OPHTHALMOLOGY MOVES THE SERVICE TO ANOTHER LEVEL The Orthoptic team at Peterborough City Hospital have expanded their skills, so they can provide an intricate treatment for patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD is a common condition which affects the central part of your vision and without treatment, can get progressively worse and cause sight loss. This treatment involves administering an injection into the eye, which can slow down the disease progression in some patients. Patients with AMD, will now receive treatment from one of the qualified Allied Health Professionals within the team. The team are also providing valuable support to consultants running virtual and face-to-face glaucoma clinics. Ophthalmic
Technicians are supporting these clinics by assessing patients ahead of the virtual review with their consultant. Even with Covid pressures, the technician team have upped their skillset, overcome issues and devised new ways of working. Steve Joy, Head Orthoptist at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, said, “I am immensely proud of how my Orthoptic and Technician team have stepped up, even before Covid was with us. We are able to flex our skillset to meet challenges and improve the care provision within Ophthalmology. Working alongside our skilled nursing colleagues, experienced medical staff and vigilant administration team, we can move our Ophthalmology service to the next level. I look forward to the next few years, as our plans grow and the roles develop.”
Trust to launch My Pregnancy Notes Following collaboration with NHS Digital, K2 Maternity Systems and Maternity Voices Partnership, the Trust is to launch a brand new look to maternity online notes. My Pregnancy Notes aims to achieve the vision which has been set out by Better Births, by fully embedding the personalised care plan, enabling women to access their maternity notes and information through smart phones or other devices and improving the overall maternity experience within the Trust. It is expected to launch mid-December. There are a number of benefits such as: • More streamlined referral to our service • Ability to share information enabling the midwife to have a more personalised initial conversations • Record and view appointments • Capture personalised care planning and support relevant to the stage of pregnancy • Easier access to pregnancy records • Provide women with greater visibility, control and access to trusted information • The reduction or removal of barriers between women and healthcare professionals enabling women to give access to their records to other healthcare professionals outside of North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust.
Trust trials new digital appointment management system The Trust has partnered with DrDoctor to trial a new digital appointment management system, designed to make it easier for patients to manage their outpatient appointment. Patients under the care of the Gastroenterology Team will now be able to view and download their outpatient appointment letters on a smartphone, tablet or computer instantly via a new patient portal.
The system also allows patients to cancel or change their appointment if they aren’t able to make the original day and time. Kate Hopcraft, Divisional Operations Director Surgery, said: “This new system will not only help us improve the patient experience, but reduce Do Not Attend (DNA) rates and save the Trust money in the long term. We are currently trialling DrDoctor in Gastroenterology and hope to roll it out across all specialties in the Trust in the near future.”
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