AN AMBITIOUS Bradford hospitals’ project beating bed-blocking while improving elderly care has won a major national award.

The Bradford Elderly Care Virtual Ward was named a winner at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Value in Healthcare Awards 2017, in the ‘Improving Value in the Care of Frail Older Patients’ category.

The prestigious awards ceremony was held in London, where judges described the project as “an excellent example of highly functioning integrated health and social care service”.

Thanks to the scheme, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (BTHFT) is now in the top five per cent of trusts across the country for shortest length of stay.

Multiple hospital admissions had been prevented, said the Trust’s lead consultant geriatrician and director of elderly care, Maj Pushpangadan.

“Research tells us that when it comes to treating older people, the best place to care for them is in the comfort of their own homes.

“This new hub represents an exciting development in elderly care as it brings together health and social care professionals from across the district in one centre, all working together for the benefit of our patients, with the overall aim of providing a co-ordinated, personalised service which prevents needless emergency admissions to our hospitals.

“This leaves more of our beds available for those most critically ill,” said Dr Pushpangadan.

And he added: “Multiple hospital admissions have been entirely prevented, and length of stay in hospital has been further reduced.

“As a result, Bradford Teaching Hospitals is now in the top five per cent of trusts across the country for shortest length of stay.”

In 2011/2012 before the virtual ward began in Bradford, the average length of hospital stay for an elderly patient was as 5.6 days, and after in 2015/16 it was 4.6 days. The average UK stay is 11 days.

The Trust’s chief executive, Professor Clive Kay, said: “I’d like to congratulate Dr Pushpangadan and his team on this very well-deserved success.

“Not only do they provide an outstanding service but such achievements continue to help put BTHFT on the map.

“This is just recognition for the team’s superb efforts over many years in providing truly multi-disciplinary patient-centred care.”

Andrea Allanach, lead advanced nurse practitioner in elderly and intermediate care, added: “Without the whole team’s commitment, care and compassion, our success in improving care for frail older people in Bradford would not have been possible.”

The Elderly Care Virtual Ward scheme offers single-point access for GPs and other health professionals to refer elderly patients for intermediate care.

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