Award Winners

Innovation and Service Development Award

Winner

Defence Patient Tracking System - Defence Medical Services Department, Defence Analytical Services and Advice and Joint Medical Command

The Defence Patient Tracking System (DPTS) ensures that patient care is delivered in timely fashion, that care pathways are not interrupted and that there is complete clarity of responsibility for the clinical, administrative and welfare support of patients at all times. Their return to fitness is therefore not impeded by unnecessary delays, and they and their families receive holistic support, whether they are in a military or NHS environment. The system also provides assurance to the chain of command that no patient is ‘lost’ and that all aspects of care are being provided. Through the use of web-based technology, the DPTS allows all contributing agencies to record and retrieve information from a single authoritative source.

Highly Commended

  • Humber Traumatic Stress Service - Humber Mental Health NHS Teaching Trust
    A specialist trauma service providing priority care to veterans, with direct access to regular and frequent care sessions.
  • Ministry of Defence and National Health Service Partnership, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, Adult Intensive Care Unit
    The Critical Care Air Support Teams providing worldwide repatriation of the most critically ill and injured service personnel in conjunction with the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust Intensive Care Unit.
  • New In-patient Mental Health Facility in British Forces Germany - BFG Health Service
    The opening of a new inpatient mental health unit, providing a wider range of treatment and recreational facilities, tailored programmes, and a teaching psychiatric environment.

Education and Training Award

Winner

Combat Casualty Care Training - Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham

The Academic Department of Military Emergency Medicine (ADMEM) has developed and implemented a range of innovative combat casualty care training curricula, from first aid through to field hospital care, which benefit patients by improving safety and enhancing outcome following critical injury or illness. These have been successfully transferred into civilian trauma and disaster medicine training programmes that have been propagated internationally to benefit patients in more than 20 countries; ADMEM’s disaster medical training programmes have been adopted by NATO and the UN, providing an essential response framework to a wide civil and military international community in both developed and developing countries. These training programs are saving the lives of soldiers and civilians around the world. No comparable emergency medical training programme in the UK civilian setting is this flexible, and no component of the NHS approaches organisational learning so comprehensively and proactively in relation to the early management of severe trauma.

Highly Commended

  • AF Paramedic Training - Chief of Staff Health/Director General Medical Service (RAF) Department HQ AIR and Great Western Ambulance Service
    Partnership for the training of RAF personnel to Registered Paramedic standard.
  • Critical Care Air Support Team (Equipment) Training Flight, Tactical Medical Wing, RAF Lyneham, in collaboration with the John Radcliffe Hospital, critical care units
    The provision of training and education for RAF medical and nursing staff to deliver aeromedical critical care.

Deployed Healthcare Award

Winner

Medical Emergency Response Team (Enhanced) (MERT(E)), Op Herrick, Christmas and New Year 2007/8 - MERT(E) members from Royal Army Medical Corps, RoyalNavy and Royal Air Force

During the Christmas and New Year holiday period, the Medical Emergency Response Team based at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province was on 24 hour standby to go to the aid of injured soldiers.

The team of senior doctors, RAF Emergency flight nurses and paramedics and Army Combat Medical Technicians provided advanced resuscitation and pre-hospital critical care to soldiers, from close to the point of wounding and in the dedicated Chinook helicopter on the return trip to Camp Bastion.  Using Damage Control Resuscitation, novel vascular access techniques and critical care interventions, the team stabilised the casualties, delivering them rapidly to the Emergency Department. MERT(E) has evolved progressively since it was established in 2006, forming an essential part of the combat casualty care pathway from point of wounding to UK hospital.

This team has advanced the concept, both with further developing Intelligent Tasking, and with the use of iliac crest intraosseous (IO) vascular access.  An example of this occurred on Christmas Eve, when MERT(E) responded to a mine-strike with two casualties. One had severe injuries - amputation to both legs and one arm, with no obvious route for vascular access. Lapsing into unconsciousness as he was carried on to the Chinook, iliac crest IO access was established, and two litres of fluid given on the journey back to Camp Bastion.  He arrived in the Emergency Department conscious, pain free and talking, and was fit to be taken to Theatre within 20 minutes.

Highly Commended

  • Ministry of Defence and National Health Service Partnership, Oxford - Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust - Adult Intensive Care Unit
    The Critical Care Air Support Teams providing worldwide repatriation of the most critically ill and injured service personnel in conjunction with the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust ICU.
  • Sergeant Mark White, RAF Lyneham, Chippenham, Wiltshire, nominated by Officer Commanding Deployed Air Response Team Squadron, Officer Commanding Tactical Medical Wing
    Has been nominated for the initial treatment, safe boarding on aircraft, and continued care of 16 casualties wounded in a suicide bombing.

Health Improvement and Promotion Award

Winner

Ministry of Defence and National Health Service Partnership, Oxford - Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust - Adult Intensive Care Unit

The Critical Care Air Support Teams (CCAST) are a unique Defence Medical Services (DMS) ‘air’ capability. These teams are responsible for the worldwide repatriation of the most critically ill and injured personnel. Although the size, structure and training of these teams is important, it is also important to focus on the contribution provided to individual Service personnel and commanders at the operational front line. The teams have quite literally saved lives, not just for the UK, but also for our coalition partners and civilian entitled personnel throughout the world. Commanders have reported tangible improvements in the morale component of their fighting force knowing that the CCAST teams are supporting them should they get wounded. When activated ‘Priority 1’ aeromed requires transfer of the wounded serviceman from battlefield to the UK within 24 hrs. The efficiency of the CCAST system and placement of tactical teams is vital, enabling the most clinically challenging cases to be retrieved, frequently from the emergency department or the operating theatre of the field hospital(s), such is the poise and readiness of the tactical CCAST teams. The efficiency and reliability of air bridge(s) is part of the overall DMS success that has observed an unexpectedly high number of ‘unexpected survivors’.

Highly Commended

  • The Heat Illness Clinic at the Institute of Naval Medicine - Institute of Naval Medicine, Environmental Medicine Unit, Gosport, Hampshire
    The investigation of military patients who have suffered heat injury.
  • Anthrax Vaccination: Side effects and informed choice - The King’s Centre for Military Health Research, London
    Investigation of ill health in Gulf War veterans leading to changes in administering of vaccinations.
  • Implementing Change after Research into Ethnicity of Peripheral Cold Injury - The Army Primary Health Care Service and the University of Surrey
    Research project into the ethnicity of cold injuries resulting in changes in training and issue of equipment and clothing.

Mental Health Award

Winner

Implementation of the new Mental Health Facility in British Forces Germany - British Forces Germany Health Service

British Forces Germany has achieved significant improvement in access to multi-disciplinary mental health services by locating resources, including Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Psychiatric Social Workers, Psychiatrists and Psychologists in communities. With extended hours of access to face-to-face contact, teams offer routine, urgent and emergency appointments.

The aim is one of recovery and rehabilitation to ensure that entitled personnel are returned to fitness and duty. Their principle of care is to promote empowerment, equality and normalisation, while increasing choice and access, and reducing stigmatisation of people with mental health problems. This model of service is unique to a British Military environment, and benefits both military and entitled civilian populations.

Highly Commended

  • Kings College cohort study - The King’s Centre for Military Health research and Academic Centre for Defence Mental Health, London
    Mental health research and partnership between the National Health Service and the Defence Medical Services.
  • Reservist Mental Health Programme - Reservist Training and Mobilisation Centre, Chetwynd Barracks, Chilwell, Nottingham
    Delivering mental health services to demobilised military reservists who have deployed on operations.

Healthcare Reservist of the Year

Winner

Colonel Sam Rawlinson, East of Scotland Blood Transfusion Centre, Edinburgh

Nominated by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service , Col Rawlinson has shown personal commitment to NHS patients requiring the full range of Transfusion Medicine products and services, and life saving transfusion support to trauma surgeons treating very seriously injured casualties in operational theatres. Patients under Col Rawlinson’s care fall into two categories: NHS patients from all over the East of Scotland who need the Transfusion Medicine products and services provided under his direction; and trauma casualties from HM Forces, enemy combatants and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. He simultaneously led a major NHS Blood Transfusion Centre unit and a Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers) General Hospital. The expertise he has developed through his military service is invaluable to the NHS in Scotland.

Highly Commended

  • Doctor Mark Sheridan, Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry, nominated by the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
    Dr Sheridan is nominated for his input as a consultant anaesthetist, treating patients in difficult operational conditions as a member of the medical retrieval team flying into hostile territory.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Ackerman, TA Centre Llandaff North, Cardiff, nominated by Colonel Phillip Hubbard, Commanding Officer, Brigade Commander 203 Field Hospital
    Lieutenant Colonel Ackerman is nominated for her deployment as the Clinical Director Field Hospital in Afghanistan, evaluating and mentoring military healthcare professionals in their adaptive foundation training prior to moving into theatre of operations.

Care of Veterans Award

Winner

Accelerated Access for Veterans - Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)

This initiative, launched by the Board of Hull PCT in October 2007, highlights the fact that veterans may have health needs associated with their service that are not recognised by civilian practitioners. It makes provision for their accelerated access to NHS services if the referring practitioner suspects that any condition is related to their military service, effectively giving all veterans the same status as war pensioners, and raising awareness of the unique experience of military service among practitioners with little or no knowledge of such issues (specifically mental health problems). In addition to making sure veterans feel valued for service to their country, the value of the initiative was quickly recognised by Secretary of State for Health who directed that it was to become national policy for the NHS in England in December 2007.

Highly Commended

  • Doctor Mark Sheridan, Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry, nominated by the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
    Dr Sheridan is nominated for his input as a consultant anaesthetist, treating patients in difficult operational conditions as a member of the medical retrieval team flying into hostile territory.
  • Lieutenant Colonel Ackerman, TA Centre Llandaff North, Cardiff, nominated by Colonel Phillip Hubbard, Commanding Officer, Brigade Commander 203 Field Hospital
    Lieutenant Colonel Ackerman is nominated for her deployment as the Clinical Director Field Hospital in Afghanistan, evaluating and mentoring military healthcare professionals in their adaptive foundation training prior to moving into theatre of operations.

Team of the Year:
Military and Civilian Health Partnership Award

Winner

Joint MOD/DH Smoking Cessation Project - Defence Medical Services Department and Department of Health, London

Close co-operation between the DH Tobacco Policy Unit and the Project Team was vital to the success of this initiative, developing smoking cessation services for the particular needs of military personnel. Out of many projects initiated by the NHS Cancer Plan (2001), this was one of only two to achieve completion with excellent results, at a time of high operation tempo. Success was achieved and the project substantially outperformed set targets, with 8650 setting a quit date (Target: 3300) and at four weeks 4244 (49 percent) were recorded as still stopped (Target: 825 (25 percent)). The data demonstrates that military personnel can successfully stop smoking when given appropriate help, even when on operations.

Highly Commended

  • Joint Theatre Clinical Case Conference, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham
    Establishment of a conference facility between deployed field hospitals, the receiving NHS hospital in Birmingham, the aeromedical cell in Brize Norton and the rehabilitation centre in Headley Court.
  • Phoenix NHS Stop Smoking Service Network (MOD) Healthy Communities - Lincolnshire Teaching Primary Care Trust and Lincolnshire County Council
    Stop smoking promotion in Lincolnshire by a MOD and NHS partnership.