Paperless clinic and kits to reduce medicine waste winners at NHS Awards

The awards have been sponsored by the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Natural UK, and the National Collaborative Commissioning Unit.

The 10 categories for the awards are based around the 7 wellbeing goals in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act (2015) and 3 ‘best of the best’ categories.

Award winners are listed here:

The CNO's 'Sustainability in Nursing & Midwifery' Award

• Swansea Bay University Health Board - Team project.
• Introduction of Minuteful for Wound app into District Nursing and Community Wound Clinic SBUHB

Detail:

Historically, district nursing and community wound clinic used paper patient notes to fill out assessments. Life Science Hub Wales initiated an offer to pilot ‘Minuteful for Wound’ app which was taken up by district nursing SBUHB.

By using the app to record wound assessments - the community wound clinic has become paperless, and while paper patient notes remain in district nursing, everything that was previously recorded on paper regarding wounds is now documented on the app, as such paper usage has reduced.

447,120 sheets of paper have been saved each year.  Total carbon saving 10,283.76 kg CO2e equivalent to 29,618.9 miles.
 

The 'Spread & Scale' Award (best of the best)

• Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Team project
• Spreading the equipment sustainability and decarbonisation project

Detail:

The CAVUHB Physiotherapy team identified that there were significant amounts of walking aid equipment being sent to landfill as there was no sustainable process in place to recycle/reuse them.

The CAV Walking Aid service then collaborated with the local Cardiff HM probation service who now provide the workforce to safety check and clean returned walking aids. A staff training package was created to empower people with the tools to be able to safety check, refurbish and recycle equipment safely within their departments and service areas.

They have refurbished and recycled over 8000 items of walking aids over the past 2 years.  Reusing a refurbished walking aid is on average 98% lower in carbon emissions than using a new walking aid
 

The Sustainable Champion Award (best of the best)

• Aneurin Bevan University Health Board – Solo project – Jenna Stevens
• Decarbonisation - Clinical and Health Planning

Detail:

Jenna Stevens, Consultant Anaesthetist has driven many net zero projects within ABUHB. For example, she was the driving force behind ABUHB Theatre Shutdowns, where Theatres are switched off overnight and at weekends, including ventilation and scavenging systems.
 
She has become the Clinical Lead for ABUHB's Decarbonisation programme, using her own time to research for potential projects, and meet with colleagues to advise them on the changes they can make in their areas to become more sustainable.
 

The Cohesive Communities Wales Award

• Powys Teaching Health Board – Team project
• Breaking Down Barriers - Supporting people to access digital healthcare in rural Powys

Detail:

The Living Well Service is based in Bronllys and supports individuals across the county to understand and develop strategies to manage the effects of long-term health conditions which can significantly affect mobility, mental health, and energy levels. 

By changing the model for delivering care to using digital technology, they recognised that there was potential to provide services closer to home, but also that there are a significant number of people within the community who require additional support to access digital services and a small number for whom digital is not an option. 

Working with adults across the county, the service supports people with widely varying experiences of technology. 

The More Equal Wales Award

• Prince Charles Hospital – Team Project
• Supported Internships - The dual benefits for the Pharmacy World and Society

Detail:

In September 2022, Prince Charles Hospital took their first cohort of project search interns. These interns were aged between 16 and 24 with learning disabilities or special education needs.  They had structured work-based placements and a job coach with the aim of increasing confidence in employing people with LD, for the intern to become independent in a workplace by building core skills to improve employability and then gain future employment. 

The Culture and Language Wales Award

• Hywel Dda University Health Board – Team project
• Hywel Dda UHB Arts and Health Team

Detail:

During the height of the Covid Vaccination Programme, Gemma Brown (Nurse and MVC Lead) inspired vaccination staff and volunteers to begin collecting the plastic lids off the tops of the vaccination vials with a vision for the health board to commission a bespoke piece of art to honour and celebrate the incredible efforts of healthcare staff and volunteers. 

In 2023, A Dose of Art, was created, an extraordinary artwork by Nathan Wyburn, commissioned by Hywel Dda University Health Board to honour the incredible efforts of healthcare staff and volunteers working right across the Hywel Dda region throughout the COVID 19 pandemic and celebrates the success of the vaccination programme across Hywel Dda. The artwork is made from the thousands of little plastic lids collected from the tops of the vaccination vials by NHS vaccination staff across the vaccination centres in Hywel Dda.

The Prosperous Wales Award

• Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Team project
• KidzMedz Cymru

Detail:

KidzMedz Cymru is a project which aims to teach children and young people from the age of four how to take tablets and capsules. The team created educational kits that healthcare professionals can use to teach patients how to swallow tablets and capsules. 

So far 120 children have received KidzMedz Cymru training.  Patients who have successfully completed training have been either been prescribed a solid medicine dosage form immediately instead of the liquid form; or switched to a solid dosage form if already prescribed a liquid.

This project has reduced the number of liquid medicines dispensed and provides benefits to patients and their families as solid dosage forms are more palatable, easier to obtain and have easier storage requirements. 

The Resilient Wales Award

• Swansea Bay University Health Board – Team project
• Litter Picking Group (run by Gwelfor Ward Occupational Therapy Team)

Detail:

A weekly litter picking group was set up by Occupational Therapy staff, based in a high dependency unit, and associated step down houses for adult males with severe mental health issues to promote time spent in green spaces during therapeutic activities due to its positive outcomes for mental health and wellbeing.  

The OT team collaborated with the Environment Centre Swansea to join their fortnightly litter picks, and on the alternate week, the OT team continues to run the group with patients taking them to various green spaces, including the local beaches, around Swansea and carries out a litter pick.

The group is a therapeutic intervention providing meaningful activity to patients outside of the ward environment. As well as the group's environmental benefits, it provides positive clinical outcomes to patients.

The Healthier Wales Award

• Primary Care Division, Public Health Wales – Team project
• Greener Primary Care Wales Framework and Award Scheme

Detail:

The team designed, developed and delivered a bespoke Scheme to support primary care contractors in Wales to undertake environmentally friendly actions. The Greener Primary Care Wales Framework and Award Scheme is an environmental sustainability framework and award scheme developed for the four primary care contractors in Wales (general practice, community pharmacy, community optometry and primary care dental).

The Globally Responsible Wales Award

• Adult Critical Care Unit, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board – Team project
• Green ICU Team

Detail:

The Green ICU Team is a Multi-Disciplinary Team that looks to improve the environmental sustainability of critical care through actions that involve, People – patients, relatives and staff, Planet – through improving energy efficiency, biodiversity and better waste management and Profit – better procurement, better waste management, and reducing inefficient care practices.