A collaborative project where volunteers look for early signs of stroke in friends and family has picked up a prestigious award.
The Atrial Fibrillation Ambassadors in the Community project was crowned Provider Collaboration of the Year in the annual Health Service Journal awards on November 18.
The award was handed out by comedian and presenter Sue Perkins along with HSJ editor Alastair McLellan.
The AF Ambassador role was created in partnership between The Stroke Association and the Innovation Agency.
Community ambassadors use portable ECG devices to identify friends, family members and colleagues who may be at a high risk of having an atrial fibrillation (AF) – a heart condition that can lead to a stroke.
Volunteer ambassador Wendy Westoby said: “For me – the personal gain is just ONE person who is positive and is referred to their GP for investigation which will hopefully minimise the effect of AF on their lives.
“It never ceases to amaze me how people generally aren’t aware of how to check their own pulse rate and rhythm.”
An estimated 20,000 people in the North West Coast region have AF.
The initiative anticipates that it will identify 1,000 new cases of AF over the next two years which could help prevent 34 strokes and save more than £750,000 in health costs.
Debbie Parkinson, public involvement lead for the Innovation Agency, said: “This award is truly a team effort and I am really proud of our work and the AF ambassadors.
“Detecting AF, helping prevent stroke and saving lives is thanks enough, but this award will help us make more people aware and understand the importance of #knowyourpulse.”
Dr Phil Jennings, chief executive of the Innovation Agency, added: “This is a fantastic achievement and richly deserved. It’s great to see this team who have worked relentlessly often in their own time to receive recognition – well done!”
