Our competition to encourage suggestions from trainee doctors and dentists across Wales on how video could be used to improve patient care, has now chosen the winners.
Launched last October in partnership with Wales Deanery and BMJ Quality, the competition has attracted some excellent entries. The quality was incredibly good and prizes could have been easily awarded to any of the entries. After much deliberation, the panel of judges (from Wales Deanery, Health and Care Videos, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and 1000 Lives) selected one very worthy winner and two runners-up.
The winner
Vikram Devlia, a Foundation Year 1 Doctor at Nevill Hall Hospital, was the overall winner of the competition with his proposal to use video to explain to patients and healthcare professionals the importance of the correct use of TED stockings to prevent venous thromboembolisms (VTEs), more commonly known as blood clots, which occur after procedures such as surgery. This is not just a problem in Wales but across the whole of the UK and Vikram’s innovative use of video will aim to reduce the risk to patients.
Vikram (pictured above 3rd from the left with his team) will have his idea produced as a video which will be shared widely to improve patient care in this area. He also wins a subscription to BMJ Quality to help to get his research paper published.
The runners-up
Runner up prizes were awarded to Richard Ellis, an ST4 Doctor at Royal Gwent Hospital who proposed a video to help women recover more quickly after a planned caesarean, and Peter Slade, an ST6 Doctor at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. Dr Slade 
(pictured here on the left) came up with an idea for a video to educate patients who present with symptoms suggestive of a TIA (transient ischaemic attack). They are referred to a rapid access TIA service by their general practitioner or the emergency department but need to have understood some vital information about their condition prior to travelling to their appointment. Both runners up will also have their ideas turned into videos to help their patients and save time for the NHS.
Dr Matthew Halkes, Clinical Director at Health and Care Videos and Director for Education at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust says ‘We had an overwhelming response to the competition and received some truly innovative and well thought out entries, making our decision to choose a winner incredibly difficult. We are always seeking new and innovative uses for video within health and believe in the power of trainees to play an important role in implementing quality improvement projects to improve organisational systems.’
The winning videos will be showcased at the 1000 Lives event in March.
We’d like to thank Wales Deanery and BMJ Quality for their support.
If you are interested in running a similar competition in your area or within a specific specialty, please contact us.
