Care home pilot project scoops prestigious award
A pilot initiative which has improved the lives of people in care homes in Lanarkshire has won a top UK award.
The Care Home Continence Improvement project, developed by teams in NHS Lanarkshire and NHS National Services Scotland, triumphed in the innovation category at the recent Uk-wide GO awards which celebrate excellence in public procurement.
And the Lanarkshire team were recognised by judges after setting out to improve patient experience by focusing on new approaches to continence care.
Research has identified incontinence as a risk factor that increases skin damage, infection and falls in older people.
The initiative allowed care home staff to improve the quality of care through better recording of processes and introducing small changes including medication reviews and reducing caffeine intake.
The outcomes led to improvements including a reduction in falls by 65 per cent, urinary infections being halved and skin damage reduced by one third.
The project has also reduced the amount of continence pads used at the homes. Irene Barkby, director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professions at NHS Lanarkshire, and executive sponsor of the programme, said:“this project exemplifies best practice and underlines how small changes can make a big difference to people’s lives. Well done to all involved.”
Jean Donaldson, associate director of nursing for South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership, and Alice Macleod, nurse advisor with NHS National Services Scotland led the initiative.
She said:“we are delighted to have won this award – it’s testament to the hard work and innovative mindset of a close partnership team.
“We are committed to continuing improvement by sharing knowledge, expertise and looking at new, innovative ways of doing things where necessary. Safety is at the centre of everything we do.
Alice Macleod added:“the GO award is a great platform to promote this innovative, quality improvement initiative in care homes. This project demonstrates how National Procurement Scotland is working in partnership with health boards and wider local and national stakeholders.”