Plymouth End of Life Care Team Win Top NHS Award: Our Health Heroes

The End of Life Urgent Care Team at St Luke’s Hospice have been named Our Health Heroes winners in the Integrated Team of The Year category for their outstanding commitment to patients.

Today (20th November) more than 200 guests, including Baroness Dido Harding and Prerana Issar (Chief People Officer at NHS Improvement), gathered for the fourth annual Our Health Heroes awards at London’s Science Museum.

Organised by Skills for Health and headline sponsor Health Education England, the national awards, which were hosted by Dr Dawn Harper and included a performance by former doctor turned award winning writer Adam Kay, celebrated unsung healthcare heroes from across the UK.

The End of Life Urgent Care team is the result of a 21-month pilot project and is made up of staff from St Luke’s Hospice and Marie Curie who specialise in supplying basic and more complex end-of-life care.

The team have worked collaboratively to improve the quality and efficiency of services to allow more patients to receive suitable support and their efforts have resulted in a 50% increase in the number of patients able to access this care.

Thanks to their cohesive strategy, the team have been able to help patients avoid lengthy hospital admissions and remain in the comfort of their own homes with more patients now receiving the right care at a time in their life when every day counts.

Sharon Mayor, Urgent Care Nurse Manager at St Luke’s Hospice, said: “As a team we are very proud to be able to do what we do – caring for people at the end of their life is such a privilege and something we all feel very passionate about.

“Well done everyone, this acknowledgment of our work is truly amazing and reflects the heartfelt passion shown by us on a daily basis.”

John Rogers, Chief Executive at Skills for Health, said: “The Integrated Team Award was a popular category for nominations with 134 entries, which just goes to show that healthcare professionals like those who make up the team at St Luke’s Hospice are regularly going the extra mile for their patients.

“Congratulations to the whole team on being named winners; this award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to their roles.”

Laura Roberts, Director at Health Education England (HEE), said: “As the headline sponsor for Our Health Heroes 2019, we want to congratulate everyone who made it to the shortlist and further offer our congratulations to the winners of this year’s awards.

“It is clear from the high standard of nominations that our NHS teams continue to play a vital role in delivering safe and compassionate care for all.

“We are delighted to see teams like these recognised for the role they play within our NHS and the dedication and passion they bring to their patients. It is truly down to these Health Heroes that the NHS can be the wonderful service that it is today.”

For more information about all eight of the Our Health Heroes 2019 winners visit: www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/ohh-2019