THE 2018 Nursing Times Awards shortlist, recognising excellence in nursing, has been announced and St. Luke’s Hospice are in the running to receive an award for their ‘Shared Care Liver Pathway’ developed by St. Luke’s Hospice in collaboration with the liver team at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The prestigious 
‘HRH Prince of Wales Integrated Approaches to Care Award’ is aimed at recognising nurses who have joined forces with other organisations to help promote public health and prevent disease, or manage long-term conditions in a holistic and integrated way that improves patient’s quality of life and independence.
Virginia Campbell, Assistant Director of Care and Quality at St. Luke’s Hospice, explains ‘’There is national recognition that people with Advanced Liver Disease have limited access to palliative care, despite them having complex needs. The Shared Care Liver Project enabled St. Luke’s and the liver department at Basildon Hospital, to work together in order to cross traditional boundaries.
This enabled additional care and support to be offered to those with Advanced Liver Disease. Services offered include physiotherapy, social work, counselling and access to the hospice’s 24/7 OneResponse service. This work has enabled us to demonstrate significant benefits for patients and carers. Some patients have reported that the project was life changing for both them and their families’’
Virginia and her team have been shortlisted, along with 9 other entries from over 200 healthcare organisations. Following a presentation to the final judging panel in September, St. Luke’s will have to wait until 31 October to find out if they have won the award .Winners will be announced at a glittering evening of recognition at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane.
Virginia added ‘’ We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. The Team at St. Luke’s have worked hard to help improve the lives of people which Advanced Liver Disease and we hope that this national award will help to highlight the potential of replicating the work nationally. I am very proud of the work of all teams involved in this this project and pathway and look forward to finding out the result in October’’
