Double success for Royal Surrey at NHS Excellence Awards | News

A Royal Surrey consultant who champions access to specialist liver care for some of society’s most vulnerable people, along with a programme improving services for older people with frailty, have been named regional champions in the NHS Excellence Awards.

Consultant Hepatologist Michelle Gallagher was named the South East winner in the Leadership category, while the Trust’s Integrated Frailty Crisis Pathway won the regional Quality Improvement Award of the NHS Excellence Awards. The NHS Excellence Awards are the only awards run by and for the NHS.

Michelle was recognised for more than two decades of leadership in improving access to specialist liver care for people experiencing homelessness, those living with drug and alcohol dependency, sex workers, migrant communities and people in prison.

Her work includes establishing Surrey’s first hospital‑based Alcohol Liaison Service, which has supported more than 12,000 patients with non‑judgemental screening and care since 2014.

Under Michelle’s leadership, Royal Surrey was commissioned in 2015 to deliver the Hepatitis C network for Surrey, becoming the only non‑teaching hospital among the country’s 22 network hubs.

Surrey is now recognised as having achieved the World Health Organisation’s target for hepatitis C elimination. This has been delivered through extensive outreach and partnership working, the use of the mobile community liver screening, and targeted work across five Surrey prisons, reducing diagnosis‑to‑treatment times from many months to less than one week.

Michelle also spearheaded the development of a mobile community liver screening service, enabling more than 10,000 people to receive liver FibroScan® assessments outside hospital settings. This initiative has identified previously undiagnosed liver disease in 500 patients, all of whom continue to receive active surveillance.

Michelle said: “It was a lovely surprise to learn that I had been nominated by the Trust, and to be named a regional champion was very special. While I lead the service, this recognition really belongs to an amazing team who work tirelessly to support earlier diagnosis, faster treatment pathways and to transform care for some of our most marginalised communities.”

The Integrated Frailty Crisis Pathway, recognised in the Quality Improvement category, brings together a multidisciplinary team across hospital and community services who have developed new ways of working to ensure older people receive the right care, whether at home or in hospital.

Underpinned by quality improvement methodology, the team have developed new Frailty Same Day Emergency Care and Hospital at Home services, as well as integrating with Urgent Community Response Team, the Acute Frailty Team and the frailty units. The pathway has reduced hospital stays, readmissions and emergency department attendances; including a 66 per cent reduction in discharges to new care homes for people living with frailty, enabling more patients to return safely to their own homes.

 

Dr James Adams, Consultant Geriatrician, said: “Being named regional champion for Quality Improvement is a real honour. This pathway spans multiple frailty services and involves many individuals, and every single one of them played a vital role in the Trust receiving this award. Every team and colleague involved should be immensely proud of this achievement.”

Are regional champions will now be represented at the national awards ceremony at NHS ConfedExpo in June, where a national winner will be chosen from the seven regional finalists in their category.

Group Chief Executive of Royal Surrey and Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trusts, Louise Stead, said: “This is the first year of the NHS Excellence Awards, and I am incredibly proud to see both Michelle and the Integrated Frailty team recognised as regional champions. This recognition reflects their outstanding leadership, commitment to care and innovation, delivering real impact for those we serve. 

“We wish them both the very best as they go on to represent the South East at the national awards ceremony in June.”