THE work of Bradford teams in increasing uptake and confidence in the Covid-19 vaccination has been recognised nationally.

Part of the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, they have been shortlisted for several prestigious awards – three in the Nursing Times 2022 awards and one in the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2022.

In the Nursing Times 2022 awards, Rukeya Miah BEM is up for Nurse Leader of the Year, while the Covid-19 vaccination team is up for the Nursing in the Community award.

The Covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy team has been shortlisted for the Patient Safety Improvement award.

The vaccination in pregnancy team is also shortlisted in the Maternity and Midwifery Initiative of the Year category at the HSJ awards.

The Bradford Covid-19 vaccination team delivered vaccinations to people across the district.

When they found that there was a low uptake in some communities, they set out to work with local people on how to encourage the take up of the life-saving vaccination.

By working in partnership with communities, listening and acting on feedback, the vaccination team was able to understand the reasons behind why people did not want to have the vaccine.

As a result, they set up pop-up hubs, based within local communities, which improved access.

At the same time, a dedicated team of midwives has been working on increasing vaccine uptake amongst pregnant women and their families.

Pregnant women, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid-19, which could lead to complications for women and their babies.

Throughout the pandemic, one in five of the most critically ill Covid patients were unvaccinated pregnant women, and more than half of women admitted to hospital were from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background.

Work focused on listening, understanding, and acknowledging concerns raised by women, families, carers, and communities around the vaccine in pregnancy and coming up with creative ways of having personalised conversations.

Vaccine uptake in children between the ages of 5-11 has increased, and for pregnant women, first doses of the vaccine have increased to nearly 70 per cent of those eligible.

Rukeya, who is deputy associate director of nursing, senior midwife and professional midwifery advocate, said: “I am so proud of the work of local maternity teams on informing and educating pregnant women, families and communities around the Covid-19 vaccine.

“This shortlisting is testament to their hard work and dedication to the women and families they care for.

“By acting as one with community groups, and local people, we have been able to reach across cultures and communities, helping to make sure that women and families who face health inequalities are not left behind.”

She added: “The Covid-19 vaccine continues to be important for pregnant women in preventing serious complications.

“We continue to have one-to-one conversations with members of the community, which includes pregnant women and families.

“I encourage all pregnant women who have any concerns or feedback about the Covid-19 vaccine in pregnancy to speak to their midwifery team who will be happy to help.”

Meanwhile, Rukeya has been nominated by colleagues as Nurse Leader of the Year.

They highlighted her drive for inclusivity and compassion, as well as her inspirational leadership qualities.

Karen Dawber, chief nurse at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and senior responsible officer for the Covid Vaccination Programme said: “I am extremely proud of all the staff and communities who have been involved in planning and rolling out the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

“They have led some fantastic work in involving people from across our diverse communities to improve vaccine confidence, uptake and make sure nobody is left behind.

“This really shows how much we can do when we work together, acting as one for our communities.

“Meaningful collaboration, engagement and inclusivity are essential ingredients to transform and deliver services that are tailored to our populations.

She added: “I would also like to give a huge thanks to Rukeya Miah. She is a truly inspirational colleague and leader who is absolutely committed to continuously improving the quality of care for women and their families.”

The HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2022 will be held on Thursday, September 15, while the Nursing Times Awards will be held on Wednesday, October 26.