Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust scoops excellence award for Hypo Awareness Week 2020 campaign

A Surrey diabetes service has won a prestigious national award for raising awareness of a complication of the condition.

Hypoglycaemic events known as hypos occur when glucose in the blood falls below 4mmols/mol, and symptoms can include drowsiness, sweating, trembling, hunger, confusion and unconsciousness.

 Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has been presented with the Excellence Award for its management of a “significant campaign” during Hypo Awareness Week, which highlights the management of hypoglycaemia where blood sugar drops below normal levels.

 The team at Frimley Park Hospital picked up the accolade, beating off eight other finalists, at the tenth annual Quality in Care (QiC) Diabetes Awards which were live-streamed to more than 1,000 people on Thursday, 15 October.

Judges praised the trust’s approach to spreading the Hypo Awareness Week message, which included a catchy TikTok video highlighting the symptoms and management of hypos, the delivery of teaching sessions to each of the hospital’s wards covering over 100 trained and untrained staff and the completion of a local audit in order to gauge understanding of the condition amongst staff.

 A total of 355 sites made up of hospitals, medical centres, care homes and pharmacies across the country took part in the campaign, sponsored by Sanofi, which took place between 5 October and 11 October.

 Aish Chalise, Frimley Health NHS Trust Diabetes Specialist Nurse said: “We as a team are really proud to have won this award. It’s great that our campaign was so well received and it makes the extra work and organisation to make it happen so worth it. Above all though, our patients are at the heart of what we do and if our work helps to keep them safe then we are a happy team.”

Becky Reeve, Head of Professional Relations at Sanofi Diabetes and Cardiovascular, said: “The team showed a real commitment to go above and beyond to ensure important messages about hypoglycaemia were communicated. We were particularly impressed by the methodology they used to investigate exactly where to target their education before coming up with a memorable way to deliver the message in order to achieve improved outcomes.

 “The passion, dedication and innovation displayed by the team at Frimley Park Hospital during Hypo Awareness Week were exceptional. We applaud their efforts.”

Aish added: “Through the completion of a local audit we were able to discover where to target our education during the week.

“Our goal was to promote the correct procedures to effectively treat a hypo and avoid recurring hypos We wanted to deliver this in a fun environment to help staff retain the information after all what we learn with pleasure, we don’t forget. So with this in mind we made sure staff had access to the TikTok video, delivering vital messages about how to treat a hypo.”

Oliver Jelley, Managing Director of Orange Juice Communications, was tasked with deciding the winner.

 Oliver said: “Many congratulations to Frimley Park Hospital for running a significant campaign. We have been utterly amazed by what has been achieved through the strict restrictions due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

 “The way that people have adapted to still provide this vital education on hypoglycaemia is incredible and we would like to thank each and every person that took part.”

 The programme has been made possible with sponsorship from Sanofi, who had no editorial control over its contents.

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