We’re finalists in the HSJ Awards
HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2020
Hosted by the Health Service Journal (HSJ), the awards get hundreds of entries every year, aiming to recognise the very best in safety, culture and patient care, with the RAFT team being selected as finalists for the “Improving Care for Older People Award.”
The Rapid Assessment and Frailty Team provides a seven-day assessment service to cover all emergency areas, including Acute Medical Unit (AMU), Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC), Same Day Emergency Services unit (SDEC), Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) and other clinics including the Frailty and Fracture Clinic.
The team consists of nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paramedic and Assistant Practitioners, who are all working to reduce patient admissions and support patients to be discharged back into the community. The style of assessment used by the team have been designed to improve patient experience for older patients by reducing the number of clinicians involved in their care.
Sara Tansley, Rapid Assessment and Frailty Team Lead at NCH&C, said: “We are immensely proud to have been recognised for our commitment to provide outstanding care to older patients within our community.
“RAFT is a unique team within the Norfolk healthcare system, pulling together healthcare professionals from multiple Trusts so that our patients get the very best care without having to tell their story multiple times, to multiple organisations. RAFT has reduced the need for hospital admissions for many patients too.
A recent CQC inspection rated the service as ‘outstanding’ and current RAFT data suggests that approximately 85% of patients assessed would have been admitted had the RAFT not intervened.
Sara continues: “The growth in service since 2006 has been tremendous and every member of the team both past and present has been integral in the services success, which has led to the recognition that we are delivering a high standard of care to patients today.”
Paul Cracknell, Deputy Chief Executive of NCH&C added: “I would like to express my congratulations to the Rapid Assessment and Frailty Team for being shortlisted as finalists for the HSJ “Improving Care for Older People Award. This is a fantastic achievement and well deserved as a reflection of all their hard work and dedication. To be recognised by the HSJ Awards is a great accolade. I would also like to thank all our health and social care partners across the Norfolk Health and Care Partnership who continue to support and participate in this collaborative initiative which brings such valuable benefits to our patients and their families. Fingers crossed for the award ceremony in November.”