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Innovation Adoption Fund recipient wins international award

17 November 2020
A team at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) that received innovation adoption funding from UCLPartners in 2019 has received a Global Achievement Award from UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence, for their work to support patients with sepsis.

The award recognises the work the team have been undertaking since summer 2019, introducing a Procalcitonin (PCT) test for the early identification of sepsis at the emergency department. The level of Procalcitonin in the blood increases significantly in systemic bacterial infections causing sepsis. This test supports rapid diagnosis and treatment.

The PAHT team were one of just 24 winners selected from hundreds of applications spanning 141 countries. PAHT were awarded a standout designation for achieving meaningful outcomes for patients.

Miss Helen Pardoe, Chief Clinical Information Officer and Consultant Surgeon at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, said: “To receive international recognition for the work done here in Harlow to fight sepsis is an amazing achievement. We will continue our work to improve outcomes from sepsis for our patients, families and carers”.

John Illingworth, Head of Patient Safety at UCLPartners said: “It’s fantastic that this work has been recognised on an international stage. It can often be difficult for Trusts to implement innovations to improve patient care, and we know that resourcing and funding often present the biggest barriers. It’s a credit to this hard-working team that they have been able to use the support we gave to reduce the devastating consequences of sepsis for their patients.”

The introduction of the PCT test at PAHT continues to be complemented by a variety of work to improve outcomes for patients with sepsis. This includes the use of the new blood culture analyser in the Emergency Department to support earlier diagnosis, as well as the installation of new machines to measure PCT.  There is also a comprehensive programme of teaching and education for clinical teams on the early identification and treatment of sepsis and sharing learning through a network of sepsis champions.

Read more about this project and its success.

Find out more about last year’s Innovation Adoption Fund recipients.