Dignity in Care Award 2009 - Regional Winner - West Midlands

The 2009 Health and Social Care Award for Dignity in Care - West Midlands region award went to:

Walsall Integrated Learning Disability Team

Screening for breast cancer is vital for all women, but much harder to access for those with a learning disability.

People with learning disabilities can find it difficult to communicate symptoms and provide key personal information for accurate diagnoses. This group may have problems accessing general health information and may find GP surgeries and hospitals somewhat daunting.

A project launched by the Walsall Integrated Learning Disability team, part of the inequality-busting Pacesetters partnership between local communities and the Department of Health, is working to raise awareness and improve access to services and health information. A specific target is to reduce deaths from breast cancer among women with learning disabilities by making screening services more accessible.

A key element of the team's approach has been to involve users in shaping and implementing the project. A 'buddying' system was set up to ensure their voice was heard.

This approach has yielded some impressive results. Breast screening rates have risen to such an extent that the same approach is now being applied to cervical and bowel cancer screening. Memorably titled health groups 'Looking after our Bits' and 'Looking after our Bits & Bobs' have started, and health information redesigned.

Users say the project has helped to remove their fear of mainstream services. One who has recently used the breast screening service said: "It makes us not feel scared about things, especially the hospital. We talk about health all the time now, we didn't before. I have got bad eyes and diabetes. It is nice that I can call someone if I am worried and they will tell me what the matter is. I am not worried anymore."

The runner up for the award was:

Dr Cathy Rhodes Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Cathy Rhodes leads a team of midwives and doctors who care for women with high-risk pregnancies at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. Many of the women in her care also have mental health problems.

A perinatal mental health clinic runs alongside the antenatal clinic with specialist midwives lending extra support and coordinating care plans. Cathy performs regular scans and sees women personally for antenatal care before delivering the babies herself, frequently by Caesarean section.

Cathy developed the Mental Health Clinic with the midwifery team when she began her consultant post four years ago. An audit showed that up to 20 percent of women reported mental health problems at booking. But no service existed to cope with their extra needs.

New services have traditionally been led by consultants, but midwives at the Good Hope Hospital site have played a vital role in developing and ensuring the success of the project, says Cathy. Women can ring up outside clinic hours and there is direct access to the ward if needed. The midwives know they can contact Cathy about patients at any time. One of the clinic's aims has been to remove traditional barriers to accessing services; they wanted to create an open, non-judgmental service with excellent continuity of care.

Cathy and her team have been widely praised for their "kindness, care and professionalism". The patient who nominated Cathy for this Dignity in Care award wrote: "Dr Rhodes made me feel as though I was being looked after every step of the way. She kept a close eye on me and explained everything in a fantastic way and even did my C-section. She gave me first class care. She is a wonderful doctor and a really caring person."