9 November 2004
Pharmacist wins award from The Health Foundation
Dr Faranak Ansari, Pharmacist and Quality Improvement Coordinator at Dundee University Faculty of
Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, has won a Leaders for Change award from The Health Foundation. The
award will enable her to improve patient care in Dundee.
In her current role at the NHS Tayside Medicines Unit and the Health Informatics Centre at Dundee
University, Dr Ansari coordinates improvements in the prescription of antibiotics and develops information
systems and indicators for good practice. Dr Ansari will look at how antibiotics are prescribed in
Scotland to tackle increasing levels of resistance to drugs.
The Health Foundation is an independent charity that aims to improve health and the quality of healthcare
for the people of the United Kingdom.
Its Leaders for Change award scheme provides healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge to
lead change and achieve lasting improvements in patient care. Dr Ansari and the 13 other award winners
will work together on a Change Agents Skills Programme at Lancaster University Management School. They
each receive a £3,000 personal training allowance.
Dr Ansari said: "I am delighted to receive this award. It will give me the opportunity and skills to plan
and achieve change, both personally, and within the teams and organisations that I work with. I will use
these new skills to help improve the use of antibiotics in our hospitals."
Said Stephen Thornton, Chief Executive of The Health Foundation: "Building on the obvious success of
our first programme, we're delighted to announce the next round of Leaders for Change award winners.
This award is one of our four innovative leadership award programmes. The scheme demonstrates the drive
and commitment of healthcare professionals towards improving patient care. I am confident that these
talented individuals will go on to make a real difference to the delivery of health services in their
local communities and beyond.
Peter Davey, Professor in Pharmacoeconomics, and Director of Health Informatics Centre at Dundee
University, said: "We are very excited about the opportunity to work the Health Foundation and Lancaster
University on personal and organisational change. In addition to its educational content, the Leaders for
Change programme will add value to our quality improvement projects by introducing us to a network of
like-minded people across the UK."
For media enquiries please contact:
Health Foundation Press Office Direct: 020 7257 8017, Email: pressoffice@health.org.uk
Notes to Editors
About The Health Foundation
The Health Foundation is an independent charity that aims to improve health and the quality of
healthcare for the people of the United Kingdom.
Through its programmes, activities and investments, The Health Foundation seeks out and supports leaders
in health; promotes innovation in the delivery of health services; enhances the capacity for new knowledge
through research; and disseminates evidence for changing health policy and practice.
The Health Foundation distributes around £14 million annually on projects throughout the UK. In addition
we spend around £1 million to support health improvement in the developing world.
Our work is currently focused around four main aims:
1. Developing leaders to improve health and healthcare services
2. Engaging patients for better health and healthcare outcomes
3. Supporting clinical, managerial and organisational efforts to improve quality and performance in
health and healthcare services
4. Building the knowledge base for quality and performance improvement
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk | 
