30 June 2021
HSCQI congratulated all the teams who were shortlisted and announced the winners of the prestigious HSCQI Quality Improvement Awards 2020 in a virtual celebration event held on 24 June.
In the Innovation Transformation in Care category, teams used innovation and evidence based practice and involved service users and carers in their QI projects, not to mention their passion for QI which was evident throughout.
HSCQI is delighted to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the joint category winner ,Noel Black and team from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.
The cardiac and respiratory teams from the South Eastern Trust developed an innovative approach to the provision and expansion of high quality essential heart and respiratory physiological investigations during the Covid-19 pandemic. The team had a vision to ensure patient and staff safety while delivering essential cardiac and respiratory diagnostic services across the Trust. Their QI Project was called, ‘A novel pathway to improve access, performance, efficacy, and patient and staff safety for ambulatory services’ and set about developing a drive though solution that would facilitate increased efficiency allowing expansion of service provision and reduced waiting times for patients.
Noel Black, Principal Physiologist in the Cardiac Investigation Unit and Project lead, commented on receiving the award:
“I would like to express my deep gratitude on behalf of the teams for receiving this award in the Innovation/Transformation in Care Category. I wish to thank the HSC Quality Improvement Awards judging panel for acknowledging our hard work and innovation during this pandemic year. I am very grateful to the panel for considering our novel Ambulatory Service worthy of this award. Our teams feel truly honoured and appreciate this recognition.
After receiving this award, our teams feel more enthusiastic about their role in the transformation of all our Cardiac and Pulmonary Services. The innovation and transformation of this service will continue beyond the pandemic. Moreover, we will ensure that our services continue to change to best meet the needs of our patients. Once again, and on behalf of the teams and volunteers, thank you for this appreciation and honour.” The service has excelled to deliver above pre-pandemic levels since summer 2020 and HSCQI are positive that the QI Project will continue to deliver a better and more efficient service for our Trust.“
The Ambulatory Services team showcased their project at the virtual ceremony. The presentation was highly informative and captured the hard work and dedication of the team. The presentation is now available for your viewing via https://bit.ly/3ggvT5f.
Dr Aideen Keaney, Director of HCSQI who recently had the opportunity to meet with the award winning teams commented:
“The response to the HSCQI Awards has been outstanding. Applications were received from across many parts of our Health and Social Care system. The judging panel commended the high standard of entry from each of the shortlisted teams, many of whom described improvement initiatives that they had led on, some even doing so during the Covid-19 pandemic. The improvement awards recognise the dedication and passion of all of the teams and demonstrate how using a quality improvement (QI) approach to these initiatives has resulted in improvements in patient care. Many of the shortlisted teams were able to evidence these improvements with data and measures.”
Please show your support and help celebrate the excellent QI work unfolding throughout HSCNI by sharing the video with your organisation colleagues and on Twitter, tagging @HSCQI
Further details on the awards and other QI information can be found on the HSCQI website. Quality Improvement & Innovation – Sharing best practice across Health & Social Care in Northern Ireland (hscni.net)
Please follow @HSCQI on Twitter also to keep connected with QI activity across the region.