Efficiencies Hero 2025 award announced

Published: 06 Jun 2025

The winners of the Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2025 Efficiencies Hero award have been announced! Congratulations to:

WINNER: Contraception after childbirth (Courtney Taylor, Rachel Massey & Rahel Odonde); King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

This clinical audit aimed to evaluate and improve access to postnatal contraception, as fertility can return as early as three weeks postpartum, and short interpregnancy intervals are associated with increased maternal and neonatal risks. The team achieved improved antenatal discussion rates and postnatal discussions within 7 days, with contraception uptake rising from 3.9% to 5%. Key interventions included structured teaching for junior doctors and the launch of a dedicated monthly Postnatal Contraception Clinic in the Maternity Assessment Unit.

RUNNER-UP: Tracheostomy standards of practice (Laura Atkins); County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust

This audit was developed since compliance with tracheostomy standards, and staff knowledge and understanding of those standards, was identified as an area that required attention. Improvements introduced as a result included formalised 3-hour teaching sessions, with the opportunity to practice practical skills on mannequins, basic care/manoeuvres, inner tube removal/replacement, and equipment cleaning and tracheal suction technique. Practice was then supervised, and tracheostomy competencies were devised and completed, with one to one teaching time providing the opportunity to discuss key learning points.
Laura explains: “I initially did the audits to ensure that what I was doing was actually working within the clinical environment. But, with the help of our audit team, we were then able to use the data gathered to see how this was having an effect on a wider scale – and I am thrilled with the results!”
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Clinical Audit Heroes Awards

This award is one of seven categories in this year’s Clinical Audit Heroes Awards. The winners of each main category award were announced at a series of daily Lunch & Learn events, hosted by N-QI-CAN, on each of the award topics from 2-6 June 2025; while two new commendation awards were announced at an event on Friday 6th June. The recordings of these events, for those who wish to listen again (in addition to news of all the winners and a range of other events and activities) will be available on the Clinical Audit Awareness Week webpage.

Further information about the awards: Clinical Audit Heroes awards.

Clinical Audit Awareness Week

Find out more about all activities and events: Clinical Audit Awareness Week.

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