A trio of specialist teams across University Hospitals Tees has received national recognition for its work in improving patient safety and delivering innovative, high-quality care.
The PROACT (Parkinson’s outreach advanced community therapy) team won two categories at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards – regarded as one of the most prestigious recognitions in patient safety across the UK.
The team won both the Improving Safety for Older People Initiative of the Year and Neighbourhood and Community Health Safety Initiative of the Year awards.
Judges praised the service as an outstanding example of truly person-centred, integrated care and a model that could be replicated for other complex conditions.
The team provides expert physiotherapy and occupational therapy in patients’ homes, helping people manage symptoms, maintain independence and access support earlier.
Specialist Parkinson’s physiotherapist Claire Ward said: “We are absolutely over the moon with the recognition for our team. Our team regularly goes above and beyond for our patients, working in communities across the area, so it is amazing to see this work recognised on a national stage.
“The recognition reflects the team’s commitment to bringing specialist therapy care closer to home and improving outcomes for people living with Parkinson’s.”
The home haemodialysis team at The James Cook University Hospital also received a highly commended accolade in the Patient Safety Education and Training Award category for its contribution to the DAYLife mentoring programme.
Developed by the Kidney Quality Improvement Partnership, the initiative pairs experienced shared haemodialysis teams with other dialysis units to help grow and sustain shared haemodialysis care, enabling more patients to play an active role in their treatment.
As part of the 12-month programme, the team mentored staff at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, meeting virtually each month to share ideas, expertise and best practice to support the growth and sustainability of shared haemodialysis care. The successful partnership helped strengthen patient-centred dialysis services and enabled more patients to take a greater role in managing their treatment.
Home haemodialysis specialist nurse Vicki Ness said:
This recognition is a significant achievement and reflects the team's unwavering commitment to innovation, patient empowerment, quality improvement and excellence in renal care. To be part of this programme, work alongside the team from Dudley and be recognised through the mentoring programme has been a privilege."
The pharmacy team at the University Hospital of North Tees was also shortlisted in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards for Improving Medicines Safety category.
Their entry, titled ‘TIMELY’ approach: redesigning frontline workflow to reduce avoidable harm from time-critical medicines, has improved how time-critical medicines are managed when patients are admitted to hospital.
Medication safety officer Jun Saw said: “ ‘TIMELY’ was introduced as a structured workflow intervention that could be embedded into daily practice.
“The implementation of this safety initiative involved system-wide collaboration, including multidisciplinary teams and senior leadership. This collaborative approach ensures the safety solutions are practical, evidence-based and strategically sound.”
Chief medical officer Mike Stewart said: “Congratulations to our teams for being recognised nationally at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
“These projects demonstrate how our staff continually strive to improve patient safety, enhance patient experience and deliver outstanding care. I would like to congratulate everyone involved on this well-deserved recognition.”