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GP Bulletin - September 2011
If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact alison.barnes@orh.nhs.uk|
News and events
Events
Emergency Target
With targets and outcome measures changing in the NHS, we want to provide the most relevant data to you. This is a reminder that new A&E Clinical Quality Indicators replaced the simple four hour target from 1 April 2011. These do not represent a relaxation of emergency performance across the system – as the goal of seeing, treating, discharging or admitting 95 percent of patients within four hours effectively remains as part of these new indicators.
As with the current target, these measures depend on the whole health system, not just our Emergency Departments, and these new standards present an opportunity to drive up quality and patient experience. Good performance against these indicators should fall out of a well-designed, well run system, in which everyone knows and can carry out their role efficiently and effectively.
Healthcare associated infections
Oxford Sleep Service referral protocols
As part of the Oxford Sleep Service we are able to do limited home sleep studies as well as in-hospital sleep studies, continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) treatment and provide a non-invasive ventilation (NIV) service.
For any further advice, please contact Professor John Stradling on john.stradling@orh.nhs.uk|
Respiratory Day Case Unit
Due to staffing difficulties, we regret that we are unable to fully staff the respiratory rapid access service on the Respiratory Day Case Unit during the rest of September and October. We hope to open the service as frequently as possible, and the respiratory registrar will continue to be available for advice via the Churchill switchboard. An update of when full service is able to resume will be made as soon as possible.
For any queries please contact:
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Dr Maxine Hardinge: 01865 225234
or on mobile phone via Churchill switchboard: 01865 741841
PCAS (Paediatric Consultant Advisory Service)
PCAS is an advisory service for general practitioners and all primary healthcare professionals. Paediatric consultants are available for two hours (Monday to Friday) to give advice on non-urgent queries. They will also respond to requests for advice sent by email. Email responses will be within 24 hours to sender's mail box.
The service started on 1 September 2011. This service does not replace the standard referral route for the urgent assessment of sick children.
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Telephone 12 noon - 2.00pm (Monday to Friday)
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John Radcliffe Hospital: 01865 741166 Bleep 4734
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Horton General Hospital: 01295 275500 Bleep 850
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Email: oxon.paediatricadvice@nhs.net
Patient consent for surplus tissue donation
A working group has been seeking to improve the current ORH Consent Forms 1, 2 and 3 for patients consenting to donate surplus tissue for research. Currently they constrain research in respect to external and international collaborations and also patients require additional information to ensure the Human Tissue Act 2004 requirements for informed consent are met.
The Clinical Governance Committee (CGC) has approved the requested amendment to the Consent Forms which will filter through to our clinics in the next couple of months as the current forms are used up. This simplifies the current form by reducing the process to one question backed up by a new patient information leaflet:
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Mr Alex Chi–Hang Lee
Consultant in Paediatric Surgery.
Currently consultant locum at the ORH.
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Mr David Noyes
Consultant in Trauma and Orthopaedics.
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Dr Elizabeth Pulford and Dr Kunal Shah
Consultants in Orthogeriatrics.
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Dr Vanderson Rocha
Consultant and Professor in Clinical Haematology. Currently Medical Assistant at the Hospital St Louis–Assistance Public des Hopitaux de Paris.
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Dr Sileida Oliveros
Consultant in Clinical Oncology.
Currently Consultant at University College Hospital, London.
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Mr Mario Petrou
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon.
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Dr Saleel Chandratre
Consultant in Paediatric Neurology.
Currently consultant locum at Birmingham Children's Hospital.
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Dr Rashmi Jain
Consultant in Immunology.
NIHR funding for translational research
The NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford (OxBRC) is based at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and run in partnership with the University of Oxford. It was one of five centres funded by the National Institute of Health Research in 2007 through a competitively awarded grant of £57m over five years. Biomedical Research Centres are part of the Government's initiative to improve the translation of basic scientific developments into clinical benefits for patients and to reinforce the position of the UK as a global leader in healthcare related research.
The OxBRC is a partnership that brings together the research expertise of the University of Oxford and the clinical skills of staff from the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals and other partners including GP colleagues with the aim of supporting translational research and innovation to improve healthcare. In August it was awarded a further £95m over five years from 2012 by the NIHR in a new competition round.
This award is a more than a 50 percent increase on the previous award. The Biomedical Research Unit (at the NOC) was also awarded £10m and £2.7 was given to continue dementia research for a total award for Oxford of £107.7m. Many of the research projects have direct links with primary care such as Diabetes management, TIA/stroke prevention and others. The list of research areas that will be supported by the OxBRC includes:
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Biomedical Informatics and Technology (BIT)
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Blood
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Cancer
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Cardiovascular
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Dementia and Cerebrovascular Disease
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Diabetes
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Functional Neuroscience and Imaging
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Genomic Medicine
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Immunity and Inflammation
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Infection
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Prevention and Population Care (PPC)
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Surgical Innovation and Evaluation
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Translational Physiology
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Vaccines.
For more information visit www.oxfordbrc.org|.
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre integration update
On 1 November the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust (NOC) hope to receive approval from the Secretary of State for Health to merge and become a single acute Trust for Oxfordshire. The combined organisation will be adopting a new name, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUH) which represents the Trust’s vision to integrate patient care, teaching and medical research to deliver the best in clinical treatment. Detailed work is underway to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. The NOC will become a seventh division of the OUH – Clinical Division of Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Services – and NOC staff will transfer across to the OUH on its creation date.
Delayed transfers of care
Activity levels are above plan for both emergency and elective patients and DToC levels remain high.
Performance against the primary access targets:
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4 hour standard – target 95%. Q1 result against this standard was 95.47%; Q2 to date is 97.02%
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18 weeks – Performance continues to improve. The Trust met the 18 week standard of 90% for ‘Admitted’ patients, achieving 90.6% in August; and the standard of 95% for ‘Non-admitted’ patients, achieving 96.7% in August.
Measures are being taken across Oxfordshire to tackle the high number of patients experiencing delayed transfers. In August there were 92 patients in our hospitals who were delayed, and 159 across the health system in Oxfordshire.
NHS and Social Care representatives have now formed a joint programme – the ACE (Acceptable Care for Everyone) Programme, chaired by Dr Stephen Richards, GP lead of the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group. The Programme has membership from all four Oxfordshire organisations responsible for patient care: NHS Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire PCT Cluster, Oxford Health, the ORH and Oxfordshire County Council.
Initiatives at the ORH to reduced delayed transfers include:
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Post Acute Unit (PAU) – 36 bedded unit at the JR for patients from Geratology and Acute Medicine wards assessed as clinically ready to discharge.
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Supported Discharge Scheme – to be introduced at the JR in October and at the Horton in December – to help people make the transition from hospital to home.
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Home for Lunch – talking to patients about their discharge to speed the process up.
Clinical Commissioning Group and ORH Clinical Strategy Development
The next strategy session is coming up on 4 October between ORH Divisional Directors and key members of the Clinical Commissioning Group. The purpose of the session is to ensure that there is alignment between the development of the ORH clinical strategy, as part of its Foundation Trust application, and the emerging strategy of the Clinical Commissioning Group. Feedback will be provided in future GP Bulletins.