Alcohol Liaison Team win prestigious patient safety award | News

Congratulations to our Alcohol Liaison Team at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust for winning the Health Service Journal’s (HSJ) Patient Safety Changing Culture Award 2020. The team improves care across the Trust for patients with alcohol problems by providing screening, specialist support and staff education.

Made up of three nurses and an administration assistant, the team was the first hospital-based alcohol liaison team to be set up in Surrey. Anthony Gartland, Lead Nurse for the Alcohol Liaison Team, said: “I’m very proud of my team and our achievement in winning this award. It highlights how we have created a significant cultural change across the hospital and wider community, making a real difference to patients’ lives.

“We wanted to build awareness across the Trust that people with addictions do not choose that lifestyle and they need to be treated with empathy and a caring attitude. Our work includes educating clinical staff across the Trust, speaking at staff inductions and running staff training sessions.”

Louise Stead, Chief Executive, said “Congratulations to our Alcohol Liaison Team whose hard work has been recognised by this award. We are very proud of their tremendous achievements, not only in education, culture change and good practice, but also for their leadership in helping other Trusts set up similar services across the region.”

Judges of the HSJ Patient Safety Award praised the service, saying, “Not many initiatives change the culture of both the service and the patient. Well done!”