Blackburn with Darwen community diabetes team won the award for diabetes for their innovative use of education and volunteers to help people manage the condition.
And the East Lancashire heart failure nursing service team, which helps patients whose hearts are failing to pump blood properly, beat competition from across the UK to win the award for cardiac care, sponsored by the British Heart Foundation. They were also runners up in the team of the year award.
The awards recognise innovation, clinical effectiveness, leadership, vision and improvements in patient care and outcomes in primary care across a range of categories.
Anne Greenwood, head of clinical services for diabetes, said the multi-agency team, which is supported by volunteers and mosque leaders, works in English, Urdu and Gujerati with patients with Type 2 diabetes most at risk of complications.
“Over the last 18 months we’ve helped nearly 450 patients through our X-pert patient programme, a six week course which teaches them how to manage their diabetes and prevent them developing complications such as losing limbs or going blind,” said Anne.
“We’ve also set up a support group to help patients continue learning about diabetes and hope that in time patients themselves will manage that group. We were also praised by the judges for using adult learners, studying with Blackburn with Darwen Council, to develop and run a series of drama performances for a year across the borough to raise awareness of diabetes.”
Anne and Nicky Nuttall, diabetes specialist nurse team leader, attended the ceremony to collect the award. Other team members are Dr Issak Bhojani, Denise Targett, Liz Jones, Summaya Patel, Yasmin Hafeji, Sue Taylor, Jane Musgrove, Tina Service and Sajida Manzoor.
The East Lancashire heart failure nursing service team works with 800 patients across Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley.
Clinical lead Angela Graves said the service works with patients who have developed heart failure either as a result of heart attacks, genetic conditions, viruses or even excess alcohol.
“People with heart failure struggle to breathe and fluid collects on the lungs and in their legs so it can really affect their quality of life. Judges praised the fact that we support patients from diagnosis right through to end of life palliative care with education, drugs, technology and care and have now developed a bereavement support service for families left behind,” she said.
The team are Angela, heart failure nurses Cath Richardson, Julia Miller and Judith Finley, specialist palliative care nurse Mary Costello and Jackie Lowrie and Joanne Mawman who provide admin support.
Both Anne and Angela said that the conditions they deal with can be prevented by healthy eating, regular exercise, stopping smoking and only drinking alcohol in moderation.
