In advance of the NHS' 70th birthday on 5th July, the NHS70 Parliamentary Awards sponsored by IBM were launched in Parliament earlier this year. The awards are a part of a range of activities being organised by NHS England and NHS Improvement, working with a wide range of partners, to celebrate the achievements of the NHS and those who work for and with it.
Maidstone and The Weald MP, Helen Grant has welcomed receiving nominations from two local services which have made a real difference to how the health and care system provides care for patients.
The first service, 'Living with Secondary Breast Cancer' established by Breast Cancer Care will be competing in 'Excellence in Cancer Care' category. This local team work closely with NHS staff to support women diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The patient-centred sessions are held monthly to provide support against isolation whilst also addressing their emotional needs.
The second service is 'Wound Medicine' which has entered the category entitled 'The Person-Centred Care Champion Award'. 'Wound Medicine' is a telemedicine project championed by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust using exciting technology to improve the treatment of wounds and their healing times. The system has already seen an improvement in some healing rates by providing a standard and consistent approach to the assessment process through correctly recording and capturing digital images of wounds.
Helen said: "It is right that we take the opportunity of the NHS' 70th birthday to recognise and thank the everyday heroes working in our health service. I was therefore delighted to nominate Breast Cancer Care and Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust who epitomize the good work being done locally."
The nominations are now in the hands of senior local NHS experts to find a regional champion which will be announced on 21st May. These regional champions will then be judged by a high-level panel, with the winners announced at a special awards ceremony in Parliament on July 4th – the day before the NHS's 70th birthday.