13 September 2016
The shortlist for the first ever Quality Improvement Awards 2016 has been announced with NHS Borders among the finalists.
The Quality Improvement Awards 2016 were launched in May this year by the Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to celebrate the fantastic improvement work being done through Maternity and Children’s Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC, Early Years Collaborative (EYC) and Raising Attainment for All (RAFA) programmes.
NHS Borders has been successfully announced as a finalist in the Merit Award for Quality Improvement in Maternity, Neonatal and Paediatric Services Category for its SAFER antenatal risk assessment tool.
Dr Brian Magowan, NHS Borders Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and lead for SAFER said: “The aim of this project was to provide a safe and robust antenatal risk assessment for pregnant women and to engage them at the earliest stage of their pregnancy in the identification and management of pregnancy associated risk. The SAFER form (Safe Assessment Form to Evaluate Risk) was created as a result and has been tested and introduced to all maternity service users within NHS Borders.
“The SAFER form has reduced the use of up to eight risk assessment forms into one and preliminary analysis has shown an improvement in the assessment of venous thrombo embolism fetal growth and post partum haemorrhage.”
Gill Lunn, Maternity Patient Safety Champion for NHS Borders said: “Pregnant women want to have a healthy baby and we want to make the process as safe as possible. We aim to introduce the SAFER tool with every expecting mother at their booking clinic at 8 – 10 weeks pregnant. This will help provide the safest possible outcomes for both mother and child.”
The team is delighted that this project has been shortlisted for these awards and they are looking forward to attending the awards ceremony in Glasgow on Tuesday 15 November.
For more information and the list of finalists for the Quality Improvement Awards 2016 visit www.earlyyearscollaborative.co.uk
About the Awards
The Scottish Government and Healthcare Improvement Scotland are pleased to deliver its first ever awards programme dedicated to Quality Improvement. These awards will celebrate and showcase the fantastic range of quality improvement practice that has been taking place across the length and breadth of Scotland to make services the best they possibly can be for babies, children, young people and their families in all aspects of their lives.
Quality Improvement is helping to strengthen services and to give children the best start in life, with equal opportunities to thrive, learn and succeed. All of the improvement work aims to make services the best they possibly can be so we can reduce inequalities and get it right for every child.
They want to celebrate and recognise the hard work of practitioners in helping us to reach this goal.
The shortlist is available online at www.earlyyearscollaborative.co.uk/quality-improvement-awards/the-2016-shortlist/
About the Health Foundation
SAFER project received a £75,000 Health Foundation Grant at the beginning of 2016 to support the implementation and evaluation of this project.
The Health Foundation is an independent charity committed to bringing about better health and health care for people in the UK.
Our aim is a healthier population, supported by high quality health care that can be equitably accessed. From giving grants to those working at the front line to carrying out research and policy analysis, we shine a light on how to make successful change happen. We use what we know works on the ground to inform effective policymaking and vice versa.
We believe good health and health care are key to a flourishing society. Through sharing what we learn, collaborating with others and building people’s skills and knowledge, we aim to make a difference and contribute to a healthier population.
You can follow the Health Foundation on Twitter: www.twitter.com/healthfdn