A handful of award hopes
Date of release: 23 August 2024
Two Black Country NHS Trusts, working to improve patients’ experience across their hospital and community services, have been shortlisted for a total of seven national awards.
Alison Dowling at the launch of the HOPE project
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) is up for four accolades in the Patient Experience Network National Awards (PENNA) 2024, while Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust is in the running for three.
Wolverhampton is nominated in Making Complaints Count with its entry Care at the end of life: Unlocking the learning in letters of formal complaint as well as Measuring, Reporting and Acting - Using Insight for Improvement – Analysis of End of Life Complaints.
The Trust has also been shortlisted in Engaging and Championing the Public with the entry title The Holistic Opportunities Preventing Exclusion (HOPE) Project: Building a partnership between healthcare, the voluntary sector and grass root organisations and Support for Caregivers, Friends, and Family.
Walsall has been nominated for Integration and Continuity of Care, Social Partnership Working to Improve the Experience (Walsall Connected) and Team of the Year (including Complaints and Patient Advice and Liaison Service) with the entry title Impactful Team Excellence.
PENNA is the first and only awards programme to recognise best practice in patient experience across all facets of health and social care in the UK.
Alison Dowling, Associate Director of Patient Relations at RWT said the HOPE project, a partnership between RWT and Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action (WVCA), was a fantastic initiative to be involved in.
She said: “This is the first time we’ve partnered with a voluntary organisation in this way and we really feel as though our collaboration is making a difference to people struggling with their mental health in our communities.”
Alison Dowling with notepad
The HOPE project addresses issues around the support needs of people of Wolverhampton affected by mental health due to social isolation or other factors as a long-term consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes patients, their carers and their other family and friends.
The initiative facilitated recruitment, training and support of volunteers to work alongside the citywide Social Prescribing Service facilitating activities in their own community and becoming befrienders and digital buddies for those in need.
Alison added: “Our work with patients and families around end-of-life to look more deeply at each stage in their journey from a complaints point of view is another important piece of work we are committed to use to drive meaningful change.
“We are proud and humbled to be shortlisted for such prestigious awards and looking forward to celebrating with all other entries on the day while learning about the great work delivered by other Trusts to improve patients’ experience.”
Garry Perry, Associate Director Patient Voice (Experience) for Walsall Healthcare, said: “We are extremely proud to have been shortlisted for the work our teams are doing to improve patient experience for all the communities who use our services.
“In Walsall, we have been collaborating with Walsall Council to set up a Walsall Connected hub in the Manor Hospital.
“This helps people gain or expand their digital skills and improve their access to online services. The initiative has been well received and it is so rewarding to see people grow in confidence and for our Trust to be involved in something so inclusive.
“The Team of the Year award would be an amazing accolade to win but we’re thrilled to have even been shortlisted as it recognises our efforts to make a positive difference to everyone who uses healthcare services.”
Walsall Healthcare has also been invited to present at this year’s awards ceremony in Birmingham in October as last year’s winners with the Little Voices project.
This saw school pupils act as “inspectors” for paediatric services at the Manor Hospital – sharing their feedback with senior leaders in the organisation.
ENDS
- For further information, please email tina.faulkner1@nhs.net
