A NELFT team has been shortlisted for the prestigious HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards. The Intensive Rehabilitation Service (Acute & Rehabilitation Directorate) has been nominated in the Workforce Efficiency category at the annual ceremony that takes place on Wednesday May 24 at the Grosvenor House in London.

The IRS team is based at Grays Court, but covers Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge boroughs. The awards ceremony recognises teams that have demonstrated outstanding practice as well as cutting-edge innovations

The shortlisted organisations now have to complete presentations and interviews to a specific judging panel made up of senior and influential figures within healthcare.

The IRS team provides intensive therapy to people living within three London boroughs  and have been selected for the award due to how the team is structured on a day-to-day basis to meet the needs of the local population. The team has well organised training and Continued Professional Development programs which has been recognised by the HSJ award category.

Debbie Feetham, Community Hospitals and Intensive Rehabilitation Service Manager, said: “I was delighted to hear that IRS has been shortlisted for the HSJ Workforce Efficiency award. I am extremely proud of how the service has developed and all that IRS has achieved in both community rehabilitation and also working effectively with our acute partners to keep our patients at the center of all we do.

“The IRS team has striven continually to improve the service since it began in 2014. They have always gone the extra mile to develop new initiatives by increasing skills for all staff within the team. They are the epitome of what the HSJ award is all about and winning this award would give recognition the IRS truly deserve and would add to the great work that NELFT has achieved and continually aspires to provide.”

Alastair McLellan, HSJ Editor, said: "2017 is the year the NHS’s drive to improve the cost-effectiveness of its care moves from an important to a crucial factor in the service’s success. The entries to HSJ’s annual Value in Healthcare Awards provide plentiful evidence that all sectors of the NHS have recognised this and responded appropriately. For the NHS to be affordable it must operate in a sustainable manner. The HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards show how hard the service is working to make that a reality."

The Intensive Rehabilitation Service (IRS) is a large multi-disciplinary rehabilitation team consisting of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, nursing and administrators. IRS delivers high quality, intensive rehabilitation at home following discharge from acute or community hospitals or directly from community service referrals, providing a safe and effective alternative to inpatient rehabilitation. The IRS is based within Grays Court, Dagenham and operates from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For more information about the team, visit their NELFT website page at: www.nelft.nhs.uk/services-bdhvrb-intensive-rehabilitation