Nursing Times Awards- Success for REaCH team!

Northern Trust ReaCH team have been crowned winners in the prestigious Nursing Times Awards. They scooped the award for the Care of the Older People category and are celebrating UK wide recognition, the only team in Northern Ireland to win at this years awards.

The REaCH service in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and has been delivering this service since 2015. It provides support to the registered nurses in Nursing Homes by offering bespoke training to address issues such as dementia awareness using the CLEAR model, end of life care, early detection and management of the deteriorating resident and clinical skills training such as urinary catheter management and managing respiratory conditions. The service has been successful in reducing emergency department attendance, which has dramatically improved the residents’ health and experience. Nurses working in the homes report feeling more confident and competent with their enhanced skill set and knowledge. The Trust recognises that our Nursing Homes are a vital partner in meeting the needs of our population and this work has been highly valued and acknowledged by all. Other Trusts in Northern Ireland under the DoH transformation agenda have mirrored some elements of the REaCH model.

Editor of Nursing Times, Steve Ford said “The Nursing Times Awards showcase the innovation and best practice of nurses and midwives up and down the country, which I hope will be shared widely to improve care. The awards represent a great opportunity to celebrate all that is good about the nursing profession and I would like to personally congratulate all our winners and finalists. Hearing about the groundbreaking work being done by nurses around the UK to improve patient care never ceases to amaze me. This is especially true at the moment given the workforce pressures that nursing staff are under in many places. Our awards come just a couple months before the start of the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife in 2020, which represents another huge opportunity to promote the great work of nursing staff everywhere.”

Speaking about the success Elizabeth Graham Assistant Director of Nursing said “I am incredibly proud of my team! The REaCH Service has led on ground breaking Nursing Care Delivery in the Community, focussing on the critical interfaces of the Independent sector, voluntary sector and the Trust to ensure that people are cared for by supported and competent teams. The judges were overwhelmed by our person centred service, our evidence base and our compassionate care of older persons in their own home, this is a great day for Nursing in the Northern Trust and in Northern Ireland.”

Eileen McEneaney, Executive Director of Nursing added: “This is a true celebration of how Nursing has the potential to positively impact on health and outcomes for older people. This award is a great start to the 2020 global celebration.”

31st October 2019