Our Diabetes team, led by Dr Gerry Rayman, has won the national HSJ Awards patient safety gong.

The award is for the team’s pioneering ‘Ipswich Touch Test for feet’ which helps identify patients at high risk and therefore requiring heel protection. It simplifies foot examinations.

The test has been rolled out to other hospitals in a drive to reduce hospital-acquired heel ulceration by 50%.

As a result of research by our Diabetes team showing that relatives and carers can use the test at home, the charity DiabetesUK launched a nationwide self-test initiative.

The HSJ awards were held in London last night.