The outstanding contribution to health care by teams at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) has been recognised in the shortlist for this year’s HSJ Awards.

The Trust has been shortlisted in the Acute Sector Innovation of the Year and HJS Partnership of the Year categories of the awards, considered the largest annual benchmarking and recognition programme for the health sector.

MTW’s top performing Stroke team were shortlisted in the Acute Sector Innovation of the Year category for the Stroke Assessment Unit. One of the first in England at the time it was developed, the Stroke Assessment Unit at Maidstone Hospital has meant that over 70% of suspected stroke admissions are directly brought in to the Unit from the ambulance on arrival, ensuring patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time. A stroke ambulatory pathway also enables clinically-safe same day discharges, allowing patients with minor stroke symptoms to attend rapid appointments the following day. Overall, the Stroke Assessment Unit has contributed to the Stroke service now being able to care for over 1,200 patients a year with a stroke diagnosis.

MTW’s Care Coordination Centre was shortlisted in the HJS Partnership of the Year category for the team’s work with healthcare tech company Teletracking on the Trust’s electronic bed and capacity management system.  The technology provides real-time information about bed occupancy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with data showing how many beds are empty, need cleaning or have a patient who is leaving. This has improved flow across the Trust’s hospitals by significantly reducing the amount of time a bed is empty and the time a patient spends in ED before they are transferred to a bed. The partnership has previously won gold and silver awards at the HSJ Partnership Awards earlier this year.

Over 1,350 entries were received for this year’s HJS Awards, which recognise innovation and improvements in care.

Miles Scott, MTW Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted in two categories in this year’s awards. This recognition reflects and celebrates the dedication and innovation of teams across our Trust who work hard every day to provide the very best care to our patients.”

HSJ editor, Alastair McLellan, said: “It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process. It’s important to remember that the HSJ Awards are not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of the NHS. We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony and to applaud such impressive achievements across the sector.”

The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ awards is available online. The winners will be announced at a ceremony due to be held on 21 November.