'A wonderful achievement': Northamptonshire yellow bracelet scheme nominated for national award

New measure gives clinicians instant access to patient's needs to improve their care, according to NCCG
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

An initiative which seeks to enable better and more joined-up care for thousands of people in Northamptonshire has been shortlisted for a national award.

Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group's (NCCG) yellow bracelet scheme has been selected as a finalist in the Improving Care for Older People category at this year’s Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Awards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

NCCG chief executive Toby Sanders said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award.

Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe and Sundown Solutions expert analyst Connor Johnston celebrate the award nomination for the yellow bracelet schemeNorthamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe and Sundown Solutions expert analyst Connor Johnston celebrate the award nomination for the yellow bracelet scheme
Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe and Sundown Solutions expert analyst Connor Johnston celebrate the award nomination for the yellow bracelet scheme

"It’s welcome recognition of the collaborative efforts and dedication of our staff over the last 12 months in successfully implementing the yellow bracelet scheme."

There are around 4,600 patients across Northamptonshire – many of them elderly – who rely on domiciliary packages of care.

Data shows a third of these patients end up being admitted to hospital, often needlessly, and the yellow bracelet scheme is helping to address this, according to NCCG.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Developed with technology from Sundown Solutions through the Northamptonshire Health and Care Partnership, the scheme sees patients given a yellow bracelet with a QR code.

Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe wearing one of the yellow braceletsNorthamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe wearing one of the yellow bracelets
Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group head of quality improvement Gabriella OKeefe wearing one of the yellow bracelets

This gives clinicians and healthcare professionals instant access to data about the patient’s care requirements, their personal needs and the support they have available at home.

NCCG head of quality improvement Gabriella O’Keeffe, who came up with the idea, claims this improves their care and helps to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.

The data the scheme provides is also made available to GPs and social care providers across Northamptonshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Sanders continued: “Along with our partners, we are committed to delivering improved outcomes for our patients and the scheme is a great example of the joint work we are doing to achieve this.

"To be selected among the other outstanding nominees is a wonderful achievement.”

The annual HSJ Patient Safety Awards help drive improvements in culture and quality across the NHS by celebrating the teams and the people putting safety first.

Winners will be selected ahead of the ceremony, which will take place virtually as part of the Patient Safety Virtual Congress and Awards in November.

Related topics: