“You never stop caring” – London Ambulance Service innovation shortlisted for two awards

London Ambulance Service has been shortlisted for two HSJ awards for a digital innovation that allows paramedics to see patient outcomes after hospital handover for the first time in the UK.

The app, called My Clinical Feedback, was shortlisted in the Driving Change Through Data and the Improving Urgent and Emergency Care through Digital categories of the prestigious HSJ awards.

Until now, paramedics and other ambulance clinicians have been making rapid – and sometimes life-or-death decisions – without knowing the ongoing impact of those decisions or the outcome for the patients they treat.

My Clinical Feedback changes that.

“The caring doesn’t stop when you drop the patient at hospital”

Assistant ambulance practitioner Jayne Gillis said: “We all join this job because we care and the caring doesn’t stop when you drop the patient at the hospital, you keep caring.

“Now you can find out what happened to your patient. You can see the diagnoses or whether they’ve been discharged, and you get a chance to reflect on your decisions.”

The app also encourages ambulance clinicians to discuss cases anonymously with their team to share knowledge and learning.

By tracking what happens to their patients, clinicians can reflect on their interventions and treatment; learn from each case; and continuously improve the care they provide.

Improving patient experience and reducing hospital admissions

The app is helping to improve patient experience.

Since its introduction, ambulance crews are increasingly empowered to treat patients at home when it is safe to do so, reducing unnecessary trips to hospital.

This eases pressure on the wider NHS and saves money too – it is expected to contribute to saving the NHS £23 million a year.

Designed by clinicians, shaped with patients

Paramedics at London Ambulance Service led the clinical design of the app with patient groups who were involved from an early stage.

The result is faster, safer, and more consistent care, with patients being treated in the right place for their needs.

Now live across 15 London hospitals, the innovation is attracting national interest. London Ambulance Service is working with partners across the NHS to make My Clinical Feedback a blueprint for wider adoption and to explore how the model could be rolled out across the UK.

Better decisions, better outcomes

David Davis, paramedic and Chief Information Officer, said:

“Over 18 months, our work has already helped provide ambulance clinicians with insight into the care they provide which allows even better decisions to be made and results in patients getting the right care in the right setting.

“My Clinical Feedback is good for patients and clinicians, but good for the NHS too, taking pressure off busy emergency departments, and in turn saving millions of pounds.

“But the ultimate ambition is even bigger: to give every ambulance crew in the UK access to outcome data that informs practice, improves learning, and makes patient care safer.

“It’s a real shift from measuring success by response times to focusing on the outcomes that truly matter.”

My Clinical Feedback was developed in partnership with McKinsey & Company, bringing together clinical expertise and practical product development support.

The winners will be announced in May.