A HOSPITAL in Winchester could be in line for an important industry award.

BMI Sarum Road has successfully implemented a process to assess patients at risk from deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (VTE).

Their work has now been shortlisted for an Independent Healthcare Award, which recognises quality and innovation in the private healthcare sector.

Jenny Liggit, acting executive director at the hospital, said: “The recognition is a testament to all staff in the hospital who worked hard to develop and implement the thrombosis service with our patient's safety at the core.”

The initiative at BMI Sarum Road Hospital in Winchester is part of a wider programme from its parent company, BMI Healthcare, whose thrombosis board has also been shortlisted, in the risk management category, for its VTE Exemplar Status accreditation.

VTE can be life threatening as clots, usually formed in the veins of a patient's leg, can break loose and travel through the heart and into the pulmonary arteries through where they cause a blockage.

It is responsible for 25,000, often preventable, deaths each year in the UK.

Winners will be announced at the Independent Healthcare Awards gala dinner on October 8.