cfoaThe Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) has been rewarded by the NHS Alliance with its ‘Innovation in Action’ award for 2014, recognising its work in helped fire and rescue services share data with health partners.

The Association's Ageing Safely Lead Evan Morris received the ‘Sharing Innovation’ award at the 'Breaking Boundaries and Beyond Action Summit' at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London earlier this month [4 Dec].

After receiving the award Morris said: “This work has only been possible thanks to the support and cooperation of the NHS and the Information Commissioner’s office. By sharing this data, fire and rescue services will be able to reduce fire deaths even further, and contribute to benefitting their communities’ health.”

The ‘Sharing Innovation’ award recognises organisations who have spread and scaled up an activity and in 2013 Morris was commissioned to manage a major project to work with NHS England to expand data sharing agreements to all English Fire and Rescue Services.

Since 2013 significant gains have been made and Sir Bruce Keogh, Caldecott Guardian for NHS England, has written to CFOA supporting the project. The project has so far helped fire and rescue services share data with health partners, allowing them to develop services and interventions targeted at some of those most in need in the community. 

The target date for data to transfer to English FRS is December 2014 - January 2015.

CFOA President Peter Dartford added: “This award is not only a testament to the fantastic hard work of Evan Morris and his team, but also the important wider role of the fire and rescue service. I am delighted that this has been recognised by our colleagues in the health service.”

Work undertaken in Cheshire and Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) has seen both authorities developing bespoke targeted services that make clients safer from fire, and increase the uptake in services improving health and social care outcomes.

Case studies have shown evidence that this approach has cut fire deaths and injuries to below the national average and there is additional evidence of improved health outcomes. CFOA is seeking to scale this success up across the UK.
  
To find out more about the project visit http://www.nhsalliance.org/