Trust’s Domestic Violence Advisor Service Team wins at Nursing Times Awards
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust’s Hospital Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) Service Team was announced as the deserving winner of the Patient Safety Improvement category at the Nursing Times Awards 2019.
On Wednesday 31 October, in a glittering ceremony held at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London, nurses and organisations from across the profession were honoured across 23 categories in a night of recognition dedicated to celebrating exceptional achievement.
Following a rigorous judging process, the team, who are based at Wigan’s Royal Albert Edward Infirmary, were crowned as the winner of the Patient Safety Improvement category for their work on creating and implementation of the Hospital Independent Domestic Violence Advisor role at the Trust – the first fully NHS-funded role in the country.
Linda Salt, Head of Safeguarding at the Trust, said: “The team are delighted that the hospital IDVA service has been recognised for the help and support they give to people who suffer from domestic abuse.
“We’re very proud that the whole safeguarding service team is supported by everyone at the Trust, from front line staff up to executives.”
It is the second year in a row that WWL has won at the Nursing Times Awards. Last year, Vicki Stevenson-Hornby, a Macmillan HPB Clinical Nurse Specialist, took home a trophy after being named as the winner in the Cancer Nursing category for her nurse-led accelerated jaundice pathway project.
Speaking about the IDVA service team, the judges said: “At its core, this inspiring service addresses unmet needs in an underserved population.
“The team gave the judging panel evidence of practicing safely in an unpredictable and emotionally challenging field.”
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 ground-breaking 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.
Wigan has high incidence of domestic abuse, with some estimates from Greater Manchester Police showing rates four times the national average.
Together with Wigan Borough Council, the Trust conducted an independent domestic violence adviser service pilot scheme, developing an adapted model of working tailored to the hospital environment to offer swift intervention and support.
Findings of the pilot suggested that many patients presenting to the hospital who had experienced domestic abuse were ready to disclose and receive a service. In the first nine months, 300 patients accessed the service, of which 16 per cent were male. To date, none of those who accessed the service have re-presented to the hospital.
