THE End of Life Urgent Care Team at St Luke’s Hospice has fought off competition from 134 entries to win a national health award.

The team was named Our Health Heroes winners in the integrated team of the year category for their outstanding commitment to patients.

They collected their award at a ceremony attended by 200 guests at London’s Science Museum on Wednesday last week (November 20).

Made up of staff from St Luke’s Hospice and Marie Curie, the team specialises in supplying basic and more complex end of life care.

They have been working together as part of a 21-month pilot project which has seen them working collaboratively to improve the quality and efficiency of services.

This has allowed more patients to receive suitable support and their efforts have resulted in a 50% increase in the number of patients able to access this care.

Thanks to their cohesive strategy, the team has been able to help patients avoid lengthy hospital admissions and remain in the comfort of their own homes with more patients now receiving the right care at a time in their life when every day counts.

Sharon Mayor, urgent care nurse manager at St Luke’s Hospice, said: ‘As a team we are very proud to be able to do what we do — caring for people at the end of their life is such a privilege and something we all feel very passionate about.

‘Well done everyone, this acknowledgment of our work is truly amazing and reflects the heartfelt passion shown by us on a daily basis.’

John Rogers, chief executive at Skills for Health, the not-for-profit organisation which stages the annual awards, said: ‘The integrated team award was a popular category for nominations with 134 entries, which just goes to show that healthcare professionals like those who make up the team at St Luke’s Hospice are regularly going the extra mile for their patients.

‘Congratulations to the whole team on being named winners; this award is a testament to their hard work and commitment to their roles.’