THE dementia team at the trust which runs Basingstoke Hospital has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.

The Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s team, which provides specialist support to patients and staff across the trust, has been named as finalists in the Specialised Services Redesign category in the HSJ Awards 2017.

The HSJ Awards recognise, celebrate and promote the finest achievements in the NHS, attracting more than 1,500 entries each year.

Alison McGinnes, clinical matron for dementia service and frailty at Hampshire Hospitals, said: “I am really proud that we have been shortlisted for such a big award. It would be fantastic to win, but with so many applications, being a finalist is a real achievement in itself.”

Hampshire Hospitals’ dementia team has expanded from four staff to 14 over the past year. This means they are now able to ensure that there are two members of the team at both Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, every day, offering leadership, advice and support to staff, the patients and their families on the wards.

The service is available 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, with the team able to assess patients and provide specialist advice and support sooner, something that is proven to improve long term outcomes. They work with staff on the wards to provide more individual and holistic care plans and have the specialist skills to take on the management of patients.

Alison added: “Our new senior healthcare assistants are working exceptionally hard to ensure that patients with dementia receive the right level of care when they are in our hospitals, something that research from across the country shows is not always the case. This in turn is having a real impact in helping to reduce the length of stay for this group of patients.

“The feedback that we have received from carers and families has also been great. They have commented on how much more we have been able to achieve.

“We are able to spend more time working with staff on the wards, giving them really practical help. The expansion has enabled us to work with far more staff to provide personalised care and expertise to more patients with dementia.”

The awards ceremony will be held on November 22 in London.