A team based at one of the region's largest hospitals has bagged a gold award for its innovative healthcare education.

The Blended Learning UK (BLUK) team, based at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston, has been recognised at the Learning Technologies gala award ceremony in London.

The team shared the award for the Best Online Distance Learning Programme with the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) and the University of East Anglia.

The project, titled The Global Impact of Blended Learning on Breast Surgery Training, showcased the team's successful postgraduate degree courses and continuing professional development programmes in all aspects of breast surgery.

The award-winning package showed more than 90pc satisfaction across all education and training areas.

Alongside the award, both BLUK and ABS won a national grant to develop a global breast cancer training package, which aims to reduce cancer deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

About 2.3 million breast cancers are diagnosed globally every year with two-thirds detected in these regions.

Around 75pc to 80pc of breast cancers in these areas are in the advanced stages.

The project is led by James Paget University Hospital's breast surgeons, Professors Jerome Pereira and Sue Down, and ABS surgical team members Leena Chagla, Dick Rainsbury and Ruth James.

Last week, Professor Pereira and Mr Rainsbury visited Uganda and Zambia to plan training packages for senior clinical leaders, primary healthcare workers, and community healthcare workers.

They also met stakeholders at the ministries of health and cancer institutes to discuss a national strategy for improving breast cancer management.

Upon completion of the project in Uganda and Zambia, the team will focus on other lower and middle-income countries.

The James Paget breast surgeons are collaborating with Global Health Partnerships, project managing on behalf of Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, which is funding the programme.