SIM scores the double at the HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards

A pioneering project, which integrates mental health care and policing on the Isle of Wight, has tonight - Tuesday, 24 May - scooped two prestigious national healthcare awards, and was Highly Commended in a third category.

 The Serenity Integrated Mentoring (SIM) project, run by Hampshire Constabulary and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, and supported by Wessex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN), won the Clinical Support Services and Mental Health HSJ Value in Healthcare Awards. It was also Highly Commended in the Workforce Efficiency category.

SIM - which previously won a Royally-endorsed national health award, and is one of this year’s NHS England National Innovation Accelerator Fellows, was also shortlisted in the Managing Long Term Conditions category.

SIM is recognised as being effective at bringing together policing and healthcare skills to achieve a positive difference to the lives of mental health patients and their families.

On why SIM won the Clincal Support Services award, the judges said:
The judges were blown away by the real impact on people's lives, families and communities. They started small and are now exemplers sharing their work across the UK and world wide.

On why SIM won the Mental Health award, the judges said:
The judges felt that the team has identified a clear gap and put in a simple, cross boundary system building on what was already good practice. The result has been significant across both patient experience and financial impact, with a replicable solution

About the awards, Alastair McLennan, Editor of the HSJ, said: “These awards are dedicated to the dominating challenge facing the NHS – how to improve care quality and efficiency within a tightening financial budget.  I’d argue that the work we celebrate tonight offers the best chance for the NHS to meet Simon Steven’s definition of success during the next two years, which was to deliver on the 10-point efficiency plan included in the Next steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View.

"On that basis he should feel very encouraged. For the number and quality of entries to this year’s Value in Healthcare Awards are the most impressive to date.  We received over 400 entries – from every region and from every type of NHS organisation.  That the NHS is able to continue to innovate while under such historic pressure is a tribute to its resilience and, in particular, to the efforts of the people sitting in this room.’’