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JULY 2017 | University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Patients see benefit of discharge lounge Patients who have come to the end of their stay at QEHB are transferred to the Discharge Lounge to await transport home. The Discharge Lounge is a lovely comfortable area, located next to the East Block Day Unit on the lower ground floor of the Heritage Building. It is staffed by qualified nurses, a healthcare assistant, two porters and a medicines management technician (MMT). Patients can receive one-to-one advice and information about medication they need to continue taking at home. Lesley Golby, Ward Manager, said: “We get really positive feedback about the care we offer patients in the Discharge Lounge. We provide refreshments, newspapers, magazines and books, plus a television and radio. It’s the perfect transition area where patients can plan to be back at home in familiar surroundings, rather than being in a clinical ward environment.” The Lounge is also very convenient as visitors and taxis have access to a free pick-up point for 20 minutes outside East Block Day Unit, removing the difficulty of finding a parking space, or waiting outside the busy main entrance of QEHB. Lesley continues: “By waiting in the Discharge Lounge, patients are helping to free up hospital beds for those who really need them. Plus, it’s a lovely area to wait!”
By waiting in the Discharge Lounge, patients are helping to free up hospital beds for those who really need them. Plus, it’s a lovely area to wait!
ORIENTEERING It can be a challenge to find a sport where all generations can take part together – orienteering offers the opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to join in the challenge. All participants need is a compass, a map and the determination to navigate from point to point. For some this could be at a walking pace while others opt for competitions where speed is crucial.
Lesley Golby, Ward Manager
Benefits ■ Sharpens decision making skills and teaches self-reliance ■ Increases fitness levels ■ Improve cardiovascular strength ■ Chance to get out in fresh air A wide range of options are available through the British Orienteering organisation which supports amateurs and those competing at an international level. There are three main ways of taking part. A permanent course where people can go at their own pace, at an event which is aimed at serious and recreational competitors and non-competitive sessions. There are events like TrailO, a form of orienteering competition where people of all levels of physical ability, including wheelchair users, can compete on equal terms. These can be held in countryside settings or in town.
What do patients say? “Very pleasant area in which to wait, light, airy, sunny and comfortable. Excellent refreshments.” “Discharge staff went through medication with me and also explained that my GP would be notified. Helpful and friendly staff.”
What do QEHB ward staff say? “Discharge Lounge staff add the finishing touches to your patient’s QEHB experience. They provide education on medicine, arrange transport, liaise with relatives and even make your patient a cup of tea! “
“Staff in the Discharge Lounge make patients’ last few hours at QEHB as stress-free as possible. Feedback from patients shows they have a really good experience before going home as it’s a lovely calm environment.” “By sending a patient to the Discharge Lounge, you are doing the right thing and helping those acutely unwell patients in the Emergency Department and Clinical Decision Unit get to the right ward a lot quicker.”
For full details see the website at ¬ www.britishorienteering.org.uk
Is it an emergency? Choose the right NHS service for you University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, like all Trusts across the UK, continues to see unprecedented demands on its services. More patients are coming to our Emergency Department (also known as Accident and Emergency) with staff caring for 8.7 per cent more patients so far this year compared to last year. This rise in patient admissions equates to an additional ward’s worth of extra beds but the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham has no vacant space available. More patients are arriving at our hospital by ambulance and in December 2016, the Trust experienced the highest number of ambulance patients ever with numbers 11 per cent higher than the same period in 2015. The hospital also continues to see a rise in patients from outside our traditional catchment area with a 47 per cent increase in ambulance patients from the Redditch and Bromsgrove areas. We are also facing challenges when it comes to discharging patients from the hospital. More patients who are well enough to leave are remaining in our inpatient
WHY NOT TRY?
beds as other parts of the health and social care system face their own problems with bed capacity.
What can you do to help? You can get the most appropriate, fastest treatment by choosing the NHS service that can best treat your symptoms. This also helps us by reducing the pressure on services like the Emergency Department so that they can help those people in most need. If you are considering coming to QEHB Emergency Department, please think about whether this is the right place for you. Only urgent and emergency health problems such as severe chest pain, severe bleeding, trouble breathing or a suspected broken bone should be seen in the Emergency Department.
What to do when you are not feeling well ■ Care for yourself at home if you have a common health issue, like a cough, cold, sore throat or headache. Make sure you get plenty of rest and take your usual painkillers or medicines, if you need them (always read the label). ■ Visit a walk-in centre, minor injuries unit or
urgent care centre if you have an illness or injury and it can’t wait until your GP surgery is open. Find your nearest one at www.nhs.uk ■ Ask your local pharmacist for advice about lots of common health issues such as diarrhoea, migraines and skin problems. ■ Make an appointment with your GP if you are feeling unwell and it’s not an emergency. All GPs will offer an emergency out-of-hours service. Did you know that even if you are out of town, you can join any GP practice as a temporary patient? The NHS Choices website has a handy search facility to see which practices cover your local area. Urgent cases such as loss of consciousness, severe chest pain, severe bleeding, trouble breathing or a suspected broken bone should be reserved for the Emergency Department. QEHB is a major trauma centre and on average we see over 3000 patients a month who arrive by emergency ambulance. To help our staff care for these very poorly patients, please consider whether your symptoms could be better treated by another NHS service.
Did you know, UHB offers a comprehensive sport and exercise medicine service (SEMS) delivered by musculoskeletal physiotherapists and a SEMS consultant? For more information, please visit: ¬ uhb.nhs.uk/sport-and-exercisemedicine.htm
Free Wi-Fi network Patients and visitors now have access to a free WiFi network through a service funded by QEHB Charity. Staff are being asked not to use this network as the bandwidth has a finite capacity – if staff use it, this will impact on the level of service which patients and visitors receive. To connect, just search for a network called QEHBCharity-guestWiFi, enter your email address and then agree to the terms and conditions.
See www.uhb.nhs.uk for the latest news