EMS Healthcare secures major national award with Frimley Park Hospital

EMS Healthcare and Frimley Park Hospital are celebrating after a joint project won a prestigious prize at the Building Better Healthcare Awards 2017.

EMS Healthcare’s Liberty mobile macular unit, which helped increase patient satisfaction rates from 59% to 91%, beat six other shortlisted entries to scoop the ‘Best Example of Efficiencies’ award at a ceremony in London earlier this month.

The unit, which is part of a project that began in June 2014, travels to four community locations in the Frimley area providing assessment and treatment for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (w/AMD). Inside, it includes two visual acuity lanes, a private consultation room, an OCT scanning room, a clean room for injections, a patient reception area, and two waiting areas.

For Frimley Park Hospital, the mobile macular unit has made a significant difference – alleviating capacity pressures by providing 250 additional patient slots per week, and reducing waiting times from 1 hour, 30 minutes inside the hospital to just 32 minutes in the mobile unit. It has been described as a “dream service” by one of the hospital’s Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeons.

The award was secured against criteria that asked for projects that measurably cut costs while enhancing or preserving services. EMS Healthcare CEO Keith Austin said: “This is a fantastic achievement that genuinely highlights the tremendous potential of mobile medical units. We’re delighted our unit has had such an impact – not just for the hospital, but most importantly for the patients who need quick and reliable access to treatment.

“Prior to the unit being in operation, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was running extra weekend and evening clinics in a bid to clear the backlog. Now, those clinics have been completely eliminated – saving valuable resources for the Trust while increasing patient satisfaction.” He added: “It’s always extremely rewarding when a mobile unit is used to its full potential, and there’s no doubt about this project’s success. It’s been a pleasure to work with Frimley Park Hospital and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the years to come.”

Professor Geeta Menon, a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, said: “The ophthalmology team at Frimley Park Hospital have always been trailblazers in providing innovative care for patients with eye disease. The mobile unit marks another step in our exciting journey to providing exceptional care. I’m very proud to be part of the team that has helped make our dream service come true.”