TWO South Devon doctors have scooped awards recognising their contributions to medical leadership and innovation at Torbay Hospital.

Dr Gurcharan Dua received the Leadership Award, while Dr Ben Bartlett was presented with the Innovation Award at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s annual SAS Awards ceremony.

The awards celebrate Specialty and Specialist doctors who make an exceptional contribution to patient care, colleagues and healthcare services.

Dr Dua was recognised for his longstanding commitment to supporting doctors and helping develop the SAS workforce across South Devon.

Alongside his clinical role, he serves as SAS Chair, SAS Tutor, a member of the Local Negotiating Committee and Foundation Year 2 Programme Lead.

He also works as an appraiser, supporting colleagues across the organisation.

Through these roles, Dr Dua has championed the interests of SAS doctors, helped strengthen professional development opportunities and supported colleagues at different stages of their careers.

Dr Bartlett received his award for his work to improve the use of Epic, the trust’s electronic patient record system, which was introduced earlier this year.

He developed new clinical templates for acute medicine, including a clerking proforma designed to improve the consistency of medical documentation and ensure important clinical information is recorded.

His work has been praised for helping clinicians use the system more efficiently while supporting high standards of documentation and patient safety.

Dr Kate Lissett, chief medical officer, said the awards recognised two important contributions to the organisation.

‘Our SAS doctors make an enormous contribution to patient care and to the development of our services’, she said.

She praised Dr Dua’s leadership and commitment to supporting colleagues, alongside Dr Bartlett’s innovative approach to technology and improving working practices.

Both doctors were described as deserving recipients for their significant contributions to the trust.

The ceremony also celebrated the wider role of SAS doctors across a range of specialties, recognising the experience, expertise and continuity they bring to services for local people across Torbay and South Devon.