Thank You Event 2025: Team of the Year – Highly Commended

Every year we celebrate our amazing staff and their achievements at our Thank You ceremony. Board members will surprise colleagues at their bases and present them with a hamper, balloons and a certificate for being shining examples of our magnificent staff behaviours.

The Community Intravenous Administration Service (CIVAS) team is dedicated to supporting patients who require IV antibiotics at home, enabling them to regain a sense of normality in their lives. The team actively encourage patients to self-administer their treatment, promoting independence and enabling many to return to work or resume daily activities. They remain committed to continuous improvement and always look for ways to enhance patient care by listening, learning, and adapting their approach.

The CIVAS Team consistently demonstrates kindness, professionalism, and a strong sense of mutual support. The team work collaboratively to manage the workload, regularly sharing tasks and responsibilities to ensure smooth service delivery. Daily handovers allow the team to discuss patients, check in with one another, and raise any issues, which are then escalated to the two clinical leads ensuring timely resolution and continuity of care. The team holds regular one to one meetings, team meetings, clinical supervision sessions, and ‘lunch and learns.’ These are inclusive of the whole team and foster open, honest conversations that reflect the LCH values and encourage peer support and knowledge-sharing, helping each other to manage complex patients more effectively.

The CIVAS Team maintain a close working relationship with the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Team and the Infectious Diseases (ID) doctors at St James's Hospital, ensuring that patients are discharged efficiently and safely. Communication is constant and proactive, which allows the delivery of high-quality care for patients receiving treatment at home.

Recently, the CIVAS team completed the Quality and Value (Q&V) initiative for the Trust, developing ways to work more efficiently. This project showcased the team’s cohesion, creativity, and forward-thinking approach. Everyone’s contributions were valued equally, and the collective input has helped shape the future direction of the CIVAS service. Several impactful changes, including a revision of shift times has improved capacity to support hospital discharges, helping to free up beds for those who need them most. Additionally, in collaboration with the admin team, the process for booking Zoledronic Acid (ZA) patients has been streamlined. The launch of two extra dedicated shifts weekly has meant patients can be seen sooner, treatment can be administered more efficiently, travel times for nurses has reduced and increased clinical time for nurses.

LCH Chair, Brodie Clark CBE surprised the CIVAS Team at Chapeltown Health Centre, praising them, "The work and performances you deliver is just superb and this is recognition of what you do on a day by day basis. A real sense of care and consideration and going the extra mile with all the work that you do to make sure patients receive the best support. On behalf the Trust, it's a real honour to present this award to you".