We are pleased to announce that our Isle of Wight Podiatry Team have been shortlisted for an NHS Parliamentary Award in the Excellence in Primary Care and Community Care category.
The team, originally under Isle of Wight NHS Trust, now operating under Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, have taken a creative approach to meet the growing demand for podiatry services, by recruiting and investing in staff to provide high quality patient care; enabling people to live healthier lives and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions. They have also developed a prevention programme working with local GPs to offer screening, education days and enable staff to support people to stay at home and manage their foot conditions.
The NHS Parliamentary Awards were created in 2018 to celebrate and recognise the outstanding contribution of staff, volunteers and others working in the health and care sector. In the first stage of the awards, MPs nominate healthcare teams and individuals in their local area to highlight their exceptional commitment and achievements working in and with the NHS.
The Podiatry team going forward to the final round of the awards is a particular achievement this year, with 318 MPs across England putting forward 918 nominations – a far greater number than in any previous year.
Stephanie Stanley, Consultant Podiatrist and Project Lead, Isle of Wight said:
“I am delighted that the Podiatry team have been shortlisted for this award. They are an excellent, innovative, and hard-working team who always strive to provide high quality care. Podiatrists are in shortage nationally; and the team have worked in new and exciting ways to future-proof the service for all patients. I am incredibly proud we have been recognised as the Southeast winner and are now going forward to the National Finals of the NHS Parliamentary awards."
A panel of national judges – made up of notable figures across the healthcare sector – will now come together to select the winners of this year’s awards. These winners will be announced at the awards ceremony taking place on Monday 14 October 2024 – when healthcare leaders, finalists and MPs will come together to celebrate the immense contribution which healthcare staff make to the NHS.
This shortlisting is one of two nominations from Southern Health which have been successful in this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards, the other being the Citizen’s Advice partnership working with mental health inpatients in the category Excellence in Mental Health Care Award.