Improving Together | 6
The wishes of patients are being prioritised The wishes of patients are being prioritised in a new way for doctors to record how someone wants to be cared for at the end of their life. SaTH has recently introduced the national ReSPECT process, along with health and care partners across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
Nearly 100 members of staff were celebrated recently for a host of learning achievements. Over the past 12 months, staff at SaTH have completed qualifications including: Masters Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, Post Graduate Diplomas in Advanced Clinical Practice, Lean for Leadership, End of Life Care and Pharmacy Service. An afternoon tea celebratory event was held at The Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington, and was hosted by Interim Chief Executive, Paula Clark, and Trust Chair, Ben Reid. Paula said: “I would like to congratulate everyone on their achievements. I’m proud to work alongside these incredible teams and individuals who have worked incredibly hard to improve themselves for the benefit of our patients. It’s so important to take the time to celebrate their work.”
Vanguard Unit now in use at the Princess Royal Hospital A mobile recovery unit is now in place at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) in Telford. The Vanguard Unit, situated towards the rear of the hospital, has been brought in to help alleviate the impact that winter pressures has on day surgery – same day surgery that does not require an overnight stay. The capacity offered by the mobile facility will allow SaTH, to ensure continuity of access to a number of surgical specialities, including Ear, Nose and throat. Kath Preece, Head of Nursing for Scheduled Care at SaTH, said: “We have used Vanguard Units
ReSPECT - Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Treatment and Care - is a patient-held form which enables all healthcare professionals to have a structured conversation with a patient and their family about what to do in an emergency.The purple ReSPECT form captures each patient’s wishes formally, in a way which seeks to balance a patient’s care and comfort against clinical interventions. It replaces the previous ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ (DNAR) protocols, which were only available at SaTH and which experts said were more focused on clinical considerations than patients’ priorities. Dr Elin Roddy, Clinical Lead for End of Life Care at SaTH, said: “The ReSPECT form stays with the patient wherever they are – acute hospital, home, community hospital, hospice or nursing home – and is an important communication and handover tool for healthcare professionals, as well as an added reassurance to our patients, and their families, that their wishes will be taken into account. “This is a great step forward for shared decision making with our patients, and we are grateful to everyone for their input and enthusiasm.” suitable patients, without the risk of their treatment being cancelled due to winter pressures.”
successfully in the past – most recently at RSH earlier this year. “This mobile unit allows us to plan for patients to receive their day surgery procedures over the winter months. This is good news for our patients as it means that we will be able to treat a cohort of
Neil Rogers, Assistant Chief Operating Officer for Scheduled Care at SaTH, said: “The deployment of the unit is crucial at this time of year when the volume of people using our services increases; and it is likely to remain in use until April.” The mobile unit offers space for up to seven day surgery patients at a time.