Tag Archives: Awards

Dying Matters Awareness Week

Posted: 14 May, 2020

This week is Dying Matters Awareness week, running from 11th to the 17th of May. This year's theme is "Dying to be Heard".

In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, we attach this letter from the winners of the Dundas Medal 2019 – Jules Lewis [and her team] working at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital, England.

I think as a nurse, what sits uncomfortably with me, is not being able to offer the full swan scheme resources to the dying person and family. The Swan scheme is our end of life and bereavement care programme.[1] It includes our lovely memory boxes with contents, swan chairs, mood lights and CD player. We cannot offer any of these to our patients or their families during Covid19, as these items would not cope with professional healthcare cleaning requirements.

Things we have been able to do are: Taste for Pleasure[2] [and locks of hair – we put the lock of hair into a sealed bag with instructions not to open for seven days. I have worn a photo of myself on my PPE to show people what I look like normally – the person behind the mask; the hearts of kindness[3] and virtual visits using iPads and iPhones to keep family informed. We have allowed visitors to be with patients who are dying, as long as they wear PPE. ITU has been more challenging due to aerosol procedures, so virtual visits have been helpful.

I have been doing a lot of staff support debriefings, which have been really helpful. I am sure we will need to continue this as we are dealing with many more deaths. Staff not only have these worries at work but also have worries at home with children being off school, other family members off work, and not being able to see family and friends.

Staff support is paramount for us now and in the future.

We are trying so hard to sit with patients if their family are unable to visit – as our volunteers are not able to support us at this time. No one should die alone

Jules Lewis
End of Life Care Facilitator / Lead Nurse

Further information

References and Footnotes

  1. Jules Lewis, Jules Lock, Roy Lilley (Spring 2020). Bereavement Management in a Time of Crisis, booklet containing advice, ideas, questions for discussion and guidance on end-of-life care. ↩
  2. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust Wins National Award | The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, article published 11 Feb 2020. ↩
  3. Knitted kindness hearts to be gifted to patients and their families | The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital, article published ↩

Second award of PATCH trophy at the Westmorland County Show

Posted: 8 October, 2019

The second award of the PATCH trophy for the champion Highlander has been awarded to Dexter Logan of Blairlogan Highlanders.

Dexter is seen here being presented with the PATCH trophy by the Medical Director of PATCH, Dr Pamela Levack.

The striking PATCH perpetual trophy created by Lady Sally Nairn, the wife of our Chairman, was first awarded to the Champion at a Highland Cattle Show at the Nairns’ home, Balnabroich, in September 2017.

The trophy was awarded for a second time at the Highland Gathering held as part of Westmorland County Show on 12 September 2019. The winner was Dexter Logan of Blairlogan Highlanders with his outstanding two-year heifer Ban-Iarla-Morag 9th.

Lady Sally Nairn holding the trophy accompanied by Mr Sam Rayner, President of the Westmorland County Agricultural Society and his wife Judy (image by kind permission of the Society).

The weather on Show day was ‘challenging’ with almost incessant rain and the PATCH team was extremely grateful for use of the Highland Cattle Society tent to shelter from the downpour.

Our display attracted a lot of interest with sales of Christmas cards and donations raising £800. We were very grateful to the Highlanders exhibitors who very generously elected to hand over to PATCH the whole of a £500 donation that they had received from an agricultural supply company.

First Dundas medal awarded to specialist palliative care team in Glasgow

Posted: 5 March, 2018

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and charity PATCH award inaugural medal to team acknowledging palliative care excellence

Left to right – Mr Alistair McKeown, Consultant in Palliative medicine at QEUH; Professor Mike-Lavelle Jones (President of RCSEd); and Fiona Kerr, Specialist nurse in Palliative Care at QEUH.

The next Dundas medal is currently open for applications. It will be open to any individuals or teams, medical, nursing or paramedical staff working in the UK. Submissions will close on 4th July 2018.

News release – 15 February 2018 – The first recipients of the Dundas medal, recognising excellence in palliative care provision in a UK hospital setting, is the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) in Glasgow.

The medal which was introduced by PATCH and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, aims to recognise efforts to improve the provision of palliative care for patients when they are in hospital.

It was launched in April 2017 and impressive submissions were received from Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. The team at the QEUH was the first to be recognised for its work in supporting patients who need palliative care.

Alistair McKeown, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, QEUH, said: “We are delighted to be awarded the Dundas Medal, and grateful to both PATCH and the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh for their recognition of our service.

“Our team helps patients and families across all wards in QEUH, not just at end of life, but also in optimising quality of life over days, weeks, months and years, irrespective of diagnosis.”

The medal was established in memory of Dr. Charles Robert (Bertie) Dundas, a consultant anaesthetist at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and a clinical senior lecturer at the University of Aberdeen for over 30 years. He died in 2014 from hepatobiliary cancer.

His family provided the legacy for this medal to acknowledge the importance of good palliative care for patients approaching the end of life, particularly in a hospital setting. The need for appropriate holistic care including pain and symptom control, as well as clear communication with patients and families, is fundamental for those with life limiting conditions and especially at the end of life. The Dundas Medal aims to raise the profile of this need and entitlement across the UK.

Sir Michael Nairn, Chairman of PATCH commented:

The awarding of the first Dundas Medal in partnership with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is a special moment for PATCH and for the family of Dr. Dundas. He was dedicated to the care of patients throughout his whole life and we are very pleased to commemorate his passion and commitments with this award, by recognising excellence in other healthcare professionals.

The majority of us are destined to die in hospital, and now, more than ever, there is a clear recognition of the need to provide good palliative care for patients when they are in hospital. This award highlights the importance of this care and the excellent members of staff who are delivering it. The Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is supporting patients and their families at what is often a very difficult and distressing time. We are so grateful to them and are very pleased to be able to recognise and reward their work.

Professor Mike Lavelle-Jones, President RCSEd commented:

We are very proud to be working with PATCH to award the first ever Dundas Medal and offer our congratulations to the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow.

Good palliative care covers many different areas, not least effective pain and symptom control, and effective communication with patients and families. To be able to provide respect, dignity and comfort to a patient in palliative care is an enormous gift. This award honours the work the Hospital Specialist Palliative Care Team at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow has achieved and we thank them for all the work that they do in this area.

Dundas medal launched to commemorate Aberdeen consultant

Posted: 27 April, 2017

Scottish charity PATCH and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and collaborate to recognise those delivering best palliative care.

News release – 25 April 2017 – A new medal has been introduced by Scottish charity PATCH (Palliation And The Caring Hospital) and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to recognise efforts to improve the provision of palliative care for patients when they are in hospital. The Dundas medal commemorates a former Aberdeen anaesthetist who died in 2014 from hepatobiliary cancer.

The family of Dr Dundas provided the legacy for this medal to acknowledge the importance of good palliative care for patients approaching the end of life, particularly in a hospital setting. The need for appropriate pain and symptom control, as well as clear communication with patients and families, is fundamental for those at the end of life.  The Dundas Medal aims to raise the profile of this need right across the UK.

The Dundas medal will be open to any individuals or teams, medical, nursing or paramedical working in the UK. The applicants or the applying teams are invited to submit an example from their own clinical experience detailing how they have made a difference to the provision of palliative care in their own hospital setting.

Dr Charles Robert (Bertie) Dundas was a consultant anaesthetist in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and a senior clinical lecturer at the Foresterhill campus of Aberdeen University for over 30 years. He also served in the Gulf War as a consultant anaesthetist in the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Sir Michael Nairn, Chairman of PATCH commented:

We are delighted to announce the inauguration of the Dundas Medal in partnership with The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Dr Dundas was dedicated to the medical profession his whole life and we are privileged to be able to recognise his commitments with this new award.

The importance of palliative care in the hospital setting is something that he was very aware of, and his family wishes to encourage and recognise far greater availability of this, in his memory.

The majority of us are destined to die in hospital, and now, more than ever, there is a clear recognition of the need to provide good palliative care for patients when they are in hospital. This is being provided by members of the hospital staff right across the UK and we want to recognise and congratulate these teams or individuals with this new award.

Mr Mike Lavelle-Jones, President RCSEd commented:

I am delighted to launch the Dundas Medal as one of our initiatives with our new partners at PATCH.  This award recognises the dedication and commitment of all those involved in the advancement and delivery of palliative care highlighting the contributions not only of medical individuals or teams but also the valuable work undertaken by nursing and paramedical staff.

Further information

For more information or guidance about the Dundas medal, see Awards and medals – The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh