The Stroke Early Supported Discharge (ESD) Team at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust have been shortlisted for System Transformation Champion of the Year at Health Educations England’s annual healthcare education and training (HEAT) Awards.
The team of 24 nurses and therapists delivering expert stroke care, supported by the administration staff set up the service for the regional health system in 2017. They work with patients at the acute stroke units in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Peterborough City Hospital, Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn, to accelerate recovery and discharge from hospital care by providing up to six weeks rehabilitation, either at home or in a community ward.
Charlie Dorer, clinical manager for the Stoke ESD service said: “This is a great achievement for the team, selected from nearly 800 nominations for these awards across the country. They have worked tirelessly to improve care for patients with an innovative service designed around their needs, improving convenience and independence for stroke survivors. We’re delighted to report that in 2018-19, nearly 50% of stroke patients in the region benefited from treatment with our Early Supported Discharge team, to help them transfer out from hospital quickly, compared to only 2% in 2017 before the service started.”
Ruth Empson, specialist stroke coordinator said: “It’s inspiring to work with a team so dedicated to improving the recovery pathway for those who have had a stroke. With a mix of stroke specialist health professionals we work together with service users on the rehabilitation goals that are meaningful and important to them. It's great to see the difference this is making to improve recovery and confidence both for the service user and their loved ones.”
Lizzy Dunn, Stroke ESD therapy lead said: “We worked with patients to develop a model of care which is better for them, in partnership with the system wide stroke network. The team have coped really well with demand across the east of England, taking on nearly double the expected caseload. Patients have fed back how rehabilitation is making a difference and creating a community of support for them. We will continue to work with stroke survivors to build the service in future and translate the latest developments and research into care practice, to support faster recovery.”
The multi-professional team are helping to plan the future workforce and deliver stroke specialist training across the region, with plans to develop a joint competency framework to standardise care. Work is ongoing to investigate tailored apps and therapy devices to provide further support for stroke survivors.
The HEAT Awards highlight the importance of education, training, leadership and workforce planning in the NHS, celebrating teams and individuals delivering high-quality, compassionate care.
Representatives from the Stroke ESD team will be joining the HEE award ceremony and stakeholder conference, held at the Royal College of Physicians in London on 18 July.