02 Jul 08

The team received the award at Wembley Stadium last night

A team involving Oxford University has won a national Health and Social Care Award. Their innovative approach to improving care for people with bipolar disorder was recognised last night during an event at Wembley stadium held as part of the NHS 60th birthday celebrations.

The project, which scooped the 'NHS Live' award, is a collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford and Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. The group worked together to come up with a text messaging system for people with bipolar disorder that enables them to monitor their own condition and keep GPs up-to-date with how they're feeling.

Having seen off competition earlier in the year to become regional winners of the Health & Social Care Awards, the Oxford team saw off two other national finalists to be selected overall winner by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and the Department of Health.

'I am delighted that our project has been selected from so many for the NHS Live award,' said Professor John Geddes of Oxford University. 'We believe our text messaging system is a great way of improving support for those with bipolar disorder and it allows them to take much more control of the way they live with their condition.'

The Health and Social Care Awards recognise projects across care and community settings, with many of the winning projects the result of collaboration between health, education, local government and social care professionals.

'With this project, we’ve created something that can really make a difference to the way care is provided,’ said Professor Geddes. ‘We’re keen to share our learning more widely so that others can copy it for themselves. This award is an important step in that process.'

'Falling as they do on the eve of the NHS’s 60th birthday, these awards paint a very positive picture of the direction the health service will take in the next 60 years,' added Bernard Crump, chief executive officer of the NHS Institute for Innovation & Improvement. 'It’s breakthrough ideas like this one from people on the front line who understand the issues that can make the biggest difference. It’s essential we continue to identify and support these individuals so everyone can benefit.'

The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement supports the NHS to transform healthcare for patients and the public by rapidly developing and spreading new ways of working, new technology and world-class leadership.