University Hospital Aintree Stakeholder Briefing 2011

UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AINTREE
STAKEHOLDER BRIEFING – MARCH 2011



Care improved for deteriorating patients
The Trust’s Medical Emergency Team (MET) has been highly commended in the critical care category of the national Patient Safety Awards 2011. The team provide senior nursing and medical interventions for patients who are found to be deteriorating, irrespective of which ward they are in. The introduction of the MET, and other work, has seen a sustained reduction in crash team calls of 30% to 40%, with peaks of up to 50%. This is because patients are helped to stabalise before they become so poorly that they go into cardiac arrest. Research shows that deteriorating patients who suffer cardiac arrests are unlikely to survive – the discharge rate for these patients is 5%. Because of the success of this team, the crash team will be ended from 4th April, and combined with the MET team. This means that the MET will respond both to deteriorating patients and to cardiac arrests. This is thought to be the first time this has occurred in the country. A paper on the MET team by outreach co-ordinator June Carr was accepted for the National Institute for Clinical Excellent (NICE) shared learning database, and is one of 20 nationally chosen to be showcased at the NICE annual conference on 10/11 May.

Domestics celebrate success

The Trust’s domestic services team were also finalists in the national Patient Safety Awards 2011, beating off competition from 400 entrants nationally to be shortlisted in the Infection Prevention and Control category. Their entry focused on the creation of the Domestic Services Centre, which includes a ‘rapid cleaning’ system for beds and furniture of patients found to have infections. The system has cut the time taken to clear and clean beds in half, and several Trusts from across the country have visited to see how it works.
This is the first time that a team purely consisting of domestic staff have been shortlisted in the finals.


Sleep Lab approved
The Trust Board has approved a £1 million investment to create a new Sleep Lab and Respiratory Lab. This will be located in Ward 18 and part of Ward 19. The remaining area of Ward 19 holds the Ventilation Inpatient Centre, which provides patients with ventilation and also takes patients from across the
region who require ‘weaning’ from long term reliance on ventilators. The development will improve clinical links, while also offering improved accommodation for patients and staff and meeting modern dignity and
Infection Prevention and Control standards. Sleep disorders are on the increase.
Senior nurses first in UK to join study programmeTwo senior nurses at the Trust have become the first in the country to be accepted for a new training programme provided by Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, which has an international reputation for safety. Jill Byrne, Director of Nursing, and Jenny Hurst, Associate Director of Nursing for Infection Prevention and Control and Patient Safety, were both accepted for the module. This will help Jill and Jenny build on work already underway in the Trust.

Safe handling success
Ken Cookson, the Trust’s Manual Handling Advisor, has become a Director for the newly-formed formed Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals in the USA. The organisation, a charity, has been formed by eminent US academics involved in health ergonomics. Ken’s invitation follows a series of published works in the USA, plus regular speaking positions at the annual Safe Patient Handling Conference.

Health promotion events
Trust staff have been giving up their time to hold events in support of two national public health campaigns. Renal service staff held a series of events to mark World Kidney Day. Kidney disease is known as the ‘silent epidemic’, because symptoms often materialise so late that options are limited – healthier lifestyles and regular check-ups reducing the risk for people who are at risk of developing kidney disease. Two events were held at University Hospital Aintree, offering check-ups plus education and information, and a drop-in check-up session for shoppers was held at the Bootle Strand Shopping Centre on 19th March. The session is thought to be the only one of its kind in the region, as it includes not just blood pressure checks and advice,
but blood checks and urine analysis. This is the third year it has been run, and each year a number of health problems are detected among shoppers.
In addition, the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) team held an awareness event at University Hospital Aintree on 12th March. This was aimed at helping people with Crohns Disease and other chronic bowel conditions including Ulcerative Colitis. The Trust has around 1,000 patients being treated for IBD.Staff from the Stoma Team, Endoscopy and the Smoking Cessation Team also gave advice to visitors.

Chief Executive
Catherine Beardshaw, the Trust’s new chief executive, has spent her first month meeting senior staff and visiting wards and departments. Catherine is happy to meet with key stakeholder groups or representatives. This can be arranged through Fin McNicol, Director of Communications – see contact
details below.

More information
For more details on any of these items, or for any other queries about
University Hospital Aintree, please contact Fin McNicol, Director of
Communications, at fin.mcnicol@aintree.nhs.uk or 0151 529 6646.