Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare

Awarded to an NHS organisation that has achieved success in its role and brought benefits to the wider NHS through the dedication and expertise of its staff.

2009 Winner: Guys & St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust

Guy's and St Thomas' is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a collaboration with King's College London, King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

The Trust has achieved considerable success in reducing Hospital Acquired Infections. Between April 2008 and March 2009, the number of attributable C. difficile cases was reduced by 33 per cent, whilst MRSA came down by nearly 50 per cent. Overall, the Trust has one of the lowest mortality rates in England, with patients survival rates nearly 25% better than the national average. This is attributed to an active patient safety and quality improvement programme.

In September, The Trust became one of the first in London to produce its own electricity and heat to power the hospitals. Accoring to the Trust, this saves the equivalent in carbon dioxide of around 17,000 passengers flying to New York - and enough energy to power Newcastle for a week. It has made a commitment to reduce emissions by at least 10 per cent in 2010 as part of a national drive.

The catering department, which serves more than one million inpatient meals a year, allows patients to select their meals just before service, rather than hours in advance. Twenty different options meet dietary and cultural needs, and The Patient Environment Action Team assessment rates the quality of food as excellent.

For the second time in three years, Guys & St. Thomas has achieved 'excellent' ratings in both categories of the Care Commisions's annual health check. Its financial performance remains one of the best anywhere in the NHS, achieving a £25.5 million surplus that will be reinvested in ambitious and exciting plans to improve services and the hospital environment for patients.

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