Nominations Shortlisted for an Award

The shortlist for the 2010 Awards have been announced and are available below.

Innovation in Service Development Award

This Award recognises a truly innovative approach to the delivery of care to Armed Forces, their families or veterans.

2 Division Territorial Army Occupational Health Service
Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service (OHSAS)
In 2007, 300 different healthcare providers were responsible for TA occupational health in Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, resulting in varying standards of service delivery and cost effectiveness. The Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Service won the contract to deliver cost effective, efficacious and equitable occupational health to MOD Regular Standards to more than 17,500 TA personnel. The Service, which is regularly audited, is now the framework model for two national initiatives for TA adult recruits and trained soldiers. It is estimated that the OHSAS Service has increased deployability by reducing the number of TA personnel failing medical examinations by up to 10%, and its pre-deployment screening initiative is used as an example of ‘best practice’ for other regional military formations.
 
Management of Out of Hours Treatment in BFG
British Forces Germany Health Service and SSAFA Forces Help
TeleAssess, a telephone advice service, was adopted throughout British Forces Germany in April 2008 and has proved to be a reliable, consistent and cost-effective way of supporting patients out of hours. The system is centrally operated and manned overnight by trained nurses, who can triage calls, supported by their decision support tool, without reliance on referral to doctors. Internationally agreed clinical guidelines provide stable and consistent support, thus reducing risk and developing the nurses’ clinical competences.

With TeleAssess, only two nursing staff are needed overnight throughout BFG, compared to 12 staff when Medical Centres were opened overnight. Fewer patients need to attend the Medical Centre, and there are also lower numbers of out-of-hours call-outs for doctors. TeleAssess is now being trialled during In-hours in Rhine Region.
 
Reorganisation of Military Secondary Healthcare in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Military Patient Administration Cell (MPAC), SO2 Med, 38 (Irish) Brigade
The closure of the military Duke of Connaught Unit (DCU) at Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast necessitated a new framework for Secondary Healthcare delivery to be commissioned that afforded at least the same standard of service to military personnel as in the rest of the UK. The DCU team developed a new Military Patient Administration Cell, engaging with Belfast Health & Social Care Trust (BHSCT) to ensure patients were properly and safely prepared for NHS treatment.

NI MPAC maintains a comprehensive database of referrals and tracks patients along the care pathway, engaging where required to ensure that contracted timelines are met. Soldiers in Northern Ireland now receive treatment in less than 10 weeks from referral, compared with up to 18 weeks at Ministry of Defence Hospital Units in the rest of the UK., or 6 weeks for high priority orthopaedic cases.

Education and Training Award

This Award recognises outstanding improvements in the education and training of providers, military or civilian, to deliver health or social care to personnel in the Armed Forces, their families or veterans.

Trauma Inoculation Programmes (TIPs)
RAF Lossiemouth Station Medical Centre, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
TIPs is a pre-deployment training package developed and run voluntarily by NHS clinical staff at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Organised by the Station Medical Centre, RAF Lossiemouth, 30 team medics from 5 Force Protection Wing and 51 Squadron RAF Regiment underwent Trauma Inoculation Programmes (TIPs) for 4 months prior to deployment to Kandahar. For nearly all the team medics, TIPs was their first exposure to real trauma and provided these young airman Gunners with the capability to deal with this incredibly difficult role. Training was provided in A&E trauma, in airway and resuscitation techniques and on anatomy and battle injuries. At final Mission Rehearsal Exercise for 51 Squadron, these team medics were judged to have the highest standard of medical proficiency ever seen in a deploying Regiment Squadron. TIPs is now being incorporated into all subsequent Squadron deployments.
 
Training Military Medical Force Elements for Operational Deployment
Army Medical Services Training Centre (AMSTC), Towthorpe Lines, York
Pre-deployment training at AMSTC replicates the deployed hospital, and creates complex scenarios drawn from the operational analysis of the current campaign. Drawing on professional skills across the 3 Services, AMSTC also uses deployed or recently-returned personnel to ensure currency of its training, and analyses post-operational survey reports to identify and plug any gaps, thus guaranteeing that deploying units are prepared to the highest level, and that there is no loss in capability through rollover of medical units. As a result, exceptionally high standards of medical care in the most severe conditions of Helmand Province are maintained. Not least, the training prepares individuals for the stress of trauma care, enabling teams to save life, limb and sight from the outset, and instilling confidence in their skills within the deployed force and medical staff.
 
Military Operational Surgical Training (MOST)
Academic Department of Military Surgery & Trauma, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Education Department of the Royal College of Surgeons of England
MOST provides trauma team surgical skills training based on current operational procedures on deployment. Using a variety of educational methods, including a live link to Afghanistan through which participants can discuss directly with deployed teams the skills required to deliver effective care in the field, participants are exposed to the full range of surgical and resuscitative techniques used to save life and limb. In preparing medics in this manner, MOST provides a knowledge base to manage the broad spectrum of injuries currently experienced in war zones. The course concentrates on “lessons learned” and addresses current injury patterns. Faculty members are senior military medics with recent operational experience, which keeps the training relevant to injuries faced in war. Surgeons train alongside anaesthetists, Operating Department Practitioners, theatre nurses and emergency physicians to deliver resuscitation, operative and post-operative care.

Health Improvement and Promotion Award

This Award recognises exceptional work in promoting or maintaining the health of Armed Forces personnel to ensure that they are fully fit for task, or for exceptional work with families or veterans in this area.

RAF Lincolnshire Supported Stop Smoking Network
PHOENIX Stop Smoking Service, Lincolnshire NHS Community Health Services
Phoenix NHS Stop Smoking Service and the MOD Smoking Advisors at Lincolnshire's RAF sites joined forces to use an innovative marketing approach to encourage people who would not normally be engaged to stop smoking. New behaviours were modelled by carefully-chosen MOD ‘change champions’, supported by the Phoenix core team, and soon became the norm. Marketing concepts were developed by consulting with MOD health staff, so that MOD personnel and their families were offered access to a more visible, relevant service. 180 staff went on to set a quit attempt, with 128 going on to quit, an impressive 71% quit rate.

Phoenix’s innovative marketing approach has since been showcased at a number of national Conferences, and the approach is now being explored for other primary care services such as Chlamydia screening and weight management.
 
Health Improvement with Parenting & Family Support at Glencorse Barracks, Penicuik
Midlothian Community Health Partnership
The Midlothian Community Health Partnership team have developed interagency and multidisciplinary working practices with Army Welfare personnel on Glencorse Army base to offer Forces families access to a streamlined, efficient and integrated service. Support is provided both in the community and on the base, augmented by links with community groups. Patients have benefitted from the Health team’s close working relations with Army Welfare, which has worked to promote the integration of service families within the local community, through primary care and voluntary groups, with joint visits to families, support with housing, social work and a range of specialist services as required. The Partnership continues to meet the needs of potentially vulnerable families facing their loved ones’ deployment on active service.
 
South West Armed Forces Forum
NHS South West / NHS Devon
The South West Armed Forces Forum is the local initiative of two NHS employed service veterans, Richard Swarbrick and Justin Cunningham, who successfully brought together participants from a wide range of military, health and community services, veterans’ associations, local authorities and the private sector to address armed forces community health needs, share their challenges and formulate solutions. The Forum’s effective interaction between Defence Medical Services and the NHS improves the quality of care through public health initiatives, commissioning plans, family support resources, GP consortia, local government and armed forces initiatives.

The SWAF Forum is now a point at which the NHS, DMS, Local Authority and third sector partners can coordinate services and service provision, closing the gaps and most importantly, finding solutions for individuals who might otherwise be failed by the system.

Mental Health Award

This Award recognises outstanding work in improving mental healthcare to members of the Armed Forces, their families or veterans.

Thistle Foundation Lifestyle Management Course for Veterans
Thistle Foundation, Edinburgh
Many veterans have complex needs and face many challenges as they try to adapt to civilian life, including depression, anxiety, aggression, relationship breakdown, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, physical injury and employment issues. The Thistle Foundation Lifestyle Management Course, which is run by civilians in partnership with other agencies from both military and civilian background, aims to bridge the gap between military and civilian support through building participants’ confidence and coping abilities. By working with participants as individuals, focusing on their particular problems and aspirations, the Thistle team helps them come to terms their own problems and with civilian life more generally. Through the weekly course meetings supported by regular and consistent outreach work, the project has helped develop a crucial level of trust from participants and supported many to achieve their best hopes for the future.
 
Mental Health Inpatient Services
Joint Medical Command and NHS MOD Inpatient Network, led by South Staffordshire & Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
The team led by SSSFT aims to reduce patients’ length of stay by optimising reintegration into the community at the earliest opportunity. Working as a fully-integrated team across the Joint Medical Command, 6 NHS Foundation Trusts and 2 NHS Scottish providers, the NHS MOD Inpatient Network provides dedicated, evidence-based NHS services and individually-tailored, high quality care, taking a proactive approach to reducing the length of time spent in hospital, and offering alternatives to inpatient services which ultimately reduce the patients’ length of stay. The Mental Health Inpatient Service provides integrated care with the patient’s unit and Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH), thus aiding recovery and ease of access to service. Most importantly, the service provides a culturally sensitive environment where patients are given the treatment that each needs, including where and how it is delivered.
 
Cornwall Countywide Community Veterans’ Mental Health Service
Cornwall Foundation NHS Trust
Cornwall was one of 6 GB pilot sites to provide an assessment, treatment and signposting service to improve local access to mental health services for veterans. The CCC Veterans Team liaised with service veterans prior to starting the project to ascertain what they were looking for from the new service. Aware of barriers that may have prevented service veterans, or their carers and families, from seeking help in the past, they used their specialist military knowledge to recognise their clients’ diverse needs and ensure accurate assessment and treatment. Key relationships and working partnerships were forged with other relevant health sector and MOD organisations, treatment and education groups were established using peer role models, and voluntary sector support obtained. Compared to the other pilot sites, independent evaluation has shown that Cornwall’s referral, assessment and treatment rates were much higher.

Healthcare Reservist of the Year

This Award recognises an outstanding contribution by a member of the Reserve Services to the healthcare of patients in the Armed Forces or the Reserve Services.

Captain Rachel Govier
Nursing Officer (Burns & Plastics), 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital, Cardiff
Captain Rachel Govier has worked as a Nursing Officer in an acute surgical/medical ward in Afghanistan and in the UK as a specialist nurse in burns and plastics treatment. Her leadership and clinical experience in both roles has been of huge benefit to patients and colleagues in the UK and on deployment. Capt Govier joined the Territorial Army in 2008, and completed her Professionally Qualified Officer Training at the Army Medical Services Training Centre, Strensall, and Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, by 2009, well ahead of her peers. She went on to deploy on Operation Herrick in Afghanistan as 2IC trauma nurse co-ordinator and the only burns and plastics nurse in Bastion Role 3. Captain Govier proved to be an exceptional leader, flexible and highly professional, and sets an excellent example in terms of skill, dedication and motivation of others to achieve the best clinical outcomes for patients.
 
Corporal Matthew Olsson - Operation Herrick 11B/12A
RAF Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT)
RAF reservist Cpl Matthew Olsson, who in ‘real life’ is a Special Operations Paramedic with Edinburgh’s Scottish Ambulance Service, faced the daily challenge of having to treat and transport patients with critical life threatening injuries from the point of injury to Role 3 Hospital at Camp Bastion. As a Paramedic working as part of the air Medical Emergency Response Team in the most difficult and challenging of environments, his commitment significantly helped improve patient outcomes.

But Corporal Olsson’s nomination recognises, as a volunteer, his absolute commitment when faced, not just with the most demanding professional circumstances, but in his own personal circumstances also, with the imminent birth of his first child and a parent’s severe stroke while on deployment. He returned from a brief period of compassionate leave to ‘hit the ground running’ and deliver the highest quality of clinical care, without discrimination or favour, to friend and foe alike.
 
Lieutenant Colonel Alisdair MacMillan MBChB, FRCS (Eng), FRCS (Gen Surg)
205 (Scottish) Field Hospital (Volunteers), Glasgow
Lt Col Alisdair MacMillan deployed on Op Herrick 11 as the lead UK General Surgeon in the Role 3 Hospital in Camp Bastion. Highly skilled in the management of casualties suffering major trauma, his work was ground-breaking especially in the field of gross intra-abdominal trauma.

Joining a mixed team of Surgeons from the UK and the US, Lt Col MacMillan provided impressive leadership capabilities, pulling together this multi-national group which formed very rapidly into one of the most effective clinical teams. Through his strong communication skills and leadership, a united and focused clinical effort was created, one that would also ensure continuity of clinical care for Afghan civilians, sustainable within the NGO and Afghan healthcare systems. Lt Col MacMillan was described as “one of those rare individuals with ‘3 o’clock in the morning courage’, that …. allowed him to make life-changing clinical decisions coolly, calmly and consistently every day of his tour.“

 

Healthcare Regular of the Year

This Award recognises the work of an exceptional individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the healthcare of deployed or non-deployed personnel in the Armed Forces or their families, in the UK or overseas.

Major Russ Parkes
204 (North Irish) Field Hospital (Volunteers)
Major Russ Parkes’ ‘day job’ is Training Major with the 204 (North Irish) Field Hospital, Belfast. However, with the impending closure of the military Duke of Connaught Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital, he also took on the challenging full-time role of Quartermaster/Welfare Officer during its transformation to Northern Ireland’s Military Patient Administration Cell, selflessly working long hours to provide support to over 50 military and civilian staff affected by the changes, resulting in the transformation of the Unit from a military hospital to a highly successful system of primary and secondary healthcare comparable with the best examples within the UK.

During this critical transitional process, Major Parkes also successfully supported the essential recruitment and training of medical personnel in 204 Field Hospital in their preparations for medical support to military operations in Afghanistan, including leading on the key ‘Exercise Medical Challenge’.
 
Captain Maureen Coshall
SO3 Health (South Region), Army Primary Health Care Services (South)
Tobacco use is still seen by many as acceptable under extreme conditions, such as war. By introducing the Army to Quit4life, the Hampshire NHS Stop Smoking Service, Captain Coshall proved that this does not have to be the case. She has worked tirelessly to promote the health of those affected by tobacco, making a healthier, physically fitter and operationally higher performing military workforce.

By working with the NHS to facilitate numerous promotional events, including undertaking training herself in smoking cessation, Captain Coshall has successfully supported colleagues to stop smoking, both in Rushmoor and, remarkably, in one of the most challenging environments, on deployment in Afghanistan. Her tireless enthusiasm, boundless energy and sense of humour, as well as her abilities as a military nurse, have contributed to her success in this challenging arena.
 
Lieutenant Colonel David J Vassallo FRCSEd
Consultant General Surgeon, 33 Field Hospital, Gosport
Recognising a gap in the training and preparation for war of the Defence Medical Services, and drawing on his background in trauma surgery, Lt Col David Vassallo became the main developer of the concept and content of the HOSPEX Field Hospital Tabletop Exercise. Contained in a 4L ‘Really Useful Box’, the exercise is portable, quickly set up and intuitive in use, so that it can be used on deployment without instruction.

Lt Col Vassallo’s commitment to this project has ensured that its design and distribution reflects operational feedback to improve delivery of care, and it is increasingly regarded as an integral training tool in simulation training exercises. His innovative work continues to benefit patients through the better preparation and education of medical and allied personnel who have used this tool, which has gained him international recognition from countries wishing to develop similar military exercises.

Healthcare Civilian of the Year

This Award recognises the work of an exceptional civilian who has made an outstanding contribution to the health or social care of Armed Forces patients, their families or service veterans.

Mr Douglas Stewart
Inreach Team, Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust – Mental Health Screening Tool for prisons
Over the last year Doug Stewart’s team have created and implemented a unique Mental Health Screening tool which is now used for every admission to Reading Prison within 24 hours of first reception. The tool detects the presence of ex-servicemen who are then referred to the Ex Forces Prison Liaison Officer, who provides individual assistance and information and improves access to outside agencies. Used in conjunction with existing reception screening tools, it identifies, by the use of a unique scoring system, new admissions with potential mental health and related problems, streamlining access to services and treatment for all prisoners, but particularly for ex-servicemen who previously had been unrecognised, with their needs often unmet.

The tool indicates when a full mental health assessment is required, proactively allowing staff to provide further interventions and referrals much earlier than had previously been the case.
 
Dr Sara Reid
Holywood Station Medical Officer and CMP for 19 Combat Service Support Battalion
Dr Sara Reid has been the civilian doctor for the 19 Light Brigade Combat Service Support Battalion since the unit arrived in Northern Ireland in September 2008. At the time, turnover of personnel on the base was nearly 50%, 25% of the Battalion had medically limited deployability and it was about to embark on pre-deployment training for Afghanistan. With little military background, Dr Reid worked tirelessly, often in her own time, to provide the highest standards of medical care needed to ensure that the unit deployed in March 2009 at maximum combat effectiveness. At the same time, she provided a comprehensive service to the Battalion rear party, many of whom had long-term injuries requiring the best possible care. Dr Reid has proved to be a highly trusted and valued member of the team, quickly bridging the gap between the civilian and military view, and remains so on the Battalion’s return from operations.
 
Ms Tania Dolley
Counselling Psychologist, South Powys Trauma Service
Tania Dolley is a chartered counselling psychologist working for the South Powys Trauma service which provides therapy for veterans with PTSD living in the area. Tania delivers her service with expertise, immense respect for her clients and flexibility: when working for a client for whom the consulting room was unpleasantly reminiscent of an interrogation room she switched to working outside, using the beautiful backdrop of the Brecon Beacons for its therapeutic value. Tania is dedicated and committed to providing the highest quality of trauma service tailored to the needs of the veterans, who often present with highly complex difficulties so requiring long term interventions. The best testimonial is from one of her clients who described her as “…absolutely wonderful.”

Care of Veterans Award

This Award recognises an outstanding contribution to the healthcare (including mental healthcare) or social care of service veterans.

State of the Art Prosthetics
Team led by NHS Lothian SMART Centre, Astley Ainslie Hospital, Edinburgh
Veterans who wear limb prostheses are entitled to a level of service from the NHS equivalent to that available in the military healthcare system. In order to ensure this happens, this project was set up to review existing levels of service in Scotland against what is provided via military rehabilitation centres. Led by NHS Lothian’s South-east Mobility and Rehabilitation Technology Centre (SMART Centre) at Astley Ainslie Hospital, all five Scottish limb centres, plus the University of Strathclyde, which is responsible for the training of prosthetists, are members of this initiative, which, importantly, involves an ex-military prosthetic user as a key stakeholder.

This project is unique in trying to address the shortage of clinical evidence available for the use of high-tech expensive artificial limbs and justify extra costs. Driven forward by a dedicated multidisciplinary group with a wide-ranging partnership approach, the team’s work aims to support a seamless transition from military to civilian life for veterans.
 
Thistle Foundation Lifestyle Management Course for Veterans
Thistle Foundation, Edinburgh
Many veterans have complex needs and face many challenges as they try to adapt to civilian life, including depression, anxiety, aggression, relationship breakdown, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, physical injury and employment issues. The Thistle Foundation Lifestyle Management Course, which is run by civilians in partnership with other agencies from both military and civilian background, aims to bridge the gap between military and civilian support through building participants’ confidence and coping abilities. By working with participants as individuals, focusing on their particular problems and aspirations, the Thistle team helps them come to terms their own problems and with civilian life more generally. Through the weekly course meetings supported by regular and consistent outreach work, the project has helped develop a crucial level of trust from participants and supported many to achieve their best hopes for the future
 
Providing Quality of Life in Residential Care to Veterans
Erskine Care Homes, Bishopton, Renfrewshire
Erskine Care Homes pride themselves on providing a high standard of person-centred nursing care and support within a culturally sympathetic environment. Where having a quality of life is not just about meeting physical needs, it has to encompass mental wellbeing, social participation and sometimes just having fun. At Erskine they have enthusiastically maintained connections with regimental associations, with visits by military personnel occurring on a regular basis. The involvement of residents and families in care is regarded as of the highest importance, as is maintaining a high level of staff training. With the provision of a range of added services and implementing best practice, the staff have created a ‘home from home’ setting where veterans want to come because they are proud of having served their country and want to be in an environment where this is promoted, taking real pride in being part of the Erskine family.

Deployed Healthcare Award

This Award recognises an outstanding contribution to the healthcare of Armed Forces personnel or others while on operational deployment at sea, on land or in the air, extending from the front line back to arrival at UK point of entry.

Captain Oliver Hawksley
Regimental Medical Officer, Battle Group North West, Operation Herrick 10
Captain Oli Hawksley was deployed as Medical Officer for Musa Qal’eh District Centre in the North West of Helmand Province during Operation Herrick 10 in 2009. He dealt with significant trauma resulting from accidents, gunshot wounds and IEDs. His quick reactions after a mortar bomb attack, in particular, helped treat multiple casualties and save lives. Enthusiastic and vigorous, Capt Hawksley, in command of a small Regimental Aid Post, also supported the development and training of medics from right across the 775-strong Battle Group. Importantly, he forged a strong relationship with the Afghan National Security Forces on the medical front, which has proved long lasting and instrumental to the success of the joint partnership. Although facing many challenges during deployment, Capt Hawksley’s excellent management and leadership built a confident and capable team that treated well over 1500 cases during Operation Herrick 10.
 
Corporal Matthew Olsson - Operation Herrick 11B/12A
RAF Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT)
RAF reservist Cpl Matthew Olsson, who in ‘real life’ is a Special Operations Paramedic with Edinburgh’s Scottish Ambulance Service, faced the daily challenge of having to treat and transport patients with critical life threatening injuries from the point of injury to Role 3 Hospital at Camp Bastion. As a Paramedic working as part of the air Medical Emergency Response Team in the most difficult and challenging of environments, his commitment significantly helped improve patient outcomes.

But Corporal Olsson’s nomination recognises, as a volunteer, his absolute commitment when faced, not just with the most demanding professional circumstances, but in his own personal circumstances also, with the imminent birth of his first child and a parent’s severe stroke while on deployment. He returned from a brief period of compassionate leave to ‘hit the ground running’ and deliver the highest quality of clinical care, without discrimination or favour, to friend and foe alike.
 
Trauma Inoculation Programmes (TIPs)
RAF Lossiemouth Station Medical Centre, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
TIPs is a pre-deployment training package developed and run voluntarily by NHS clinical staff at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Organised by the Station Medical Centre, RAF Lossiemouth, 30 team medics from 5 Force Protection Wing and 51 Squadron RAF Regiment underwent Trauma Inoculation Programmes (TIPs) for 4 months prior to deployment to Kandahar. For nearly all the team medics, TIPs was their first exposure to real trauma and provided these young airman Gunners with the capability to deal with this incredibly difficult role. Training was provided in A&E trauma, in airway and resuscitation techniques and on anatomy and battle injuries. At final Mission Rehearsal Exercise for 51 Squadron, these team medics were judged to have the highest standard of medical proficiency ever seen in a deploying Regiment Squadron. TIPs is now being incorporated into all subsequent Squadron deployments.