Health service IT team in line for top award

A WARRINGTON-based health service IT team has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.
The Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Electronic Patient Records team, based in Birchwood, is in the running to be named IT Team of the Year at the Unsung Hero Awards on February 23.
The awards are the only celebration of non-clinical NHS and healthcare staff and volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Over the past two years, the team has assisted more than 1,000 frontline NHS clinicians in moving from using paper based patient records to mobile electronic patient records.
Programme manager Sandra Alderson said: “The team is delighted to be an Unsung Hero Award finalist. We are steadfast in our commitment to using mobile technology to create more clinical time for patient care and also to make the working lives of our staff easier.
“Electronic patient records enable our nurses, community matrons, health visitors and other clinicians to update patient records at the point of care in patients’ homes, children’s centres, Sure Start centres and schools.
“As a result clinicians can spend less time at their base carrying out administrative work and more time with their patients.
“The system also enables more effective information sharing with GPs and other clinicians who work in different teams and for different NHS Trusts.”
Bridgewater chief executive Colin Scales said: ““I am incredibly proud that the tremendous achievements of the Electronic Patient Records team are set to be celebrated
“The team has shown great tenacity, professionalism and positivity in managing one of the largest roll outs of electronic patient records systems in the country. The change has brought tremendous benefits to both staff and patients.
“The team are a superb example of how non-clinical staff in the NHS can support clinicians to further improve patient care.”
In September last year, Bridgewater’s Electronic Patient Records Team was also named Team of the Year at The North West Skills Development Network Informatics Awards.
Find out more about the Unsung Hero Awards at www.unsungheroawards.com.