Nursing team claims prestigious national award for innovative work

A nursing team from Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) has won a national award for their innovative work.

The Roborough ward team was named winner in the surgical nursing category in the prestirgious Nursing Times Awards.

Their enhanced recovery initiative has seen them mobilise hip and knee joint replacement patients within a few hours of their return from surgery, something that has historically been carried out by physiotherapists the following day.

Jo Lethaby, Roborough Ward Sister at NDHT, said: “We are thrilled and delighted to win this award, especially as we were up against several large NHS trusts in our category.

“I am extremely proud of us as a small team and how we have worked hard and with determination to progress and achieve this, within the orthopaedic multidisciplinary team and the rapid recovery pathway, at often very challenging and uncertain times within the NHS over the past two years.

“Last year, we shared the news that our enhanced recovery orthopaedic team had carried out our first same-day hip replacement, which meant the patient did not need to spend the night in hospital and could go home.

“Working together as part of the larger Orthopaedic team we are beginning to discharge more and more patients home on the same day as their procedure following this type of surgery which will also benefit them by reducing their time in hospital during this difficult period nationally.”