Whittington consultant shortlisted for top award
A consultant at the Whittington Hospital in North London has reached the finals in the category Clinical Leader of the Year in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards for her outstanding contribution to clinical excellence. Dr Caroline Allum, Consultant Radiologist and Associate Director of Quality and Medical Appraisal, was nominated by the Director of Nursing and Patient Experience, Bronagh Scott, in recognition of her commitment to clinical leadership and her work on a number of innovative projects over the past 12 months. One of Dr Allum’s significant achievements was a project to improve the experience of patients at the hospital. After witnessing a crowded clinic, Dr Allum spoke to patients, sought their feedback and then implemented a new system of pagers, to improve the experience of waiting for an appointment. Once ,checked-in at reception, patients are issued with a pager, which they can take with them if they need to leave the waiting area, thus avoiding the worry of missing their appointment.
Among her other achievements, Dr Allum co-wrote Whittington Health’s Quality Account, consulting a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to enrich the document. She also instigated the development and delivery of a ground-breaking online health risk assessment tool to engage the local population in a dialogue about their health to help improve the wellness of the local population.
On hearing of her award nomination, Dr Caroline Allum said: “It’s a total surprise and a complete honour to be shortlisted for this award, particularly as there was such strong competition and a large number of entrants this year. Although it has been hard work, I have really enjoyed the projects I’ve worked on over the past 12 months. My core value is to deliver better and safer services for our patients and I hope they will also benefit from the recognition that being shortlisted will bring. Whittington Health is undergoing a programme of transformation and I am pleased be a part of the organisation at such an exciting time.”
Bronagh Scott, Director of Nursing and Patient Experience, who nominated Dr Allum for the award, said: “Caroline is an engaging, dynamic and innovative clinical leader whose core value is to deliver better care for patients. She has the extraordinary talent of being able to work effectively across professional, departmental and organisational boundaries. She always makes time to listen to and support those in the organisation who need her help. She grasps the nettle when there are issues of patient safety or patient experience, challenging and ensuring change. Caroline is a true asset to Whittington Health.”
All finalists will find out if they have won a coveted HSJ Awards on Tuesday 20 November at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Last updated20 Sep 2012