The UCH Education Centre

UCLH was amongst the finalists at a prestigious award ceremony celebrating the best patient safety projects across the NHS.

The Trust was nominated for three awards at the Health Service Journal Patient Safety Awards 2011 which were held 23rd March 2011.

The three categories were:

Changing Culture – the multi-disciplinary team from Theatres and the UCH Education Centre were nominated for implementing the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist across all Trust operating theatres.

Each theatre team attends a half day simulation in the Education Centre which focuses on team working, good communication and empowerment of all team members.  UCLH was determined to make  the introduction of the checklist more than just ‘an extra form to complete’.  Data collected has shown very positive benefits of the programme for both patients and staff.

Patient Safety in Surgery – the WHO Surgical Checklist programme was short-listed in this category as a result of the positive impact on patient related incidents.

Patient Safety in Maternity Care – The Women’s Health Education team was shortlisted in this category for their simulation training programme designed to address the risks and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage. Again, this was more than purely ‘skills and drills’, as it comprised multidisciplinary simulation scenarios with feedback and a focus on human factors.

The unique aspect of this programme was the use of an assessment tool which enabled understanding and confidence to be measured for individuals and teams, used before and after training to measure the level of improvement.

Rob Doel, UCLH Deputy Director of Education, said: “These programmes were recognised because they offered solutions for addressing patient issues. They also represented the best practice of using skilled educators working with local multidisciplinary staff members to create interesting, innovative and effective training. Congratulations to all involved on a fantastic effort and well deserved recognition in these prestigious national awards.”

posted in News by UCH-admin