A TEAM’S role in reducing the risk of patient harm from acute kidney injury (AKI) has been ‘highly commended’ at The National Patient Safety Awards.

Staff from across South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – led by Consultant Nephrologist Dr Jon Murray – have been working hard to raise awareness and encourage all staff to look out for the condition.

A total of 54 dedicated AKI workshops were run by Dr Murray’s team over six months with staff from all roles and specialties receiving training to use an AKI alerting system and new guidelines they had developed. Areas deemed to be of higher risk also received additional support from Sister Claire Allinson, a specialist renal nurse at the Trust.

Results from an independent clinical informatics company (CRAB Clinical Informatics Limited) found the organisation’s AKI rates fell dramatically during the programme.

Dr Murray said: “We recognised a widespread approach was needed to address AKI, so we involved clinicians, managers and patients to develop our programme. Not only did this collective approach work at the time, it may also underlie an apparent sustained impact upon AKI culture across the Trust.”

Now the team has been highly commended in the ‘Patient Safety in Surgical Care’ category in the National Patient Safety Awards.