West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust celebrated further success at the Annual NHS Parliamentary Awards as the Virtual Hospital Programme was recognised for its innovative work. These awards are to honour the contributions of NHS staff, who demonstrate outstanding dedication and innovative thinking.
The NHS Parliamentary Awards launched in 2018 and every year hundreds of nominations are sent in by MPs as a way of thanking NHS staff for their work in constituencies across England.
The Virtual Hospital programme, nominated by Hertsmere MP Oliver Dowden, was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in The Excellence in Health Care category, whilst Watford MP Dean Russell nominated the Robot-Assisted operations team for the ‘The Future NHS’ category.
The West Herts Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was the first in the country to install two Versius robots to assist with surgical operations. These robots have revolutionised surgical techniques in specialties such as colorectal, gynaecology and urology.
Dean stated, "One of the reasons I campaigned tirelessly for the redevelopment of Watford General was to ensure that the incredible staff have state of the art facilities and equipment. It has been fantastic to see game-changing equipment installed in Watford for surgeons and theatre staff. I chose to nominate this team for their ground-breaking work, and I would also like to congratulate the Virtual Hospital programme. Much like the robotics, it is a fantastic example of embracing innovation.”
Oliver Dowden MP commented that ‘I am delighted that West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust’s Virtual Hospital Programme was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ in this year’s NHS Parliamentary Awards.
Following my visit to Watford General in March, I was very pleased to nominate them for this prestigious Excellence in Healthcare Award after seeing first-hand the ground-breaking care they can provide through this programme.’
‘Their commitment to transforming and improving patient outcomes is exemplary and I congratulate them on this great achievement.’
