Some of the brightest stars in orthopaedics came out to shine at the inaugural NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards hosted by the National Orthopaedic Alliance (NOA) held on 19 October 2022.
The glittering evening ceremony held at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham following the NOA Annual Members’ Conference, was attended by over 80 professionals from across NOA’s multi-disciplinary membership.
The awards recognise NOA member organisations, projects and teams that have distinguished themselves through exemplary contributions, influence, and commitment to transforming services across orthopaedics – both clinically and non-clinically. The pandemic created unprecedented challenges and the evening was an opportunity to not only celebrate achievement despite these challenges but to share best practice and promote continued collaboration in orthopaedics nationwide. From a field of first-class finalists, the winners on the night included:
- Staff Wellbeing Initiative Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHSFT (RJAH) – Path of Positivity.
Kate Betts, Rehabilitation Technician, RJAH said: “We had a great time at the NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards, and it was fantastic to be part of an inclusive event where we could see so many great examples of how other NHS Trusts are supporting wellbeing. I was thrilled when the Path of Positivity was announced as the winner in the Staff Wellbeing Initiative category. The path wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the League of Friends and the Estates Team.”
Victoria Sugden, Charity Director, added: “The Path of Positivity is an incredibly important space for not only our staff, but also our patients. We have been working hard on enhancing the area too, with the addition of benches and tree saplings.”
- Digital Innovation in Orthopaedics Award – Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (RNOH)– Telemedicine in Ponseti Management of Clubfoot Deformity.
Christine Douglas, RNOH Physiotherapist said, “It’s so good to receive recognition for our RNOH Ponseti service at the NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards. Our team continues to improve services and experience for children with clubfoot and their families.”
- Working Towards Net Zero – Greener NHS – Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHSFT (RJAH) – The RJAH Green Plan
Sian Langford, Facilities Manager and Sustainability Lead at the Trust, said: “The Green Plan was put together by a team of staff at RJAH and winning this award is testament to how hard everyone worked – I’m delighted we were crowned the winners of the Working Towards Net Zero – Greener NHS Award at the NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards.”
- Partnerships and Integration Initiative – South West Ambulatory Orthopaedic Centre, – A revolutionary collaborative approach to delivering orthopaedic surgery and tackling the backlog.
Jonathan Howell, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Royal Devon University Healthcare said, “This award and recognition by our peers of the fantastic results achieved by our multi-disciplinary team, has delighted all of us at SWAOC, and the many people in the wider Devon community who have contributed to this project. It is particularly fulfilling for us to have been recognised for our innovative approach to elective orthopaedics so soon after opening this year, and it is testament to the tremendous efforts of all those people who have given their precious time to work on this venture”
Mary Stocker, Consultant Anaesthetist, Torbay and South Devon NHS FT added, “We are delighted to receive this NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Award in recognition of the exceptional patient outcomes and innovative pathways delivered by the SWAOC multidisciplinary team. The volume of outstanding feedback we receive daily from our patients is a tribute to our team and the outstanding care they provide.
- Patient Engagement – Supporting Patients Waiting Award – South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) (pictured) – Spine Referral Project
Chris Hulme, Consultant Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon & Clinical Director, Trauma & Orthopaedics, Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust & SWLEOC, “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen for this NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Award in the Patient Engagement – Supporting Patients Waiting category. When we started the Spine/Pain triage MDTM, spine surgery had one of the highest first waits in the trust – it now has one of the shortest. This work with our pain management colleagues has also had significant impact on their service ensuring that patients are seen according to the national back and radicular pain pathway along GIRFT principles. This has been good for patients permitting them to access spinal interventions in a more timely and appropriate manner with conversion rates moving in Spine surgery clinics moving from 2%-10% to over 50%.”
NOA Programme Director, Ann Hoey said, “I am absolutely delighted at the success of our inaugural awards. The NOA prides itself on facilitating collaboration between orthopaedic providers, giving members platforms to share best practice and address shared challenges. These awards highlighted the amazing work taking place across the NOA network and are already helping to encourage replication and collaboration between Trusts”.
Sponsors for the NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards were: NEC Software Solutions, Edge Health, My Recovery, Open Medical and Stryker.
