Tony Halton, Director of Nursing at Milton Keynes Hospital, said: “The Ward 17 Nursing Team has been short-listed in the Nursing Times Awards 2009 ‘Team of the Year’ category. This is a great achievement. It is excellent that nurses from Milton Keynes Hospital have been shortlisted for this prestigious national award.”
The Red Water Jug scheme, which helps identify patients who require help with their fluid intake, both devised and implemented by Ward 17 staff, is already being commended on a regional and national level.
Milton Keynes Hospital Health Care Assistants, Sue Dearlove and Marie Turney, came up with the simple, but innovative idea, to help ensure that patients are adequately hydrated.
According to national NHS figures many people who come into hospital are already dehydrated. Adequate hydration, as well as good nutrition, is essential for good health and for a patient's recovery. The red jug scheme is a simple way of ensuring that patients get help when they need it, to help prevent dehydration and to promote recovery.
The scheme is also helping to improve the dignity of frail people, as the design of the new water jugs means that they are lighter and easier for people to handle, so patients are more able to pour their own drinks. The red cups are also designed to enable easier grasp of the handle.
The scheme has been implemented on Ward 17, and feedback from patients and relatives has been tremendously positive. The project has been showcased at regional and national NHS events, and requests for more information and praise have come from healthcare professionals as far afield as Australia.
Sara Hollis, Sister on Ward 17, added: “I am so proud of the Ward 17 team, and I am delighted that the hard work of staff has been recognised by reaching the finals of this national award.”
The Nursing Times Awards celebrate the nursing profession and ensure that individual nurses or teams are recognised for work that raises the standard of nursing practice and healthcare in the UK. Over 500 entries were submitted in 2009.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday 18 November at London’s Park Lane Hilton Hotel.
Visit: http://www.ntawards.co.uk
For further information, interviews or images please contact: Jenny Murray, Communications Manager, Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Tel: 01908 243922, Email:
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