A prestigious award has been given to a nurse from Bushey who has enhanced the experience of those providing care for loved ones.
Andrea Hone of West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has won the RCN Nursing Awards 2022 Commitment to Carers category, sponsored by NHS England.
When the National Inpatient Survey revealed that Andrea’s trust had received below-average ratings for taking patients’ home situations and involving them in discharge choices, she responded fast.
She launched the Connecting with Carers Discharge Project and hired a care coordinator while collaborating with the hospital’s integrated discharge team and Hertfordshire County Council.
Caregivers are now assisted while their loved one is in the hospital, and the team collaborates with charities to guarantee timely referrals for whatever assistance they need.
Two and four weeks following discharge, follow-up calls are made to caregivers to evaluate recommendations, check on their well-being, and address any concerns.
Andrea said she was passionate about making a difference for carers so to win the award is “absolutely amazing”.
Andrea continued: “To get the recognition for the hard work that has been carried out to develop the service is an honour.
“But as well as being proud, I’m really excited for the future as this will showcase the importance of supporting carers not only in my organisation, but nationally too. And it will give me opportunities to improve the service further.”
The Commitment to Carers award is sponsored by NHS England. Jen Kenward, NHS England experience of care lead – community, primary and integrated care, says: “The judges were impressed by Ms Hone’s insight into the challenges experienced by unpaid carers and her compassion and drive to ensure they that carers of all ages are visible, valued and supported.
“She has developed strong and sustainable collaborative working practices with local statutory and voluntary sector organisations, ensuring that carers are helped to access support and have a safe space to share their concerns. Her passion and insight into the future landscape of support for unpaid carers is inspirational.”
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