The amazing work of colleagues at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT) was recognised at the Academy of Fab NHS Stuff annual awards, with us winning two awards.
Rapid Response Operational Manager Mary Stracey, the East Kent Acute Response Team and the East Kent Frailty Team won Highly Commended for the work they have done on virtual wards, to provide acute-level care at home. Communications Officer Jane Barlow won a Fab NHS75 Anniversary Award for sharing KCHFT’s quality improvement (QI) stories during the pandemic and for continually working closely with the academy.
In addition, a certificate was given to Patient Safety Lead Sarah Denton, who was shortlisted with her bladder diary QI project, where Sarah adapted the diary as a result of patient feedback. The KCHFT QI team also walked away with a certificate for being shortlisted in the QI team of the year category, for sharing projects nationally.
The awards were held at the Business Design Centre, Islington, with those presenting prizes including Chief Nursing Officer for England Dame Ruth May, NHS England Chief Nursing Officer Jane Cummings and Dame Elizabeth Aninwu. Presenting the evening from the Academy of Fab NHS Stuff were health commentator Roy Lilley and Dr Terri Porrett.
KCHFT colleagues attending were Sarah Denton, Robyn Shelmerdine, Tkela Bradford, Mary Stracey, Sally Burton, Zena Coulson, Senga Kingsby and Jane Barlow.
The awards “set out to reward and recognise fab people and teams bringing great innovation and best practice to the NHS”.
Mary Stracey was highly commended for the Hartley Larkin Award, which recognised work which saw people “doing what needed to be done”. Mary and team were congratulated for creating and expanding virtual wards and since the pandemic, making them “business as usual”, providing integrated teams to treat patients at home, rather than people having to go into hospital. You can find more about the project on the Academy of Fab NHS Stuff website and also here on our QI website
Jane Barlow was one of six people who won a Fab NHS75 Anniversary Award. Jane won hers for “fantastic work in supporting and inspiring her team to keep sharing service improvements throughout Covid and involving Fab constantly.” The award was presented by Rachel Jury, Fab’s Social Media Manager, who said that despite never having met in person, throughout the pandemic and afterwards, regular contact virtually had created “a bond” with the academy.
The six winners were each given specially minted NHS75 coins.The main awards sponsors were Giant and Voror Health Technologies.
Pictured below are KCHFT colleagues at the awards event:
Above: Mary Stracey being presented with her award
Above: Rachel Jury, Social Media Manager at the Academy of Fab NHS Stuff, presenting Communications Officer Jane Barlow (left) with her NHS75 Anniversary Award