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For patients, staff, visitors and volunteers
Page 7 Apprentices meet new challenges
APRIL 2017
Page 8 Life is sweet for brother and sister
Research showcase
Ask yourself: ‘Is it a real emergency?’ 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 facing challenges too when it comes to discharging patients from the hospital. More patients who are well enough to leave are remaining in our inpatient beds as other parts of the health and social care system face their own problems with bed capacity. Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive, said: “Our staff are doing a brilliant job in extremely tough circumstances and we thank them for their continued professionalism and commitment. “There are numerous initiatives we have put in place to help manage the increased patient numbers whilst maintaining our standard of care. The Trust has opened all available capacity, as well as using day case areas for overnight and inpatient stays. “We have a number of projects aimed at making the patient’s journey through the hospital as seamless and efficient as possible and we are carrying out extensive reviews and escalations of all patients who need complex support when they leave the hospital. In February 2017, the Trust took the difficult decision to cancel all non-urgent elective admissions for seven days. We regret that any operation has to be cancelled and acknowledge the distress this can cause to both patients and their relatives.” As well as looking internally at what we can do to respond to the demands on our services, we need support from patients and relatives.
Our staff are doing a brilliant job in extremely tough circumstances and we thank them for their continued professionalism and commitment. Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive
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.
Life-changing research will be in the spotlight in May at UHB’s annual Research Showcase where research teams from across the Trust and University of Birmingham will exhibit the work that is changing lives and transforming the NHS. From looking at our genetic make-up and its influence in rare diseases and cancer, to advances in trauma care and reconstructive surgery, as well as novel ways to manage infections, the medical campus hosts a vast array of research that is delivering remarkable breakthroughs in patient care. UHB’s Research Showcase forms part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) ‘OK to Ask’ campaign, which marks International Clinical Trials Day and aims to encourage patients and the public to ask about the opportunities for them to make a difference and take part in clinical research. Promoting, conducting and using clinical research to improve healthcare is one of the key principles of the NHS, and patients should be informed of research studies in which they may be eligible to participate at every opportunity. Last year, the Trust marked the tenth anniversary of the ‘OK to ask’ campaign by looking at the research we do that helps to give us all healthier lives. It was also an opportunity to thank the millions of those who have already helped to change lives by taking part in clinical research over the past decade. Joanna Gray, Clinical Manager of the NIHR Clinical Research Facility at QEHB, said: “The showcase is always a brilliant opportunity to share the often behind-the-scenes works we do with the public in a fun and accessible way. It is always important to let patients, visitors and our colleagues across the site see what we do, and let them know how they can get involved to help progress clinical research. “Visitors are often fascinated by just the small proportion we can exhibit at the Showcase of the over 1000 trials and studies we undertake at QEHB and the university.” This year’s showcase will again see over 20 intriguing and interactive exhibits and will be open to the public, patients and staff. v Friday 19 May (10:00–15:00) J Atrium (Main Entrance), Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham ƀ showcase@uhb.nhs.uk
The new Visitor Charter – see page 3
Visitor Charter Staff ple dge
We will
Flexible visiting 11am
Our prio rity is to provide we reco the gni play. Tha se the invaluab best in care to our patient le role tha t’s why we t times to s, suit patient welcome visitors carers and family and members and sup s’ and fam port ilies’ ind ividual nee flexible visiting ds.
be polite and cou rteous at all time As a pati s. ent to say who you can expe ct to be give care, and you would like to visit and n the opportu how long nity be involved they visit for (with As a visit in visiting in your or you can times). and trea expect to ted with be welcome respect. d to the ward As a care r expect to (and with the patie be welcome nt’s perm wish to, ission) you d as part help of the can and impo ing to provide continuit care team if you rtan y of needs and t information. But we also care, reassurance informat encourage you respect to take a ion at ww your brea w.uhb.n hs.uk/ca k too. See care r rers.
Infection control
Please ensu entering re you wash you and leav ing the wardr hands thorou ghly befo . Please do re not in the last visit if you have had diar two day rhoea or s. vomiting
Please no te Maximum of three visitors per bed Children . are welc ome to supervi visit sed at all times by when accompa nied and a responsi Please do ble adul t. not sit on beds. Do not smoke or use e-ci grounds. garettes Smoking is only perm with itted in the in the hospital or Anyone smoking displayin shelters. g violenc required e or agg to leave. ression will be Please resp keep it clea ect our hospita l and site n and tidy. and help us to Please resp not filmin ect the confiden g or phot tiality and ographin g other patie privacy of othe rs by nts, visito rs or staff visiting .
All discretio outside of no rm n of the nurse in al visiting hours charge of the wa is at the rd.
Visitors, what
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Please be polite and patients and visit courteous to staff, oth ors. er Please do administe not disturb nurs ring med ing staf f when they ications available (dru if you are answer your need anything g rounds); other staff . If a nurs queries imm e is not avail will be ediately, able to they Please be will com respectfu e back to to a min l you. imum; put to other patients and your mob ile phone keep noise leve Rememb ls on silent too. er that rest person is importa you are nt – for visiting. patients Please allow you and the the opp ortunity them and to rest. other You are welc at mealtim ome to assist the pers es, with on you the nurs their agre are visit e in char ement. ge before Please spea ing assisting k to Please nom . inate one pass on person informa to liaise tion to informa with staf fam tion f and given thei cannot be giveily/friends, and rememb r permissio n unless er that the pati n. ent has Please wai t off the visiting is absent ward if the pers from the on you are ward for Please unde treatment. in the war rstand that you may be asked to and dign d waiting area ity of the wait outs if person you required to prot ide/ ect the are visiting or others privacy in their bay.
Visitor fac ilities
Staff will be restaura happy to direc t you to nt facility. the nea rest Visitor toilets are Elizabeth located on Hospital Birmingh each floor in the use the toile am (QEH Queen B); ward has ts on the ward . In the Heri please do not a designat ed visito tage Build r toilet. ing each Limited pay-on-e xit car shar ing and car parking is avail the use of public able. We enco urage Live pub transpo lic transpo rt. the QEH rt informa B atrium. tion is avail able in
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