A member of staff at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a national award for her work to improve outcomes for patients.Rachael Moses, Consultant Physiotherapist at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, has been shortlisted for the Northern Ireland award for “maximising resources for success” in the Advancing Healthcare Awards 2018.
Rachael has been nominated for this award for her work to improve the care and outcomes for individuals with respiratory complications in the community. Rachael has been commemorated for leading a project looking at outcomes of patients after they have been discharged from hospital following major illness.
Rachael noted an increasing number of people who had survived neurological injury who had a tracheostomy (an opening created at the front of the neck to allow a tube to be inserted into the windpipe to aid breathing) had been discharged with the assumption that this respiratory support would need to be permanent.
Rachael said: “We have managed to remove the tracheostomies initially of five patients, improving quality of life and care outcomes. We have seen some wonderful patient stories of individuals regaining speech and being able to eat and drink normally as well as improvements in overall physical function and ability. This initiative is also addressing the need for a more proactive approach to ensure all patients are identified and have their tracheostomy removed wherever clinically appropriate.” “One of the biggest lessons that I have learnt from this project is that by being committed and dedicated, we really can change the lives of patients and challenge current care pathways. I am absolutely delighted to be shortlisted for the award and am particularly excited about the platform it gives to our nurses and allied health professionals who have an idea that can have a similar impact.” “I would never have achieved any of this without the support of Janet Spallen from NHS England, the Clinical Commissioning Groups across Lancashire and South Cumbria, and my wonderful therapy, nursing and ENT (ear, nose and throat) colleagues across the region.”