NHS Tayside staff attend London awards

THREE NHS Tayside staff members were finalists in the Antibiotic Guardian Awards held in London.

The awards celebrate work in reducing antibiotic resistance and increasing public and health professional awareness.

Sarah Thomson, an antibiotic stewardship pharmacy technician; Heather Kennedy, an antibiotic pharmacist; and Jo McEwen, an advanced nurse practitioner in antimicrobial stewardship were chosen as finalists and attended the ceremony.

Jo picked up the award for staff engagement following an educational programme which enhanced nursing knowledge within community hospitals around antimicrobial stewardship.

Nursing involvement in antimicrobial stewardship is a new approach and a subsequent change in clinical practice reduced the levels of inappropriate lab samples by 29%, ultimately preventing unnecessary antimicrobial prescribing.

Jo’s specialist post was the first of its kind globally, showing that NHS Tayside is leading the way in antimicrobial stewardship.

Sarah was nominated for her educational activities and staff engagement with other pharmacy technicians across NHS Tayside and Heather was nominated in the stewardship and prescribing category for pharmacist/nurse-led antimicrobial stewardship ward rounds.

Jo said: “I am delighted to have won the Antibiotic Guardian Award and to have the opportunity for our team to showcase some of the excellent work that is taking place within NHS Tayside around antimicrobial stewardship.

“I would like to share this honour with the community hospital nursing teams.

“Without their continued support, enthusiasm, engagement and dedication to optimising patient care outcomes, none of this would have been possible.”

From left: William, Lewis and Laura Meach; Gillian Mitchell, Mason and Stewart Oram; Keith, Cohen, Aarya and Steph Chalmers. Top: Nic Hutchison, Neil, Miller, Sarah and Grace Paterson. Middle: Nic Hutchison, Vicki, Reuben and Charles Burness. Above:...