Ministry of Defence
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Top Military Health Care Providers recognised in new awards ceremony
Health workers who provide outstanding care for the Armed Forces were recognised tonight in a ceremony attended by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.
The inaugural Military and Civilian Health Partnership Awards highlighted exceptional individuals and teams from across the UK working in fields such as deployed healthcare, care of veterans, mental health, education and training and innovation.
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall presented trophies to the winners, including a special Lifetime Achievement Award to the remaining members of the nursing team, 'The Flying Nightingales' who operated out of RAF Down Ampney during World War II. Tasked with bringing wounded soldiers back from Europe on Dakotas, altogether they brought back more than 100,000 casualties, many of who would not have survived but for the bravery and selflessness of the nursing orderlies.
Defence Secretary John Hutton said:
"This evening is an opportunity to pay tribute to the diverse and dedicated military, NHS, voluntary and private sector medical professionals from across the UK who provide first class care to our personnel, who quite rightly deserve the best."
The awards scheme is a joint venture between the MOD, Department of Health, the Welsh Assembly, the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. The MOD was the host department for the 2008 awards.
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN HEALTH PARTNERSHIP AWARDS
2008 WINNERS:
Deployed Healthcare Award:
Medical Emergency Response Team (Enhanced) (MERT(E)), Op Herrick, Christmas and New Year 2007/8 - MERT(E) members from Royal Army Medical Corps, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force
During the Christmas and New Year holiday period, the Medical Emergency Response Team based at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand Province was on 24 hour standby to go to the aid of injured soldiers. The team of senior doctors, RAF Emergency flight nurses and paramedics and Army Combat Medical Technicians provided advanced resuscitation and pre-hospital critical care to soldiers, from close to the point of wounding and in the dedicated Chinook helicopter on the return trip to Camp Bastion. Using Damage Control Resuscitation, novel vascular access techniques and critical care interventions, the team stabilised the casualties, delivering them rapidly to the Emergency Department.
Education and Training Award:
Combat Casualty Care Training
Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham
The Academic Department of Military Emergency Medicine (ADMEM) has developed and implemented a range of innovative combat casualty care training curricula, from first aid through to field hospital care, which benefit patients by improving safety and enhancing outcome following critical injury or illness. These have been successfully transferred into civilian trauma and disaster medicine training programmes that have been propagated internationally to benefit patients in more than 20 countries; ADMEM's disaster medical training programmes have been adopted by NATO and the UN.
Health Improvement and Promotion Award:
Ministry of Defence and National Health Service Partnership, Oxford Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust - Adult Intensive Care Unit The Critical Care Air Support Teams (CCAST) are a unique Defence Medical Services (DMS) air capability. These teams are responsible for the worldwide repatriation of the most critically ill and injured personnel. The teams have quite literally saved lives, not just for the UK, but also for our coalition partners and civilian entitled personnel throughout the world.
Care of Veterans Award:
Accelerated Access for Veterans
Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT)
This initiative, launched by the Board of Hull PCT in October 2007, highlights the fact that veterans may have health needs associated with their service that are not recognised by civilian practitioners. It makes provision for their accelerated access to NHS services if the referring practitioner suspects that any condition is related to their military service, effectively giving all veterans the same status as war pensioners.
Healthcare Reservist of the Year Award:
Colonel Sam Rawlinson, East of Scotland Blood Transfusion Centre, Edinburgh Nominated by the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Col Rawlinson has shown personal commitment to NHS patients requiring the full range of Transfusion Medicine products and services, and life saving transfusion support to trauma surgeons treating very seriously injured casualties in operational theatres. He simultaneously led a major NHS Blood Transfusion Centre unit and a Royal Army Medical Corps (Volunteers) General Hospital. The expertise he has developed through his military service is invaluable to the NHS in Scotland.
Team of the Year: Military and Civilian Health Partnership Award:
Joint MOD/DH Smoking Cessation Project
Defence Medical Services Department and Department of Health, London Close co-operation between the DH Tobacco Policy Unit and the Project Team was vital to the success of this initiative, developing smoking cessation services for the particular needs of military personnel.. Success was achieved and the project substantially outperformed set targets, with 8650 setting a quit date (Target: 3300) and at four weeks 4244 (49 percent) were recorded as still stopped (Target: 825 (25 percent)).
Innovation in Service Development Award:
Defence Patient Tracking System - Defence Medical Services Department Defence Analytical Services and Advice and Joint Medical Command The Defence Patient Tracking System (DPTS) ensures that patient care is delivered in timely fashion, that care pathways are not interrupted and that there is complete clarity of responsibility for the clinical, administrative and welfare support of patients at all times.
Mental Health Award:
Implementation of the new Mental Health Facility in British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany Health Service
British Forces Germany has achieved significant improvement in access to multi-disciplinary mental health services by locating resources, including Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Psychiatric Social Workers, Psychiatrists and Psychologists in communities.
Notes to Editors:
1. The 2008 awards were open to military or civilian members of the Defence Medical Services, NHS or independent sector healthcare professionals, either on an individual or team basis, who have benefited the care of a member(s) of the Armed Forces. This included veterans and their dependants.
2. The evening was attended by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Defence and Health ministers, prominent military and health representatives from across the UK, and more than 100 shortlisted teams and individuals.
3. Further information on the health partnership awards, including the full list of winners and further details on them can be found at http://www.dmsd.mod.uk, the Military and Civilian Health Partnership website.
4. The Scottish Government will host the awards in 2009.
5. The origins of the Royal Hospital Chelsea date back to the 17th century. Nowadays it provides accommodation and medical care to retired soldiers of the British Army. It has a fully staffed Infirmary and also runs an out-patient service for the Chelsea Pensioners. http://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk.
6. For further information contact Vicky Beacon, Defence PR and Events, 020 7218 6162, vicky.beacon625@mod.uk or Tom Callagher, 020 7218 0341, tom.callagher880@mod.uk
