National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
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NICE seeks entries for 2014 Shared Learning Awards

NICE is calling on organisations that have used its guidance or quality standards to enter the 2014 NICE Shared Learning Awards.

Now in its seventh year, the NICE Shared Learning Awards recognise and celebrate services and organisations that have put NICE guidance or quality standards into practice in innovative and effective ways.

Any organisation that uses NICE guidance is encouraged to apply. This includes NHS services, local authorities, care homes, charities and private workplaces.

The best examples will be shortlisted for a prestigious NICE Shared Learning Award, with the overall winner chosen by the delegates attending the 2014 NICE Annual Conference.

All shortlisted applicants will have a poster produced on their work, which will be displayed at the NICE annual conference.

The 2013 award went to South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for its work in harmonising pre-hospital care across South West England.

Earlier this year, the Trust acquired Great Western Ambulance Service creating an opportunity for both organisations to work together to harmonise care and improve clinical practice.

To do this, the Trust aimed to use NICE guidance to set a standard of care and ensure that it is consistent from day one, and across the region.

Previously, both organisations used a Clinical Notices system to disseminate NICE guidance to staff. However, it was difficult to keep up with the scores of updates presented each year and to memorise the detail they contained.

To overcome these problems, the Trust took the radical approach of issuing a clinical guidelines folder. This was developed by the senior clinical teams working together to provide a standard, concise and easily accessible resource written by ambulance clinicians, for ambulance clinicians.

"Submitting our application for the Shared Learning Award was a really positive experience," said Deputy Clinical Director Adrian South from the South Western Ambulance Service.

"It was great to work with NICE to develop a poster summarising our project which was exhibited at the event and to present our work to such a wide range of health and social care professionals. The Trust is extremely grateful to NICE for the opportunities that this provided."

Jim Beaumont, Frontline Paramedic from Burnham station, said: "Through creating a practical handbook for staff which is quick to access, easy to read and above all paramedic friendly, patients from across the South West will not only receive the same level of care irrespective of where they live, but that level of care has been enhanced across the board."

Val Moore, Implementation Programme Director at NICE, said: "Feedback tells us that people value these examples and expect NICE to promote them to help others with their improvement initiatives where they relate to using our guidance and quality standards."

To apply, submit an example to the shared learning database describing the way you or used NICE guidance or quality standards.

Nominations for the 2014 Shared Learning Awards close on 17 January 2014, with shortlisted entries announced in March.

Finalists will have the opportunity to present their work at the NICE annual conference held in May 2014, with the overall winner chosen by delegates.

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