The Acute Assessment Team at University Hospital Crosshouse has been awarded the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh’s inaugural William Cullen prize for excellence in service innovation.

The prize was awarded at NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s annual awards ceremony on 30 June 2016 at University Hospital Ayr.

Professor Andrew Collier, RCPE Regional Advisor, said:

“I am delighted to award the new William Cullen Prize to the Acute Assessment Team at Crosshouse. It recognises the achievement and hard work of the team in opening the new Unit which will improve patient experience and reduce pressure on other parts of the hospital.

“The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh has members and Fellows all over the world, but this prize particularly recognises excellence at a local level in Scotland”.

ENDS

Contact: Sara Collier, RCPE - 0131 247 3658 / s.collier@rcpe.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1. The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is an independent standard-setting body and professional membership organisation. The College’s aim is to improve and maintain the quality of patient care. RCPE helps qualified doctors to pursue their careers in specialist (internal) medicine through medical examinations, education and training. It also provides resources and information to support and facilitate professional development for physicians throughout their careers.

2. The William Cullen Prize was created in 2016 to recognise excellence in teaching or service innovation at a regional level.

3. William Cullen (1710-1790) was the most influential medical lecturer of his generation, and drew thousands of students to the Edinburgh Medical School. As the pre-eminent Scottish medical figure of his day, Cullen’s opinion was in high demand and people wrote to him from around the world requesting his advice on treatments. An archive of his private consultation letters can be found at http://cullenproject.ac.uk/

4. The Combined Assessment Unit at University Hospital Crosshouse opened in April 2016. It is a 24-hour unit with ten rapid assessment spaces, 11 ambulatory care spaces, and 35 single en-suite rooms to provide treatment, with most patients only staying in the unit up to a maximum of 48 hours.