Waterlily team celebrates win at HSJ Patient Safety Awards
The Waterlily programme, which is coordinated by the East Midlands Alliance Adult Eating Disorders Collaborative, has won the 'Community Initiative Award' at the Health Service Journal's (HSJ) patient safety awards.
Recent data suggests that of the 48 patients that have taken part in the pioneering online programme for adults with anorexia nervosa, which has been running for 16 months, the majority have demonstrated significant improvements in weight, psychological well-being and eating disordered behaviours.
The service delivers practical and psychoeducational groups as well as therapeutic interventions for patients, with the aim of restoring weight and preventing potential inpatient admission.
Sandra Marshall, the project lead, welcomed the national award. She said: "We are really, really pleased.
"It is bridging a gap for a cohort of patients who are at risk, and it is allowing them to be treated in the community rather than having lengthy inpatient admissions.
"We have created additional capacity by opening the digital service. It's going very well. We have received phenomenal feedback."
The virtual service has proved a cost-effective, safe and impactful alternative to a ward environment. There are also opportunities for face-to-face sessions with qualified healthcare professionals.
Each day of support through the service starts with patients being supported via video conferencing apps to have breakfast in their own homes.
They spend the rest of the week having a variety of group and individual therapy sessions, again through a device, supported lunches, and a supported evening meal once a week.
On Fridays they have a session to help them plan their eating across the weekend.
Examples of feedback received include the following:
"I have improved in every aspect of my physical and mental health. Even though I still have a long way to go, I am in a much better place to continue my journey. I can't thank Waterlily enough. It really saved my life."
"Without this programme, our daughter would not be making the progress that she is and we cannot thanks the Waterlily team enough."
"It has been amazing, it has flown by and I wish that I had a few more weeks to restore my weight further. The positivity, knowledge, support and advice is just never ending and I have found 16 weeks of Waterlily far more helpful than three 6-month long admissions. Thank you Waterlily."
"I honestly feel that Waterlily has changed my life for the better. 16 weeks ago, I felt so hopeless, physically weak and unhappy that I did not know if I had the capacity to attempt to recover as I felt so stuck in my struggles. Waterlily has put me in the best place I have been mentally since being diagnosed and the support and knowledge of the staff and fellow patients has helped me to address and admit to things which have held me back in the past and hindered full recovery previously."