31/10/05 -  Royal College of General Practitioners Disability Care Award
 

The Disability Care Award, sponsored by Leonard Cheshire, is an annual award which recognises service excellence for disabled people by GPs and doctor's surgeries.

Any GP or surgery in the UK is eligible for the award.  The same piece of work or innovation can only be used to apply for one College award within a three year period.

The award recognises those GPs and doctor's surgeries who have gone beyond their legal obligations to make their service not only accessible but inclusive.  The judges are looking for fresh thinking, innovation and ideas which ensure that the needs of disabled people, and not the service provider, comes first.

Perhaps the staff have learned British Sign Language (BSL) or the GPs can arrange special clinics outside the surgery to make sure that every patient, no matter their disability, can attend.  For some disabled people the greatest innovation will be the experience of being treated by staff who can see the person rather than the disability.

The Awards Committee of the Royal College of General Practitioners along with members of the Disability Task Group of the RCGP and Leonard Cheshire will select a winner from the entries received by the deadline of 23rd December 2005.

Nomination forms and further information can be obtained from:
Mayuri Patel at the Awards Team  on 0207 581 3232 Ext 233