Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service wins HSJ Patient Safety Award
Alliance for Better Care’s (ABC) Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service (RASS) has won the Improving Safety and Outcomes for Minority Ethnic Communities category at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.
The national award recognises organisations taking a concerted, systematic approach to tackling disparities in patient safety, reducing health inequalities and addressing unwarranted variation in care for minority ethnic communities. It particularly recognises evidence-based, data-driven interventions that demonstrate impact and the potential to be replicated at scale.
The judges described the work as:
“A compelling example of how proactive, trauma-informed primary care can improve safety, experience and outcomes for one of the NHS’s most vulnerable populations. A well-developed programme that shows leaders and commissioners why Inclusion Pays.”
ABC’s Inclusion Pays report underpinned the award submission, bringing together service impact, patient outcomes and economic evidence to demonstrate the wider value of investing in proactive Inclusion Health services.
The report was developed to strengthen the evidence for Inclusion Health investment, demonstrating how targeted primary care support can improve outcomes for people experiencing significant health inequalities while helping to reduce pressure and avoid costs elsewhere in the health and care system.
Lena Abu, Director of Inclusion Health and Transformation at Alliance for Better Care, said:
“I’m incredibly proud of our team and what they achieve every day for a community that can face some of the greatest barriers to accessing healthcare, particularly in the context of an increasingly challenging national climate.
What makes this recognition even more important is that Inclusion Pays has helped us tell the wider story of why this work matters. Health inequality is expensive - for individuals, communities and the wider health and care system. Our evidence shows that the alternative can be both compassionate and cost-effective: investing earlier, removing barriers to care and preventing problems from escalating. Inclusion Health isn’t simply the right thing to do; it is smart public investment.”
The award reflects a partnership approach involving colleagues across primary care and the wider health and care system. ABC thanked NHS Surrey and Sussex ICB alongside local authority, voluntary and community sector partners, for their continued collaboration and commitment to improving access, safety and outcomes.
The win also marks an important milestone for ABC’s wider Inclusion Health programme, with Inclusion Pays providing a framework for demonstrating both the impact and economic value of services supporting underserved communities.
Congratulations to all the finalists and nominees, recognising the incredible work taking place across the NHS to improve patient safety, reduce inequalities and deliver better outcomes for minority ethnic communities.
Find out more about Alliance for Better Care’s Inclusion Health service and download the Inclusion Pays report to explore the impact, evidence and economic case behind the service.