Doctors behaving imaginatively

The judges for the BMJ Group Award for the secondary care team of the year were looking for UK teams that had produced measureable improvements in outcomes that mattered to patients. Evidence of team work was given high priority; and, with a nod to the current economic climate, we encouraged entries implemented within the organisation’s existing resources.

Altogether we received 26 entries, from which the judges shortlisted four. Many great sounding initiatives didn’t make the cut because they lacked robust data on patient outcomes. Of the shortlisted entries two came from distant edges of the country, while two came from metropolitan London.

The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS), which is based at the Glasgow City Heliport, has transformed the care and transfer of seriously ill and injured patients in remote and rural Scotland. Two dozen healthcare facilities in such areas receive emergency patients without onsite emergency physicians or intensive care units.

The initiative began in 2004 with 10 consultants delivering a 24 hour a day advisory service for seven remote hospitals on a voluntary basis. In 2008 the EMRS was established as a government funded pilot to provide training and support to …