North Mid neonatal team crowned winner at prestigious NHS Parliamentary Awards
The Sunrise Neonatal Team at North Middlesex University Hospital has been announced as winner in the Future NHS category at the NHS Parliamentary Awards for their innovative work to keep families and their newborns safe at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
To help reduce the spread of infection at the very start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the neonatal unit at North Mid had to limited visiting to parents. The team wanted to keep families connected so used technology to help make that happen.
The team worked with the trust’s IT team to adapt the secure NHS video calling service Attend Anywhere, usually used for pre-arranged hospital appointments, for parents and families to visit their baby virtually in the unit. The technology is also used for parents to speak to clinicians and be kept updated with how their baby is doing.
The Awards recognise health and care staff for their contribution to the NHS, and individuals and teams are nominated by the hospital’s local Member of Parliament. The Sunrise Neonatal Team were nominated by Bambos Charalambous, MP for Enfield, Southgate.
Cheentan Singh, consultant paediatrician and neonatologist said: “The bond between a newborn and their family is vital to their development and with visiting restrictions in place, we knew that it was going to be really difficult for families. So I’m really proud we were able to find a way to reunite families quickly and to be recognised for this is a huge boost for the team.”
Dr Andy Heeps, interim Chief Executive of North Middlesex University Hospital, said: “I am so proud that our neonatal team has been recognised nationally for their innovative response to a really difficult problem. Technology has played a key role in our response to the Covid-19 pandemic and it’s great that the team were able to respond so quickly to meet the needs of families in Enfield, Haringey and beyond.”
Bambos Charalambous, Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate, said: “This is fantastic news for North Mid’s neonatal team and I am thrilled that they have been recognised in Parliament for their service to families in north London.
“Being able to adapt so quickly at the start of the pandemic to help make sure that families could stay connected is a testament to the vital work that the hospital does for our local community.”
The national winners of the NHS Parliamentary Awards 2020 were announced at the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday 7 July 2021. Find out more about the awards on their website.