A Kent hospital has received special recognition in patient safety.

Medway Maritime Hospital in Windmill Road, Gillingham is in the running for the Urgent and Emergency Care Initiative of the Year category of the Health Service Journal’s annual awards.

The shortlist follows a new strategy by anaesthetist Dr Akuratiyage De Silva and emergency clinical coordinator Natalie Baxter-Evans.

Usually, patients in need of emergency surgery have their operations in a dedicated operating theatre, called CEPOD, that is staffed and able to run 24-hours a day.

But the doctors and relevant teams were able to help identify issues and reduce waiting times for those needing operations.

Since, they have been able to improve care by introducing a check list and two emergency surgery facilitators to support patients to be “theatre ready”, and appointing a second CEPOD Theatre Coordinator to cover seven days a week.

Dr De Silva said: “We knew from an audit that almost two thirds of operations were delayed and that this was caused by things we knew we could address by working together.

“The secret of success is working with multidisciplinary teams to engage everyone and taking all useful suggestions on board.

“As a result of the changes, we are seeing more patients through this specialist operating theatre, so they are getting the treatment they need sooner.”

As well as the benefit to patients, the new initiative has helped build staff morale, she added.

Using the theatre more efficiently also saves the hospital almost £100,000 a year.

Jayne Black, chief executive of Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am incredibly proud of everyone involved for their dedication in improving patient safety and putting patients first.

“They thoroughly deserve this recognition after many months of hard work.”

The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony in Manchester on Monday, September 16.