The Royal College of Anaesthetists is proud to announce that the Improving Tracheostomy Care team at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has been named the Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Team of the Year at the 2020 BMJ Awards.

The Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine Team of the Year award celebrates excellence in the delivery of patient-focused perioperative care1 from anaesthetists and the multidisciplinary teams they work with. The team at Manchester University Hospital won the 2020 College-sponsored award for its outstanding national initiative to improve care for tracheostomy patients.

The quality improvement project transformed the practice and culture of tracheostomy care into patient-centred, equitable and efficient clinical care. By introducing innovative changes to the way hospitals manage tracheostomy patients, the project improved the quality and safety of care and reduced the severity of harm for patients and their length of stay in intensive care.

The project is a collaborative and multidisciplinary piece of work between anaesthetists, intensive care staff, surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists with great emphasis on patient engagement.

The work has already proven national impact and further potential for global reach.

Professor Ravi Mahajan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists said:

“The team at Manchester University Hospital has shown leading innovations in improving the quality and safety of care for tracheostomy patients.

“Quality improvement and patient-centred care is key in the fields of anaesthesia and perioperative care and integral to the work of the College. This award-winning project has proven that both areas can significantly improve outcomes for patients as well as the NHS as a whole.

“Due to the risks of COVID-19 infection to healthcare workers during a tracheostomy procedure, this multidisciplinary project is a timely piece of work with great impact on the management of this global pandemic.

“I would also like to congratulate the PREP-WELL team at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit team at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust for both being highly commended in this award category. It is heart-warming to see such an impressive collection of patient-focused work in the name of anaesthesia.”

Tim Keeler, Chief Executive of Clinical and Scientific Services at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) said:

“I am incredibly proud of our Anaesthesia team at MFT who go above and beyond to improve patient safety and provide collaborative care across a number of our hospitals for the benefit of our patients in Greater Manchester and beyond.

“The team are truly leading the way in tracheostomy care, not only across the UK but globally, and what they have achieved is outstanding. This recognition from the BMJ is very well deserved.”

Dr Brendan McGrath, Consultant Anaesthetist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said:

“We are proud to be leading the way in tracheostomy care and improving the quality of care for our patients and sharing our learning with hospitals across the UK. Patients and their families have been at the heart of our programme of improvement and they have been involved in all aspects.

“We are delighted to be shortlisted for this award and it is a mark of real achievement for the team involved. We are so proud of the work we do, and the improved care and patient experience that we are able to provide for our patients.”

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