Success for Luton Children’s Epilepsy Pilot at HSJ Awards 2022

A Children’s Epilepsy Pilot in Luton has been named the winner of the ‘Using Data to Connect Services Award’ at the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards 2022.

The ‘Digitising Care for Children with Complex Epilepsy’ pilot, which is a joint project with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Luton children and adults community health services (part of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust), aims to make things easier and equip parents with all the information they need to support their child.

The inspiring initiative, which was introduced in 2020, involves a new patient-controlled medical record called ‘Patients Know Best’ (PKB), a completely secure digital platform which parents can access from any computer or smartphone. Parents can use PKB to store their child’s medical history and medication regime and to log information about their child’s seizures (where and when they happen, how long for, any possible triggers) for their clinicians to see.

The HSJ Awards ceremony took place on Thursday 17 November and celebrated the outstanding efforts and achievements that NHS teams have delivered. With 1,040 entries across 25 categories, the awards applaud the “high-flyers” of healthcare excellence in both the NHS and its partners who strive to improve outcomes and services for both patients and staff alike.

The ‘Using Data to Connect Services Award’ is about recognising NHS initiatives where data sharing has made a real difference.

Usha Panchal, Clinical Pharmacist and Complex Paediatric Lead, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled and delighted to win this prestigious award. It’s a reflection of the fantastic work put in by the team, but more importantly shows just how beneficial this technology is for our children and families with epilepsy who deserve the best possible care.”

Liz Stevens, Children’s Epilepsy Specialist Nurse, Luton Children and Adults Community Health Services (part of Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust) said: “It is an honour for our Epilepsy Team to have won this award. It is a privilege to be included among leading health professionals delivering innovative and quality work, as we strive to provide the best for our patients. I would like to pay tribute to all our amazing parents, young people and children who have engaged with PKB and the project team. Thank you also to the mother of one of our children for supporting both the presentation and kindly attending the ceremony too.

“This is really a testament to the collaborative approach in the Luton system; colleagues from Luton and Dunstable Hospital and the BLMK Integrated Care Board have been instrumental to making this work and the PKB system facilitates our joint working.”

Dr Tekki-Rao, Consultant Paediatrician and Lead for Paediatric Epilepsy and Neurology, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is an incredible achievement and truly shows that by working in partnership, we can improve patient care and experience.”

A full list of categories and their winners can be found on the HSJ website.