A project to improve patient safety and care at Burton's Queen's Hospital has been shortlisted for an award.
It has made the list for the Health Service Journal awards and the project came after an audit of oral suction equipment, used to remove obstructions from the mouth, nose and throat at the Belvedere Road hospital.
Queen's bosses found that some equipment was old and had led to differences in practice.
A trust-wide project was therefore put in place to standardise equipment, provide training to all nurses and provide a storage service which meant that equipment could be regularly checked to ensure it was in good working order.
Patients can now be assured that equipment is fit for purpose and that everyone they see has been fully trained. Bosses said that staff can have confidence that the equipment will be clean and in good order every time it is needed.
Not only is this better for patient safety and care, but standardising the equipment to one type has already provided savings to the trust, with potential for further savings on an ongoing basis.
Deborah Eaglefield, lead nurse for practice development, said: "This efficient, effective and economical change has improved care for patients and saved money. Furthermore, it can be rolled out across other trusts - potentially even the whole country - to have a much wider positive impact across the NHS."
The project implemented by the practice development and medical equipment library teams won through to become one of only six shortlisted finalists in the Patient Safety Health Service Journal Value Awards from hundreds of applicants. The winners will be announced at an awards event in June.
