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09 April 2019

PReCePT shortlisted for HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2019

It was announced today, Tuesday 9 April, that PReCePT, a quality improvement programme led by clinicians at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and at the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Award in the Maternity and Midwifery Services Initiative of the Year category.

The Patient Safety Awards recognise, reward and thank the hard-working teams and individuals who are improving healthcare outcomes for patients across the NHS.

PReCePT, which stands for the Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in PreTerm Labour was originally developed in 2014 by Dr Karen Luyt, a neonatologist at UH Bristol in collaboration with colleagues at the West of England AHSN.

Through PReCePT, women going into early labour under 30 weeks are offered magnesium sulphate, which helps to protect their babies' brains. As a result, fewer babies are likely to develop cerebral palsy, improving quality of life for both preterm babies and their families. A dose of magnesium sulphate costs from just £1.

Since the initial project, PReCePT has been selected by NHS England as one of the AHSN Network's seven national adoption and spread programmes for 2018-2020.

PReCePT is also running in tandem with the PReCePT Study, a research trial nested within the wider national programme, funded by the Health Foundation and in partnership with National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West). This study aims to assess the effectiveness of two different quality improvement approaches in implementing the project across a subset of maternity units.

Commenting on PReCePT being shortlisted for the award, Dr Karen Luyt said:
"I'm absolutely delighted that PReCePT is in the running for an HSJ award. Being shortlisted is testament to the hard work and commitment of midwives, obstetricians and neonatologists both at UH Bristol and in every maternity unit across the country, as well as everyone behind the scenes from the AHSN Network".

Natasha Swinscoe, Chief Executive of the West of England AHSN commented:
 "I am immensely proud that the West of England AHSN has been a core partner in the roll out of this initiative for mothers and babies across England. This shortlisting is great news for the programme, so we'll await the final results with excitement and anticipation".

Next steps

The next round of judging begins on 9 May, where the team will present the entry to a panel of judges. The winners will then be announced at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards in Manchester on Tuesday 2 July.

Congratulations to all involved in the project who have contributed to this life-changing initiative.


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