Care group scoops top accolade (From Warrington Guardian)

Care group scoops top accolade

A PROJECT which helps improve healthcare for people with learning disabilities has won a prestigious national award.

Access All Areas was chosen from more than 80 entries to win the coveted Foundation of Nursing Studies Mallabar Award, scooping a £2,000 prize.

The co-ordinators, Warrington PCT nurse Scott Harrison and 5 Boroughs Partnership health co-coordinator Liz Berry, have also been asked to write a chapter for a book on nursing leadership.

The announcement was made at the House of Lords last week where Scott and Liz presented their work to a panel of leading healthcare professionals.

Set up in 2001, Access All Areas has seen an increase in the number of patients accessing healthcare from 22 per cent to 98 per cent.

Run by Warrington PCT and 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Trust, it supports people with learning disabilities to make healthy choices and, often for the first time, gives these patients health information in accessible formats, like pictures and symbols.

Staff from all agencies involved in the care and support of people with learning disabilities are being trained in order to raise standards.

The project has already been hailed as best practice in the Government's public health White Paper to be published in November .