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Patient
observation technology saves lives
PIONEERING technology used
by nurses at Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust was
recognised as contributing to big drops in deaths in hospitals,
research published in BMJ Quality and Safety reports.
The study found that death rates fell by 15% after the VitalPAC
system was introduced at 2 large hospitals in England.
The drop in mortality represented more than 750 lives saved in a
single year across the 2 sites, the paper found.
VitalPAC allows nurses to use handheld devices, such as iPods,
instead of paper charts to record patients' vital signs like blood
pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels.
Specialist software automatically calculates if the patient is
deteriorating. Where this is the case, the device warns the nurse to
increase the frequency of monitoring and, when required, to alert a
doctor or a rapid response team.
VitalPAC has been in use at Ormskirk and District General Hospital
since August in H ward. The next wards to adopt it will be 9A and
14A at Southport hospital and G ward at Ormskirk with the rest of
the Trust following shortly afterwards.
Matron Bridget Lees, clinical lead
for the project, said:- "Since we have brought in VitalPAC we
have seen real benefits to patients and clinical staff. Recording
patient vital signs is quicker and more accurate and nurses get
early warning if a patient is showing signs of deterioration, so
they can take action."
Information recorded on the handheld devices is automatically
uploaded to a hospital wide system allowing nurses, doctors and
managers to monitor the health of patients across all wards. Staff
on ward rounds have real time access to information from any device
connected to the hospital network.
VitalPAC was funded with a £986,000 award from the Nursing
Technology Fund. The Trust is only 1 of 2 using the software in the
North West.
Roger Killen, Chief Executive of The Learning Clinic, the company
which developed VitalPAC, said:- "This is a great example of a
collaboration between front line clinicians, engineers and software
designers to create a system which brings clear benefits to patients
and staff. The BMJ Quality and Safety paper confirms, based on
studying results at two large hospitals, that introducing VitalPAC
was followed by dramatic falls in mortality."
The study in BMJ Quality and Safety reported a fall of almost 400
deaths among patients in one year at Queen Alexandra Hospital,
Portsmouth, and a drop of more than 370 in the same period at
University Hospital, Coventry, according to the research.
An accompanying editorial in the journal described the research as
"an
important milestone" in improving patient safety and said the
lowering of mortality at these 2 hospitals "represents
a truly dramatic improvement."
VitalPAC was introduced in Portsmouth in 2005 and in Coventry two
years later. Researchers compared the actual number of deaths in
each hospital following deployment of the system with estimates
based on the number dying in the year before roll out. In 2010, some
397 fewer patients than expected died at Portsmouth. At Coventry,
the figure was 372 patients.
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There's no
excuse…
A news campaign is being launched to warn men
who grope women that they are committing a crime. The campaign
by Citysafe, the community safety partnership, says:- "There's no
excuse… don't grab, grope, pinch, fondle" and that claims such as
"It was only a bit of fun" are completely unacceptable.
It points out that such behaviour is not only unwelcome and
unacceptable but it constitutes sexual assault which is a serious
crime.
The campaign started when a number of strategic groups, including
the Student Safety Group and Violence against Women and Girls,
expressed concern about an increasing number of sexual assaults
against women especially in the night time economy of the City
centre. "It is difficult to quantify as these are incidents which are
massively underreported. But the feedback we are
getting is that it is a serious and growing problem especially for
women who go to City centre bars and clubs. Not only is it
unpleasant and unwelcome to say the least but there should be no
doubt that inappropriate sexual touching is a criminal offence.
We want men to be aware of this and think about what they are doing;
it is not a joke or a bit of fun. No one should have to put up with
this sort of behaviour and everyone should be able to enjoy
themselves without this unwanted attention." said Councillor Emily Spurrell,
Mayoral lead on Community Safety.
The campaign will be highlighted in social media including Facebook
and Twitter and will feature a series of posters. As part of
the campaign, bar and door staff are being given regular and ongoing
training to enable them to identify potential examples of
inappropriate touching, to offer appropriate support to victims and
ensure issues are reported.
They will also be made aware of the help and support for victims of
sexual assault by local services such as SAFEPlace Merseyside (SARC)
and Rape and Sexual Abuse Service (RASA).
Merseyside
Collective Switch Offers Extended
THE Merseyside Collective Switch exclusive
energy deals have now been extended until midnight, Monday, 29
September 2014. Hundreds of Merseyside residents have already
switched through the scheme and are now saving an average of £202 a
year on their energy bills.
The Switch Together, Save Together scheme is organised by local
charity, Energy Projects Plus, together with the 6 Merseyside
local authorities. It aims to reduce people's energy bills by
collective buying power to negotiate cheaper tariffs from energy
suppliers and making it easier for people to switch.
E.on has offered 2 exclusive tariffs for the collective switch,
which are the cheapest on the market for both Monthly Direct Debit
and Payment on Receipt of Bill customers. The offers tariffs are
both fixed, protecting customers from any price rises until
September 2015.
To benefit from these exclusive tariffs, householders need to
register with the Merseyside Collective Switch. To register visit:-
lcrenergyswitch.co.uk or call freephone:- 0800 043
0151 to speak to an advisor.
Ellie Abernethy, Project Manager at Energy Projects Plus said:-
"It's great that people are making such significant savings
through switching. Now the offers have been extended even more local
people have the opportunity to benefit from the scheme and save on
their bills." You can see the offers as part of a full market comparison, and
generate a personalised quotation to see how much you could save, by
visiting:-
lcrenergyswitch.co.uk.
Alternatively, you can call freephone:- 0800 043 0151 to speak to an
advisor. |
