The emergency team at Princess Royal Hospital has been shortlisted for two HSJ Awards, recognising their outstanding efforts in transforming patient care. The team has been acknowledged in the categories of ‘Patient Safety’ and ‘Performance Recovery’.
Salwa Malik, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Lead for the emergency department at Princess Royal Hospital, expressed her delight.
She said: “As you can imagine, we are utterly delighted, and it is wonderful to see our hard work appreciated and respected at national level. Regardless of what happens now, to know we have been shortlisted for these awards is a phenomenal achievement. As a team, we have been determined to improve patient safety and keep flow going, I am so proud we have been able to achieve this.”
The team has introduced several key innovations, including the launch of a new Ambulatory Clinical Decision Unit (ACDU) and the development of the Sussex Acuity Matrix Score (SAMs), a novel risk assessment tool.
These initiatives have significantly enhanced patient safety and improved patient flow, ensuring that critically ill patients receive timely access to beds while others are efficiently treated and monitored in the ACDU.
Since the introduction of the new scoring system and ACDU in March 2023, the team has treated over 20,000 patients, marking a remarkable achievement. They have also made significant progress in restoring performance and service levels to their pre-pandemic standards, with a strong focus on patient-centred improvements.
Chris Ashcroft, Hospital Director of PRH has been supportive of the improvements, he said: “It’s been a privilege to support these innovations and I’m extremely proud of the emergency department and the compassionate care they provide. A&E in particular can be extremely busy but the team have gone above and beyond to provide even better care for our patients. They truly deserve this shortlisting and recognition.”
The next stages of the awards process will take place in October where Dr Malik will be giving a presentation about the emergency department improvements to the HSJ judging panel.