Award winning sexual health services Victoria Clinic does it again
11 November 2005
Staff from Chelsea and Westminster’s Victoria Clinic have won a Nursing Times Award for the second year running.
Staff from Chelsea and Westminster’s Victoria Clinic have won a Nursing Times Award for the second year running.
Senior Staff Nurse for HIV services, Tony Kerley, won the prestigious award for an innovative service which allows HIV patients, who are stable on treatment, to have drugs delivered to home and receive test results by email.
Tony received the award from Secretary of State for Health Patricia Hewitt at a special ceremony at Park Lane’s Hilton on 7 November.
He said: “This is great news and we are delighted. This has really been a team effort and this award is recognition for everyone’s hard work.
“The OptionE service reduces the number of visits HIV patients need to make to the hospital - helping them get on with their life. If they are stable on treatment we can email them test results at home and also deliver drugs to their homes. This means they only need to see a doctor once a year and a nurse three times a year helping to free up time for doctors.”
Judges described the project as excellent and were struck by its relevance to other forms of chronic disease management based around the use of email and new technology, nurse prescribing and nurse led care. “He has a clear view of where HIV care is moving,” they said.
Chelsea and Westminster was the only Trust to have two people shortlisted for an award. Senior Staff Nurse Imelda O’Brien was also highly commended for her work to develop the Cont@ct service for young people. Since Imelda’s appointment as co-ordinator the clinic has seen a dramatic increase in the number of young people attending the service and has also been successful in targeting young men under 19 – a group that has traditionally been hard to reach.
Victoria Clinic’s Clinical Nurse Lead, Leigh Chislett, won a Nursing Times Award last year for the SORTED hepatitis vaccination campaign.