Innovation On Your Specialty Award

Winner: West Essex PCT

Community management of recurrent pleural effusions: Ram Gulrajani (pictured) developed the UK's first service to manage recurrent pleural effusions in the community, making an enormous contribution to his patients' quality of life

Winner: West Essex PCT

Community management of recurrent pleural effusions: Ram Gulrajani (pictured) developed the UK's first service to manage recurrent pleural effusions in the community, making an enormous contribution to his patients' quality of life.

A Pleurx pleural drainage catheter is inserted into the patient's pleura under local anaesthetic as a day-case procedure. The pre-vacuumed Pleurx bottle can then be attached as needed at home to drain the effusion. Before the service was developed, an overnight hospital admission was required, usually twice a week – this had a negative effect on patients' quality of life, as they were often in the late stages of terminal conditions. Now the treatment can be offered at home and is usually completed within half an hour.

A total of 161 potential admissions have been saved since the service was set up in April 2006. Patients have reported reduced pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, nausea and anxiety and a much improved quality of life.

'In addition to transforming patient care, the service has extended the boundaries of nursing practice and resulted in significant savings from averted admission,' the judges said.

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Highly Commended

Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
Flexible sigmoidoscopy in the community: Highly commended in this category is a unique project to improve patient access to endoscopy services for those undergoing flexible sigmoidoscopy.

The service is now provided within primary care with fast-track referral to secondary care when serious pathology is identified. 'This has radically reduced waiting times for investigation and referral for treatment, improved privacy and dignity for patients, expanded the nursing role and generated impressive cost savings,' the judges said.

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Finalists

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Improved nutritional support through the use of nasal bridles: Using nasal bridles to secure nasogastric tubes (NGTs) in patients who are poorly tolerating NGT feeding, this project has improved enteral nutrition and prevented patients from requiring a permanent enteral feeding device or intravenous parenteral nutrition. The team has not only extended the use of nasal bridles beyond the patient groups in whom they are normally used but also developed a DVD for use as a training tool for other providers.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
Evidence-based skin disinfection to reduce the risk of MRSA bacteraemia associated with indwelling devices: Use of an evidence-based, single-use skin disinfectant was introduced prior to the insertion of indwelling devices such as central venous catheters, pacing wires and nephrostomies. The team worked hard to source a recommended product not licensed for use in the UK and has achieved impressive results with one of the lowest contaminant rates in the country.

James Cook University Hospital, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust
Percutaneous coronary intervention specialist nurse service: Jayne Mudd and colleagues developed a nurse-led service for patients requiring cardiac rhythm management, extending the nursing role and providing continuous care from referral to ongoing follow up. The team has set up a rapid-access clinic based in primary care and has developed nurse education and training in cardiac arrhythmia.

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Judges

- Ann Shuttleworth, clinical editor, Nursing Times
- Gail Mooney, lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of Wales
- Firas Sarhan, senior lecturer, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

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Sponsored by NT

Nursing Times is proud to sponsor the innovation in your specialty category, which encapsulates the ways in which nurses are challenging existing practice and extending their roles in clinical innovation and leadership. Our warmest congratulations to the finalists, winner and highly commended entries.