Medical staff at Teddington Memorial Hospital have been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare (HRCH) NHS Trust has made the cut from a record-breaking year of entries for the Nursing Times Awards 2017.

The team based at Teddington Memorial Hospital, in Hampton road, have been nominated for the Patient Safety Improvement category after being recognised for their work to transform the inpatient rehabilitation unit.

The next stage requires HRCH to complete presentations and interviews to a judging panel made up of senior and influential figures from the health sector – who will announce the winner at an award ceremony on November 2, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane.

Donna Lamb, director of nursing at HRCH, said: “I am really proud of the team’s hard work and dedication, and we will continue to do all we can to increase safety for patients.

“It is fantastic news that we are being recognised at a national level.”

Work by HRCH has seen the average stay of 44 days to an average of 17 days and the team have also transformed the rehabilitation care provided from a ‘requires improvement’ Care Quality Commission (CQC) rating in March 2016 to ‘good’ on all key lines of enquiry in February 2017.

Now in its 27th year, The Nursing Times Awards are the most respected awards in the nursing and healthcare sector and offer recognition for the innovative and excellent care that nurses at all levels provide across the UK.

Jenni Middleton, editor of Nursing Times, said: “It never ceases to amaze me that at a time when we see the NHS and the healthcare provider space is so stretched that nurses continue to find the energy, passion and motivation to innovate for the benefit of their patients, service users and residents.

“Across the board in all clinical areas and care settings – from the community to hospitals to care homes and beyond, we see nurses challenging the status quo and working hard to provide better quality, safer care and a better experience for those who use their services.

“The Nursing Times Awards is truly a celebration of their hard work, drive and talent - we salute them, and I congratulate everyone who is shortlisted.”