A Southern Health and Social Care Trust project to improve patient safety and better support people at risk of self-harm through ligature has been shortlisted for a national Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety Award.
The Trust is the only Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland to be named among this year’s finalists.
Led by the Trust’s Ligature Policy Implementation Group, the four-year programme has strengthened how staff identify and manage potential risks linked to self-harm through ligature across services. The initiative has improved support for patients and families, information sharing, shared decision-making, and the guidance and training available to staff.
The work has been shaped by service users and people with lived experience, helping to ensure that improvements reflect the needs of those who access services and those closest to them.
Over the past four years, the project has introduced new policies, specialist risk assessment processes and ligature rescue procedures, with more than 1,600 staff trained, 150 staff trained as ligature risk assessors and over 120 ligature rescue kit bags introduced across Trust services.
Caroline Beattie, Trust Senior Manager for Standards, Risk and Learning and Project Lead, said:
“Recognition at this level is a real credit to the colleagues, service user representatives and people with lived experience who have worked together over the past four years to strengthen how we identify and respond to the risk of self-harm through ligature across our services.
“Their insight has helped shape this work and improve how we support people at some of the most difficult times in their lives.
“I am very proud of what has been achieved. This gives us an important opportunity to share the learning from this work with colleagues across the UK.”
Dr Stephen Austin, Medical Director at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, said:
“This is a significant achievement for the team and reflects the Trust’s ongoing focus on improving safety for patients, especially those who may be experiencing crisis or distress.
“The involvement of service users and people with lived experience has been central to this initiative and is a key part of our Vision and Strategy 2030. Listening to patients and learning from their experiences helps us develop safer, more effective services and improve outcomes for those who use them.
“I would like to congratulate Caroline and the whole team who have contributed to this initiative.”
HSJ Editor Alastair McLellan said:
“The HSJ Awards are not only a celebration of success stories but also a platform to share learning, improve patient outcomes and help shape the future of healthcare.”
More than 1,300 entries were submitted to this year’s awards, with 231 projects and individuals making the final shortlist. The winners will be announced at the HSJ Awards ceremony at Evolution London on 19 November 2026.
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