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The Newcastle Regional Sleep Team from Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been named Our Health Heroes winners in the Integrated Team category for commitment to their patients.

Organised by Skills for Health, the National Skills Academy for Health and Health Education England, the annual national awards celebrate the unsung healthcare heroes from across the UK, including those working in the NHS, who go above and beyond in their roles every day.

Healthcare professionals submitted more than 480 nominations across seven award categories, including 150 in the hotly contested Integrated Team Award.

The Newcastle Regional Sleep Team grabbed the judging panel’s attention because of their work with a high caseload of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which can present as excessive snoring and interrupted breathing at night.

There has been a sharp increase in new cases from 900 in 2009 to 2,000 in 2017 and the team now has more than 8,000 long-term patients using the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure mask (CPAP) and machine treatment for OSA.

With no additional resources or personnel available, the multi-professional sleep colleagues have been responsive, innovative and flexible to ensure that patients continue to be seen in a timely manner and receive high-quality care.

In addition to filming an informative video ‘OSA: Its Impact and How It Can Be Treated and Controlled’, they have also redesigned the way they investigate OSA. Now, patients can take home a sleep recorder on the same day as their clinic visit, which has reduced hospital visits and the time it takes to complete the initial case research.   

They have also created and published the findings of a four-week ‘Fast Track’ Sleep Service  for vocational drivers, to ensure prompt investigation and treatment to minimise the impact of OSA on work.

Sophie West, one of the four consultants in the Newcastle Regional Sleep Team, said: “We are delighted with this award which recognises the hard work and commitment of the whole sleep team.

“We strive to provide excellent care for our patients and it is great to be able to celebrate this. Thank you for selecting us as Our Health Heroes.”

John Rogers, Chief Executive at Skills for Health, said: “For the third year running I’ve been taken aback by the quality of the nominations we have received for the Our Health Heroes awards.

“The Integrated Team Award was our most popular category for nominations, which just goes to show that healthcare professionals like those who make up the Newcastle Regional Sleep Team are regularly going the extra mile.

“Congratulations to the whole team on being named winners; this award is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”

The team will be presented with their award, alongside the winners of the other six categories, during an award ceremony on Friday 23rd November 2018 at London’s OXO Tower.