Excellence Network Awards 2018: the winners

The winners of the 2nd UK Parkinson's Excellence Network Awards were announced on Thursday 25 January, in a ceremony held at Birmingham's REP Theatre.

Award-winning journalist and television presenter John Stapleton opened the show:

 "Tonight we come together to celebrate great care for people affected by Parkinson's. Care that makes a difference not only in the consultation room, but to people's everyday lives." 

The winners

Leeds Quality Improvement Parkinson's Collaborative, Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust

A hospital-based multidisciplinary quality improvement team focusing on improving the quality of inpatient care, specifically ensuring that people with Parkinson's get medication on time. 

They have launched an 'intervention bundle' and a rolling education programme which has seen a decrease in missed and omitted doses.

Emergency Admissions In-reach Service for patients with Parkinson's disease, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

The service has implemented a structured framework of assessment for patients with Parkinson's who are unexpectedly admitted to acute hospital care. This has been achieved by developing a standardised tool termed the 'MODEL-PD' Emergency Care Bundle within the electronic patient record.

Using this they have delivered consistent and reliable targeted interventions in medication management, delirium screening and advice on emergency non-oral treatment strategies. This has also seen the median length of stay fall by 2 days.

Parkinson's Dementia Service, Cardiff and Vale Health Board

Incorporating Parkinson's dementia diagnosis, initiation of treatment, advice and follow up into the usual clinic routine has resulted in a much more streamlined and holistic service for people with Parkinson's, their carers and family members.

Ending on a high

Dr Donald Grosset, Clinical Director of the Excellence Network, closed the evening with a reference to Robert Burns' heartwarming poem O, Wert Thou in the Cauld Blast - a poem written as an ode to his nurse, whose care made a huge difference during his final days. Read O Wert Though in the Cault Blast.

Ending the evening with a resounding message of positivity, Donald concluded:

"What we've learnt from this evening is that if we work together and support people affected by Parkinson's - we will make a difference".