NHS Arden & GEM CSU’s IT Service Desk has been successful at the International Quality Awards, winning the Quality Team of the Year category for their contribution to successful governance, assurance, improvement and leadership.
The International Quality Awards span eight categories and are now in their seventh year, celebrating exceptional quality professionals and auditors across the globe. Organised by the Chartered Quality Institute, the award ceremony took place as part of Quality Live in London on Thursday 20 June 2024.
The Quality Team of the Year category recognises organisational impact through the application of knowledge and skills in the CQI Profession Map areas of governance, assurance, improvement and leadership. Commenting on Arden & GEM’s entry, the judges said:
“We chose them as this dedicated and passionate quality team showcased their approachability and humanity, through compelling storytelling. Earning trust, enhancing data-driven decision-making, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.”
“Very clear submission and a great example of quality improvement led by a team. Throughout the written submission and interview it was clear that the team had a real passion for what they did and the improvements made were impressive and sustainable.”
The Arden & GEM IT Service Desk is a multidisciplinary department - comprising around 100 people - providing technical support to over 70,000 users, including staff in community hospitals, mental health trusts, general practice and Integrated Care Boards.
Established in 2022, the Quality Improvement Team has transformed the outputs and outcomes of the service. Creating clear and robust processes, boosting staff morale and harnessing talent has led to increased retention and, ultimately, improved service delivery to customers.
Commenting on the award success, Arden & GEM’s Head of Continual Service Improvement, Kay Lee said:
“I am absolutely delighted that our team has been recognised by the International Quality Awards for the key role we play in delivering cost-effective, user-friendly, responsive and reliable IT support to NHS services.
"Our approach to improvement is underpinned by listening to people – both customers and staff – and giving them an opportunity to be involved in solutions. This helps us to put standards and training in place that improve not just service delivery but also our entire culture. Continuous improvement is now built into our service and its positive impact can be seen across our KPIs.”
The full list of winners from the event is available here.