Shortlist announced for 2010 Health and Social Services Quality Awards

10 September 2010

A text messaging appointment reminder service and a speech and language assessment tool for primary schools are among the projects shortlisted for the 2010 Health and Social Service Quality Awards.

The awards, which are given on a bi-annual basis, were established in 1993 to recognise and reward staff who have delivered significant improvements in service quality. The 2008 award was won by the back assessment clinic for saving £2.4 million by getting people back to work more quickly.

This year’s awards place a particular emphasis on effective team working and innovation in service delivery. The Health and Social Services Department received 15 entries, of which 7 projects have been shortlisted:

1. Intensive Behaviour Support Service – for their development of a ‘Challenging Behaviour’ training package and training in physical intervention techniques 
2. text based reminder service – for a reduction in patients not attending colposcopy appointments
3. Surgical Patient Information Group – for reviewing and rewriting existing leaflets and creating a hospital leaflet in response to patient feedback
4. Team Pandemic – for cross departmental teamwork and innovation in response to the H1N1 pandemic
5. speech, language and communication needs inclusion project -  for working with the Education Department to develop an assessment tool for primary school teachers to identify children with communication difficulties
6. Orthoptics and Education – for the development of a training programme to help teachers to identify children with Irlens syndrome
7. Personal, Social and Health Education CPD – for providing training for teachers to improve personal, social and health education in schools

Minister for Health and Social Services, Deputy Anne Pryke, said “I’m delighted by the calibre of the projects that have been shortlisted this year. These awards are very important since they reward many teams of staff for their innovative service changes as well as the tireless work they do for health and social care in the Island.”

The awards will be judged on Monday 13 September by States of Jersey Deputy Chief Executive John Richardson, business community representative John Henwood, and medical and caring professions representative Joan Lowery.

The winning teams are awarded money to invest in further developing their services. First prize is £2,000, second prize is £1,000 and third prize is £500.

The results will be announced and presented by the Minister for Health and Social Services on 13 September.