A nursing team from Lancashire received the Practice Nursing Award at an event honouring excellence in primary care.
Darwen Healthcare’s nursing team won the award against stiff competition at the 11th annual General Practice Awards at a glitzy ceremony held at the Park Plaza Westminster hotel in London.
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The GP Awards – held each year by Nursing in Practice’s parent company Cogora – shines a light on the remarkable work carried out by Britain’s primary care professionals every day.
Darwen’s practice nursing team wowed the judges by developing ways to engage patients to encourage uptake of immunisation and screening programmes, as well as empowering them to take ownership of their health needs.
They particularly shone due to bringing a patient perspective to their campaigns, such as with patient champions who engage with patients in the waiting room and at health promotion events.
Their engagement model increased percentages across many aspects of nurse-led services at very little cost and should be transferable to other primary care networks.
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Commenting on the award, advanced nursing practitioner Julia Mullaney said: ‘It’s the first time at the general practice awards for me and it’s just amazing. We’re in shock.
‘I think [we stood out to the judges] because we’re an absolutely amazing team.’
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The other finalists for the category were:
- Emma Williamson, Angel Hill Surgery
- Liz Turner, Charlotte Keel Medical Practice
- Nikki Boughen, Eye Health Centre
- Nursing Team, Brownlow Health
See the full list of winners from the General Practice Awards here.