

Julie Hammond has volunteered for more than 14 years despite having a challenging start in life; she was born with foetal alcoholic syndrome as both of her parents were alcoholics. Consequently, Julie underwent multiple operations during the first five years of her life in hospital and developed an appreciation for NHS staff. Despite her health challenges, she is an inspirational woman who is an advocate for people living with a disability.

After being awarded Highly Commended for the national Volunteer Award, Julie said: “I was so pleased to hear I had been nominated for the awards but to then go on to win the regional award and now receive Highly Commended for the national award, it just means so much.

“I have volunteered for the organisation for more many years, and I love it. I work with an amazing team based in a League of Friends Charity shop, which is for patients, members of the local community and staff.

“Our NHS staff come to work every day, give everything they can and then go home like nothing has happened. But they have actually helped to save a life or improved a life every day. Through my volunteering and fundraising I can thank them for everything they do for our local communities by fundraising for equipment, listening to them and talking to them after a bad shift, or sourcing free tea and coffee for them to enjoy a well-deserved break.”

Dr Mohammed Saqib Anwar, Deputy Medical Director at NHS England in the Midlands, and one of the Midlands judges, said: “It was so inspiring in the NHS’s 75^th year, to read about all the fantastic work that is being done by amazing and dedicated individuals and teams across the region.

“I pass my warmest congratulations to all the winners and the nominees – it is people and teams like these that are the heartbeat of the NHS.”

The 10 Award winners were selected from around 750 nominations and were judged by a national panel made up of senior leaders representing both staff and patients.