COMPILED BY THE EDITORIAL TEAM
*All photos: Cpl Joe Blogs/MoD
ARMY SURGEON WINS PRESTIGIOUS HEALTHCARE AWARD FOR INTRODUCING INNOVATIVE TREATMENT
Vigilance can report that an Army medic based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has been named as Healthcare Regular of the Year in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards (MCHPA).
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jeffery was honoured with other military and civilian medical teams during the ceremony in Birmingham. The nine categories featured innovative treatment and services developed to care for the Armed Forces, their families and veterans.
The awards are held annually and this year attracted more than 100 nominations from military and civilian medics across the country.
It was open to military and civilian personnel who provide health and social care to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. It recognises and strengthens the partnership between Britain’s military and civilian health care workers and provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many examples of high quality care.
Lieutenant Colonel Steven Jeffery won the award for pioneering and introducing Topical Negative Pressure (TNP) dressings to treat wounded soldiers both at the Field Hospital in CampBastion, and in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham.
According to a source at the MoD these dressing systems consist of a special pump which, when connected to an appropriate dressing pack, can apply suction to the wound, completely isolating the wound from the surrounding environment, providing an optimum wound healing environment.
Explaining further, the source said this means that soldiers receiving serious injury on operations benefit from wounds being totally protected from contamination, or from those wounds contaminating others during their aeromedical evacuation, adding the dressings also needed to be changed less frequently than conventional dressings, causing less upset for patients and freeing up valuable nursing time.
Lt Col Jeffery who heads a team of military plastic surgeons in Birmingham is said to have also applied this innovative treatment to civilian burns and trauma victims, and those surgeons undergoing training in Birmingham are believed to have been able to take these skills with them around the country.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Rt Hon Andrew Robathan enthused: “Thanks to the excellence of our people working in partnership, the quality of care available to our Armed Forces – from emergency life saving procedures on operations to primary care at home and overseas – is quite remarkable. These awards are about honouring the best of the best, people who, often in the most demanding of circumstances, are delivering exceptional healthcare.”
Whilst Group Captain Wendy Williams, the Commanding Officer at RCDM said: “I am delighted to see that Lt Col Jeffery has won the Healthcare Regular of the Year award. Lt Col Jeffery has provided leadership to a truly integrated and dedicated team, of both military and NHS staff, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.”
And Health Minister Simon Burns added: "Our Armed Forces make an extraordinary sacrifice for us all and deserve first class medical care - whether deployed on operations, at home, or in later life. I am delighted that the exceptional care given to them is recognised by these awards.”
Burns who was full of praise for the winners in advancing medical frontiers said: “I want to congratulate the winners and acknowledge the tremendous work of all the finalists. Healthcare professionals from the NHS and social care provide vital support to service personnel, veterans and their families and it is great to see their hard work and expertise acknowledged.”
CIVILIAN MEDICAL TEAM PICK UP AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING WORK IN DEVELOPING VETERANS’ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Great Team with great team spirit
Also, a medical team from Scotland have been honoured in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards (MCHPA). The team from NHS Lothian was recognised twice for their innovative work in providing healthcare for the Armed Forces, their families and veterans.
According to a source at the MoD they picked up two awards – one in mental health care and one for the care of veterans for the Veterans First Point (V1P) services. Based in Edinburgh, it is founded on the principle of veterans supporting other veterans; offering appointments, a drop-in service and great links with other services. Clients can also be referred to a clinical team that includes a veterans therapist, Counsellor and Clinical Psychologist.
The awards are held annually and this year attracted more than 100 nominations from military and civilian medics across the country.
It was open to military and civilian personnel who provide health and social care to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. It recognises and strengthens the partnership between Britain’s military and civilian health care workers and provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many examples of high quality care.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Rt Hon Andrew Robathan, said: “Thanks to the excellence of our people working in partnership, the quality of care available to our Armed Forces – from emergency life saving procedures on operations to primary care at home and overseas – is quite remarkable. These awards are about honouring the best of the best, people who, often in the most demanding of circumstances, are delivering exceptional healthcare.”
And the the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Nicola Sturgeon remarked: “The success of Veterans 1st Point (V1P) in winning two Military and Civilian Health Partnership awards in 2011 is a fantastic achievement. The prestigious Mental Health and Care of Veterans awards are testimony to the innovative and high quality services provided by V1P to our Armed Forces personnel and veterans. The staff of V1P are to be congratulated for their skill, dedication and professionalism in making a difference to the lives of those who seek out their specialist help and support.”
ARMY RESERVIST HONOURED FOR INTRODUCING INNOVATIVE FIELD DRESSING TO SAVE LIVES OF SOLDIERS
Vigilance can confirm that a Reservist from Hampshire has been named as Healthcare Reservist of the Year Award in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards (MCHPA). He was honoured for his work introducing a new device that keeps patients warm and prevents bleeding from their injuries.
Major Robert Dawes, working in Southampton, won the award for introducing the Blizzard Heat pack on frontline operations in Afghanistan, as well as new airway equipment and blood clotting dressings.
The awards are held annually and this year attracted more than 100 nominations from military and civilian medics across the country.
It was open to military and civilian personnel who provide health and social care to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. It recognises and strengthens the partnership between Britain’s military and civilian health care workers and provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many examples of high quality care.
Maj Dawes serves with 144 Parachute Regiment Medical Squadron (Volunteers) who are part of 16 Medical Regiment, based in Colchester.
He is an NHS trainee anaesthetist in Southampton in his civilian role and he has also used his experience on operations to the civilian arena. It is his awe inspiring dedication to patients though which stands out, and which is why he was put forward for this award.
The clinical pathways he has written and taught on military courses have directly saved lives, and his work has changed the way the military and the wider medical world look at difficult airway management.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Rt Hon Andrew Robathan, said: “Thanks to the excellence of our people working in partnership, the quality of care available to our Armed Forces – from emergency life saving procedures on operations to primary care at home and overseas – is quite remarkable. These awards are about honouring the best of the best, people who, often in the most demanding of circumstances, are delivering exceptional healthcare.”
Whilst Health Minister Simon Burns added: "Our Armed Forces make an extraordinary sacrifice for us all and deserve first class medical care - whether deployed on operations, at home, or in later life. I am delighted that the exceptional care given to them is recognised by these awards.
“I want to congratulate the winners and acknowledge the tremendous work of all the finalists. Healthcare professionals from the NHS and social care provide vital support to service personnel, veterans and their families and it is great to see their hard work and expertise acknowledged."
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN MEDICAL TEAMS FROM SALISBURY AREA PICK UP AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING WORK
Rod Dunn: Healthcare Civilian of the Year
Hard work pays in the long run; hence Vigilance can also report that Medical teams from the Salisbury area have too been honoured in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards (MCHPA) for providing innovative health care and training programmes for the Armed Forces, their families and veterans.
Held annually, the Awards this year attracted more than 100 nominations from military and civilian medics across the country.
It was open to military and civilian personnel who provide health and social care to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. It recognises and strengthens the partnership between Britain’s military and civilian health care workers and provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many examples of high quality care.
Awardees included:
- Defence Chemical, Biological and Radiation Centre, Winterbourne Gunner, who won the Education and Training Award, fordeveloping, with Joint Medical Command, a simulation facility for CBRN medical treatments. The combination of case studies and simulation to train medical professionals best prepares them for what is an irregular and unpredictable threat;
- Rod Dunn, from the Odstock Centre for Burns, Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, who won the Healthcare Civilian of the Year Award, for being the driving force behind an NHS ‘Fast Track’ scheme for injured service personnel. Having recognised the requirement for a specialist Multi-Disciplinary Team for Reconstructive surgical care within the region, he has worked tirelessly to improve the clinical experience for injured service personnel;
- Skilled for Health, Army Primary Healthcare Services – Wessex Region, who won the Health Improvement and Promotion Award fordesigning a short learning programme for the partners of service personnel, which provided information and support for lifestyle changes, as well as increasing self esteem, and encouraging individuals to progress with further learning opportunities.
A delighted Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Rt Hon Andrew Robathan expressed his joy thus: “Thanks to the excellence of our people working in partnership, the quality of care available to our Armed Forces – from emergency life saving procedures on operations to primary care at home and overseas – is quite remarkable. These awards are about honouring the best of the best, people who, often in the most demanding of circumstances, are delivering exceptional healthcare.”
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN MEDICAL TEAM PICK UP AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORK DELIVERING BLOOD TO THE BATTLEFIELD
The Bath & London Teams
The Bath and London Teams too were not left out in the Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards (MCHPA) and their own case for developing new blood transportation boxes and monitoring devices to ensure a supply of blood and blood components to the frontline.
The awards which are held annually this year attracted more than 100 nominations from military and civilian medics across the country.
It was open to military and civilian personnel who provide health and social care to the Armed Forces, their families and veterans. It recognises and strengthens the partnership between Britain’s military and civilian health care workers and provides the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many examples of high quality care.
The teams, based at Defence Equipment & Support, MoD Foxhill, Bath and the NHS Blood and Transplant Service from London were honoured for their work inovercoming significant barriers to ensure availability of plasma and platelets to operational environments like Afghanistan.
During the last year, development of new transport boxes and monitoring devices have allowed the delivery of over 10,000 blood components, and the complex logistics chain can provide blood to wherever it is needed in the world.
This system contributes directly to high survival rates, and the technology is now being reviewed by civilian helicopter emergency medical services in the UK.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Rt Hon Andrew Robathan commented: “Thanks to the excellence of our people working in partnership, the quality of care available to our Armed Forces – from emergency life saving procedures on operations to primary care at home and overseas – is quite remarkable. These awards are about honouring the best of the best, people who, often in the most demanding of circumstances, are delivering exceptional healthcare.”
Whilst Minister Simon Burns said: "Our Armed Forces make an extraordinary sacrifice for us all and deserve first class medical care - whether deployed on operations, at home, or in later life. I am delighted that the exceptional care given to them is recognised by these awards.”
Burns concluded: “I want to congratulate the winners and acknowledge the tremendous work of all the finalists. Healthcare professionals from the NHS and social care provide vital support to service personnel, veterans and their families and it is great to see their hard work and expertise acknowledged."