A NETWORK of doctors and nurses from across the region has won a national patient safety award.

The West of England Academic Health Science Network was handed the Patient Safety Team of the Year at the annual BMJ Awards. The prize, backed by top medical journal the BMJ, is given to trailblazers improvin patient safety.

The award was given to WEAHSC’s West of England Patient Safety Collaborative is formed of doctors and nurstse working across the region, including those at Great Western Hospital, South Western Ambulance Service, Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership.

Doctors and nurses were recognised for their work to tackle deteriorating patients.

Natasha Swinscoe, interim managing director at WEAHSC, said: “I’m so proud to work with this team, who are one of the most inspiring and high performing teams I have worked with. They epitomise what it means to always do the right thing.”

The Adver has reported on work at GWH to better monitor poorly patients. In common with other hospitals across the region, GWH uses the National Early Warning System to log patients’ observations, with doctors alerted if they get a high score.

Last month, matron Sarah Canfield said the hospital was investing in new technology to track deteriorating patients: “In a busy hospital like this it will be invaluable.”

Congratulating the south west doctors for their award win, Matt Inada-Kim, national clinical advisor on sepsis at NHS England, said: “I am so pleased for the West of England AHSN team. They have given the rest of the country a glimpse of what the NHS could be like in every part of the country.

“The standardisation across an entire region, with a single language of sickness, across all pathways of care and environments has reduced deaths."