SWINDON Primary Care Trust (PCT) has won a national award at the NHS National Confederation Conference.

The PCT scooped the gong for the Best NHS Choice Campaign on a Small Budget and Most Cost Effective Use of Funds and the award was presented to the PCT by the new health minister Mike O’Brian. Swindon PCT was chosen along with 23 other PCTs to head up a national patient choice campaign. The campaign’s aim was to improve patient experiences and raise awareness of the different choices they have when considering treatment. The PCT successfully communicated with the town’s very diverse population on a very small budget.

Caroline Fowles, chief executive of Swindon PCT said: “One of the challenges we face in Swindon is effectively communicating with our diverse population of different cultures and languages.

“On top of this, we have a limited budget to work with. It is imperative that we effectively get our messages though to our town’s harder to reach ethnic minority groups. Our teams have proven that it can be done.”

PCT staff visited different communities all over the town, to let people know about the increased choice they have, such as where they can be treated and highlighting the lowest hospital waiting times.