Clacton & District Hospital is 1 of 2 Community Hospitals managed by Tendring Primary Care Trust and offers a wide range of services for the people of the Tendring Peninsula.
The Jubilee Clinical Assessment Unit came into being approximately 3 years ago and initially opened with Rapid Assessment Clinics. The staff working in the unit at the time soon became aware of the difficulties experienced by patients who required Transfusions and Infusions and decided to investigate the feasibility of setting up a Nurse Led service at Clacton. This service has now grown beyond all expectations and within the first year we were presented with the Trust Chairman’s Award.
Contact: Jacquie Denniss, Unit Manager
Powys is a rural area – more sheep than people…. It has 10 Community Hospital but, no DGH, so to be offered the chance 3 years ago, to have a digital chemical free department with state of the art equipment was an opportunity too great to miss.
The department has gone from strength to strength offering a first class service to the patients of Mid Wales … in the words of one of our patients “you deserve a gold medal not just a prize, it was a pleasure to visit”!
Contact: Rachel Pritchard, Superintendent Radiographer
The Project aimed at managing better patient outcomes re; independence with more effective and efficient patient assessment and discharge planning.
q Policy – no Care Home placements from a hospital bed
q Reduce patient average length of stay to 14 days
q Optimise bed capacity re; admissions and discharges
q Lower bed % occupancy rates aiming for 80% occupancy
q Minimise delayed discharges
The project initially ran and reported for 6 months from May ’04 and was extended up to March 2005. The learning from the project has now been ‘mainstreamed’.
Contact: Paul Flood, Health & Social Care Manager
In late September 2002 two Generic Workers commenced a 12-month secondment on the Rehabilitation Ward at Whitchurch Community Hospital. Their role was to carry out a planned programme of care initiated by Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists or Nurses to a selected group of in-patients with an intensive level of rehabilitation needs.
The Generic Workers were recruited from the hospital workforce with two experienced Nursing Auxiliaries being successful at interview. The part-time workers were to work so one of them was on duty each day from Monday to Saturday. It was identified that therapy should not stop, as it was the weekend, but also that patients needed sufficient rest. Various meetings were held with the members of the multidisciplinary team introducing the concept of the Generic Worker and agreeing the way forward. A programme of training was initiated and geared to the Generic Workers individual needs. In November, under strict supervision, the Generic Workers held a caseload of in-patients.
Contact: Sue Campbell, Nurse Manager
Ilkeston Community Hospital is based between the two cities of Nottingham and Derby providing a wide range of services to the local community.
Building on the success of the Self Medication Scheme that has now become well established on the ward we decided in consultation with our Pharmacy provider to redesign and develop the existing Pharmacy Technician role with the aim being to enhance and promote medication concordance within our elderly client group and facilitate nursing time to be redirected back to nursing care. These are just two of the identified benefits but more developed as the project rolled out.
This has proved to be a very successful and positive experience for staff and patients alike and the key elements to the success has been the support of the Trust and the close partnership working between the ward and Kingsway Pharmacy.
Contact: Karen Insley, Professional Development Nurse.
The Patient Information Point (PIP) is a place the public can phone or visit. It provides information (not advice) to anyone who wishes to find out more about an illness or where they can get support.
The PIP was developed as a true partnership between Newbury and Community Primary Care Trust, the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire, Age Concern Berkshire, Community Action West Berkshire and West Berkshire Council Community Care and Patient representatives. It received funding from the Newbury and District Cancer Care Trust. It is governed by a management committee and run on a daily basis by a team of trained volunteers. The PIP has now been open for more than a year and received a visit from HRH The Princess Royal in October 2004.
Contact: Gary Poulson, Director Volunteer Centre/ Judy McCullough, PALS Manager
Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT is on the North East coast of North Yorkshire. It serves a population of approximately 170,000 across a wide rural geographically isolated patch covering 400 miles.
Within the Primary Care Trust we have 2 community hospitals which both have a minor injuries unit. Access to the nearest District General Hospital is approximately 20 miles away.
We have close operational relationships with our local GPs who provide the majority of medical care required for our patients. Currently 75% of patients are seen by Emergency Nurse Practitioners (ENPs) or Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) with only 25% requiring medical intervention.
The range of services delivered in and from the community hospitals is under constant change. When considering developments the staff and the services are constantly responding to patient’s needs and the modernisation agenda.
This recent project has been about the development of the minor ailments role of the Emergency Nurse Practitioners within the minor injuries units in the two Community Hospitals. This work demonstrates the necessity for workforce planning and the need to invest in training and education, which ultimately affects the service delivery and potential for change.
The national drivers for this was the change to General Medical Services contract. We knew this would impact the availability of medical cover for patients presenting out of hours with minor ailments. The other national driver was ‘Liberating the talents’ – DoH.
The local PCT strategy “Better at Home”, underpinned the need to prevent acute care being accessed, if possible within safe perimeters. The purpose was to develop an integrated workforce, which would support the organisations requirements and provide access to services for our population.
Contact: Annie Beedle, Locality Manager
Bridgwater Community Hospital and Burnham on Sea War Memorial Hospital, Somerset
Bridgwater Community Hospital and Burnham War Memorial Hospital are sister hospitals and constitute the Sedgemoor locality of Somerset Coast PCT. They play an important role in the local community linking with the external health agencies.
As Matrons of these hospital we work closely together and looked at the National Agenda, in conjunction with the Matron’s Charter on infection control, linking the importance of the hand washing agenda with Hospital Acquired Infections.
Our Project actively involved members of the community to work in partnership with their Local Health Authority to educate and to raise awareness of this vital issue. The community and the Trust are working closely together to prevent cross infection.
After obtaining a staff achievement award the category winner of New Ways of Working – Non Clinical by Somerset Coast PCT, we were inspired to go further.
We submitted our Innovation to the Community Hospitals Association awards which we won and this gave us the enthusiasm to enter for the Department of Health, Health & Social Care Awards which resulted in us becoming one of three Regional Finalists for the South in the Improving Health and Reducing Inequalities Award.
Contact: Sharon Hines, Matron
Chere Terbeville, Matron
Highly Commended Projects
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ONE STOP PRE-OPERATIVE CATARACT ASSESSMENT SERVICE ILKESTON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
To establish a community based pre-operative assessment service prior to cataract surgery.
Patients are referred directly from their Optician or
General Practitioner. The one clinic attendance incorporates assessment
of visual acuity, blood pressure, pulse, intra-occular lens scan,
consultation and assessment by the Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioner before
the patient is placed on the waiting list. Contact: Mervilyn Gabbidon
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FLEXIBLE CYSTOSCOPY "ONE STOP SERVICE" ILKESTON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, Derbyshire
A local direct referral service for patients with haematuria
Ilkeston Community Hospital has provided day surgery for several years but this did not include Urology as a speciality. Patients had to be treated in the Acute Hospital travelling over 10 miles.
If the flexible Cystoscopy reveals no cause for the patient’s haematuria the service offers patients a renal ultrasound scan. This is undertaken immediately following their Cystoscopy. Treatment can then be planned according to the outcome of both the Cystoscopy and scan.
Contact: Mervilyn Gabbidon
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PATHWAY CARE PLANS
HIGH PEAK & DALES PCT
Transferring policies to workable documents
The pathways provide an effective tool for learning and development and act as a guide for clinicians.
Contact: Wilma Hulland, Lead Nurse Community Hospitals
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PLACE MATS - GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS
HIGH PEAK & DALES PCT
Provide clear health promotion message regarding nutrition |
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Promoting health should be high on the agenda for every Community Hospital. Putting health promotion messages on placemats provided clear health promotion advice to a specific group of patients.
Contact: Linda Holmes, Hotel Services Manager
PILOTING SELF MEDICATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
MALVERN COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
For patients to self medicate
Contact: Debbie Keelor, Matron |
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INTERMEDIATE CARE ASSESSMENT TEAM
NEWTON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
To screen and place patients appropriately in an intermediate care setting
A designated Multi-disciplinary Team working on behalf of four Intermediate Care Services.
Team members are drawn from four local services
Patient need assessed against the agreed Intermediate Care criteria and as appropriate arrange admission
Contact: Sue Winstanley, Matron
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HOUSEKEEPER ROLE IN COMMUNITY HOSPITALS
HIGH PEAK & DALES PCT
To improve the patient experience
It is blurring the lines of demarcation between hotel services and nursing staff. Most importantly patients are benefiting in having someone readily available to address their concerns and make their stay on the ward more pleasant and comfortable. Contact: W Hulland, Lead Nurse Community Hospitals |
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