Prestigious annual award goes to local doctor Leanne

Banbridge's Dr Leanne Laverty has been awarded this year's prestigious Dundee Medal by the Northern Ireland Society of Anaesthetists.
Dr Leanne Laverty, Speciality Trainee Anaesthetist at Craigavon Area Hospital who has won the Dundee Medal 2016.Dr Leanne Laverty, Speciality Trainee Anaesthetist at Craigavon Area Hospital who has won the Dundee Medal 2016.
Dr Leanne Laverty, Speciality Trainee Anaesthetist at Craigavon Area Hospital who has won the Dundee Medal 2016.

The Southern Trust Anaesthetist, a Speciality Trainee at Craigavon Area Hospital, received the annual award , given in memory of Professor John W. Dundee OBE, for the development of a quality improvement project in the recipient’s chosen field.

Under the supervision of Dr Kieran O’Connor, Consultant Anaesthetist and lead for Paediatric Anaesthesia for Craigavon Hospital, Dr Laverty developed new protocols for ‘Paediatric Critical Care Transfers.’

Dr O’Connor said: “Treating a critically ill child in an emergency situation is one of the most stressful situations for any healthcare professional to be involved in.

“It is absolutely vital that we are doing everything we can whilst they are in our care to ensure their safe transfer to the Regional Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital and the best possible outcome from their treatment there.

“Leanne’s project involved very meticulous auditing of all critically ill children who required stabilisation or resuscitation at Craigavon before being transferred to the Royal.

“She has developed a more simplified way of documenting vital information specifically for children in an emergency situation, identified training opportunities for professional colleagues and has plans in place to share this learning with other hospitals across the region.”

Dr Charlie McAllister, Associate Medical Director for Anaesthetics, Theatres and Intensive Care Services at the Southern Trust, added: “Anaesthetists form the largest single hospital medical specialty and their skills are crucial in many aspects of patient care, from pre-operative preparation and resuscitation to intensive care medicine and pain relief. Leanne is the latest Southern Trust anaesthetist over the last number of years to receive the Dundee Medal which reflects the high calibre of anaesthetic staff we have in our hospitals.”