National achievements

A team of compassionate nurses working to ensure more children can receive end of life care at home with their loved ones has been recognised nationally after winning a Nursing Times Award - as well as being shortlisted for a second award.

UHDB's Childrens' Community Nursing Team, working in partnership with colleagues from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) and Derbyshire Healthcare United (DHU), formed the 'Derbyshire Paediatric Palliative Care Urgent Response Service', to assist children to die in their own homes with their families and home comforts close by, when they otherwise have been admitted to a hospital or hospice.

The team is made up of highly experienced paediatric nurses, who provide nursing care and support in the community for children with a multitude of medical needs, supporting children and families to able to continue their care outside of a hospital environment. Working in collaboration with NUH and DHU colleagues, the team has been able to expand their services to care for children and young people, while also providing holistic support to those families involved.

The initiative was announced as the winner of the Nursing Times' Children's Services Award earlier this month, and is in the running for a second national award -  the Leadership Award at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Awards on Friday 10 November.

Jo Bridge, Paediatric Matron for Outpatients, Community and Specialist Nursing at UHDB, said she is "unbelievably proud of the team" and is delighted to see their work recognised nationally.

She said: "This offering was born from organic conversations between colleagues whose sole ambition is to do the best they can for their patients, so it's fantastic to see the initiative recognised in this way.

"Many children and young people requiring end-of-life support are often under the care of teams based in neighbouring systems which can occasionally lead to disjointed care, which can add extra pressures to families at an already difficult and sensitive moment in their lives. Because of this, we worked with DHU and NUH to expand the hours and service provision we currently offer to ensure more children and young people could receive this much-needed care."

Gillian Campbell, Head of Paediatric Nursing at UHDB, added her congratulations to the team and said: "The service offered by the team is something that has such an impact on patients and their loved ones; not just in the moments that care and support is being given, but long into the future. The compassion and level of care provided is amazing and I am proud to see the team getting the recognition they truly deserve."

To date, three children have been supported by the initiative and have been able to die at home when they would otherwise have been admitted to a hospital or hospice setting in a different county. An additional five patients have also been able to die at home which has proved invaluable to families.

Jo continued: "When delivering end of life care, you only have one chance to get things right - and families will remember that experience for the rest of their lives. The fact we've been able to offer this service means a lot to those involved, and has also given our team a real sense of pride in allowing these children to receive a level of quality service that we know they deserve."

Garry Marsh, Executive Chief Nurse at UHDB, said: "I am delighted to see our Childrens' Community Nursing Team receive recognition on a national level for their compassionate approach to providing this important service. The impact that delivering this level of care, and the support our colleagues offer to the patients and their families, cannot be understated, and it is great to see this being showcased nationally."

The team will find out if they have achieved another national award when it attends the RCN Nursing Awards Ceremony at Liverpool Cathedral.