The Chair's I am the Change Winner: Medical Haematology Day Care Team
This award is for people or a team exemplifying ‘I am the Change’ either through innovation or by introducing new initiatives to the workplace
The Medical Haematology Day Care Team were nominated by the Multiple Sclerosis Team for supporting and enabling a new service to deliver MS medications locally at Hillingdon Hospital.
The process started last October and the first patients were infused in March. There are 30 patients currently being infused who have transitioned their care from Charing Cross to Hillingdon.
The patients' experience has been extremely positive while feedback has been very encouraging. Patients are said to have been delighted to have their care locally at Hillingdon from an expert team.
Joan Bradley from the MS Team explained the story behind the nomination.
"People from the Hillingdon and surrounding boroughs with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis had a complicated process to access medication to manage their condition," she said.
"Initially, patients were referred locally to a neurologist, before being seen and investigations arranged. As the diagnosis was confirmed, the consultant would then refer the patient to themselves at Charing Cross Hospital (CXH).
This has had a monumental impact on patients
"Patients had to travel there for another first appointment, then have repeated visits to commence and maintain medication regimes. The care was fragmented and challenging for individual patients and difficult for staff at both sites.
"This has had a monumental impact on patients. They are delighted to receive their infusions locally. The MHDU team have been inspiring in their approach to taking on this new service.
"They have been willing to engage and learn by attending all the workshops and training opportunities offered, linking in with the well-established team at CXH to learn from their expertise.
"The team are well led, were open to ideas and had plenty of practical solutions to some of the challenges we uncovered as we moved through the transitioning process."
The team are very kind
One patient said: "Being able to come to Hillingdon Hospital rather than trek to Charing Cross Hospital has been wonderful. It saves me time and the stress of trying to find parking.
"Last time I attended, it cost me £15 for parking and when I tried to manage by train I found the journey exhausting, particularly after my infusion as I felt ill on the train home. The team are very kind."