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APRIL 2015 | University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
New system makes care connections ‘Your Care Connected’ is a new electronic system that allows registered doctors and nurses to view relevant information from patients’ GP records. UHB is one of four Trusts involved in the project and the trial launched at the hospital last month. Patients from five GP practices in Birmingham are taking part. These are: ■ Hall Green Health Centre ■ Enki Medical Practice (Vitality Partnership) ■ Handsworth Wood Medical Centre (Vitality Partnership) ■ Oakwood Surgery ■ Grove Surgery How will it work? During a consultation, the doctor or nurse treating you will ask for your permission to view your GP record. If you allow this, they will record your consent. Only then can they look up the information they need. Sensitive information such as marital status, IVF treatment, HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, termination of pregnancy and complaints will not be available for hospital staff to view. How does ‘Your Care Connected’ help me? By having this information, doctors and nurses can understand your needs more quickly because the information is in one place. This means they will have faster access to help provide you with safer treatment, whenever you are seen by any participating NHS organisations in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull. Further information is available at midlandsyourcareconnected.nhs.uk
Your Care Connected: A consultant’s view Alastair Denniston, Consultant Ophthalmologist, is using Your Care Connected in Outpatients at QEHB. Here’s his feedback on the new system and how it’s helping patients.
For the Council of Governors of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
The Trust gives notice that it will hold elections to the Council of Governors of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Elections are to be held for the following number of Governors in accordance with the Trust’s Constitution: ■ One Governor for each of the following Public Constituency areas: [ Edgbaston [ Hall Green [ Northfield [ Selly Oak ■ One Governor for the Patient Governor Constituency To be eligible to stand for election, individuals must be members of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust – membership forms may be obtained from: Corporate Affairs Department Room 22C, First Floor, Nuffield House Queen Elizabeth Hospital Medical Centre Main Drive, Edgbaston Birmingham B15 2TH 0121 371 4323 members@uhb.nhs.uk Sarah Snowden
How did YCC have a positive impact on patient care? YCC enabled me to quickly and efficiently establish the facts in the patient’s history and treatment plan, enabling me to make more informed decisions regarding their ongoing management including planning their surgery. Did the fact that you could see the patient’s GP record save time in clinic? Yes – I instantly had access to useful patient information such as up-to-date drug list and significant medical events.
The period of appointment will commence on 1 July 2015 and end on 30 June 2018. If you are uncertain as to your eligibility to nominate yourself as a candidate or have any queries, please contact the Returning Officer, on the following telephone number: 02871 371111. Nomination papers to stand for election can be obtained from the Returning Officer, from Monday 27 April, at the following address:
Did it mean that you didn’t need to fax/call a GP practice for the information you needed? Yes. Was YCC easy to use? YCC was extremely easy to use, being accessed intuitively through Clinical Portal, just by using its own tab within the usual screen. It then asked me to confirm that I had appropriate authority (including from the
Notice of election
patient) to access this data, and then provided immediate and easy to navigate access. Would you encourage other consultants and registered nurses to use YCC? Definitely.
Returning Officer, Idox Elections, 25D Bishop Street, Londonderry BT48 6PR 02871 371111 nhs@idoxgroup.com Chris McDonagh
Switch solution aids our patients The challenge for patients who have difficulty using a switch for nurses to come to their aid has been solved by teams at the Trust coming up with an innovative solution. Patients who are on the wards taking part in the pilot can now call for support by using an adapted switch. It has taken nearly two years for the switches to be developed and installed with funding from the QEHB Charity. The project has been a collaboration between neurorehabilitation and the occupational therapy team. Consultant neurologist Dr Steve Sturman said: “These switches are the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle to enable patients to access the nurse call system when they have severe loss of function that renders them unable to use the ordinary call switches. “The interface boxes were specially developed to comply with infection control and CE standards and we have had these for some time but the specialised adapted call switches were the vital bit in allowing patients to interface with the system.” Senior occupational therapist Nicci O’Neill has set up a system to issue and track all the
hardware with the hope, if it is successful, of extending the use of the switches. The project got off the ground thanks to input from occupational therapists Claire Travis and Fiona Kent, with the support of Yvonne Pettigrew, Associate Director for AHPs and Head of Therapy Services. Dr Sturman said: “The technical challenge was to design and manufacture an interface box that meant that we could use any switch necessary with the existing call system. “These boxes were developed and manufactured specifically for the Trust and the division commissioned these. “This is therefore a unique development to improve patient care in the region if not nationally. We are currently auditing the roll out of the switches and it looks as if at any one time around five per cent of patients in our Neuroscience and Trauma wards need this kind of switch. Across the Trust that would amount to around 50 patients in total. “This represents a major quality improvement initiative and the therapy services department have done a great job in driving this and big thanks to the charity for their donation.”
Patient Mary Higgins with (L–R) Consultant neurologist Dr Steve Sturman, Becky Collins, Yvonne Pettigrew, Associate Director of AHPs, and Nicci O’Neill
All nomination forms should be received by the Returning Officer at the address shown above by 12 noon on Thursday 14 May 2015. Faxed or emailed nominations will not be accepted. Notices of withdrawal must be received by the Returning Officer by no later than 5pm on Monday 18 May 2015. In the event of there being more than one nominee for a position, ballot papers will be distributed to qualifying Foundation Trust members in the relevant constituencies on Tuesday 2 June 2015. These will be sent out as a hardcopy via post, and also electronically via email to those members who have registered email addresses. If you have not registered your email address with University Hospitals Birmingham you can do so by emailing: membership@uhb.nhs.uk Completed ballot papers must be received by the Returning Officer by no later than 5pm on Thursday 25 June 2015.
The results of the elections will be published on the UHB website on Tuesday 30 June 2015.
See www.uhb.nhs.uk for the latest news