Joint project scoops two places on HSJ Awards shortlist
22/06/2022
This article is more than two years old.
A project designed to help the parents and carers of children with complex medical conditions, in particular involving surgical enteral feeding tubes, has been shortlisted in two categories at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards 2022 - awards that recognise safety, culture and experience in patient care.
The project, entitled 'Coproducing training resources to support parents caring for children with medical complexity', is a collaboration between Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Oxford, Helen and Douglas House Hospice and Oxford Simulation Teaching and Research (OxSTaR).
It has been shortlisted for both the 'Service User Engagement and Co-production' Award and the 'Patient Safety Education and Training' Award.
The project secured £30K funding from Q Exchange (Health Foundation) and an additional £3K from Oxford Hospitals Charity, and funds are used to co-produce videos and online resources to support parents and carers in the home (in collaboration with OxSTaR). To help families get hands-on practice, the team has also created some 3D printed models for teaching and learning purposes.
The project plays a valuable part in the integration of care, and empowers families to care for their children, in line with the NHS England Long Term Plan and local strategies. Parents representatives were involved from the start of the project.
The team included researchers Dr Bethan Page and Professor Charles Vincent at the University of Oxford's Department for Experimental Psychology; OUH Clinical Nurse Specialist Alison Sharrard; Dr Emily Harrop, Medical Director at Helen and Douglas House; Siobhan Butler, Children's Nurse at Helen and Douglas House; Colette Smith, Community Children's Nurse at Oxford Health; and Helen Higham, Director of OxSTaR, who kindly hosted the resources on the OxSTaR website.
The Clinical Lead of the project, Mr Alex Lee, OUH Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, said:
"Families caring for children with complex medical needs have to learn to perform technically and emotionally demanding medical tasks, such as providing feeding tube care or tracheostomy care for their child at home. It is vital that these families are well trained and supported.
"The project is a collaboration between families and community and hospital-based professionals and researchers, and the resources are now widely used in our region and beyond."
Prof Meghana Pandit, OUH Chief Medical Officer, said:
"This project is an example not only of the excellent care provided to children and their carers at our Trust, but also of the wonderful culture of collaboration that exists between the Trust and our partners in the local community.
"This recognition is well-deserved and I wish the whole team the very best of luck on the night."
You can view the full shortlist for the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2022 online, and find details of the team and mission on the Q Exchange (Health Foundation) website.
Our congratulations to everyone involved and very best of luck at the awards ceremony in Manchester on 15 September 2022.
Pictured: Mr Alex Lee with 'Polar', the bear with a gastrostomy button