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October 2014

Issue 7

Gateshead cancer care among the best in England A national survey of cancer patients has again named QE Gateshead as one of the best performing hospitals in the country.

Gateshead came second in the national league table measuring patient experi-ence across England, ac-cording to results released by Macmillan Cancer Sup-port, based on research commissioned by NHS Eng-land.

This is the fourth year run-ning that Gateshead has featured in the top five na-tionally and is testament to the hard work and dedica-tion of staff at the hospital in caring for cancer pa-tients.

Carolyn Harper, Head of Cancer Services at QE Gateshead said: “Finding out you have cancer is one

of the most difficult things you will ever face so we’re are extremely pleased that in Gateshead patients are finding the experience of coming for treatment amongst the very best in the country.

“We’re very proud of the cancer services that we provide in Gateshead and this recognition really demonstrates all the hard work and commitment of our staff at the QE.

Click here to read more.

GP handover form update We have identified a problem with the information included in a small proportion of the GP Handover forms sent from the Trust.

We believe the problem may have occurred in GP Handover forms sent out since June 2014, because of a ‘bug’ in the system. We are working with the system supplier to address the problem as a matter of urgency.

The list of drugs on the GPHoF should still be correct. However, the section in the middle of the GP Handover Form that describes “Medication stopped, and reasons:” has sometimes (up to 2% of the time) failed to include all of the information entered by the hospital doctor.

The problem appears only to occur when the information that was previously entered into the electron-ic form is amended. Hence if the correct information is entered first time, there is no problem.

This means that there may be a risk that drugs which have been deliberately stopped whilst in hospital and removed from the discharge list of medication, might not be correctly detailed in the box in the middle section of the form.

The drug should still have been removed from the drug list. If you have any queries then please contact the ward the patient was discharged from or junior doctor who completed the form.

We have, to date, not had this identified as a problem by practices but we are concerned that it could lead to drugs that should be stopped not being stopped, and so feel that it is important to let practices know that there is a problem affecting a few forms and that we are working to rectify it.

Please contact us via Helen Groom if you have concerns you would like to discuss about this issue.

Emergency Care Centre site tours You can now once again book yourself a place on the Emergency Care Centre (ECC) site tour.

Taking place every Tuesday and Friday from 1.00pm - 2.00pm, you will be shown around the building

site to see how the centre is taking shape.

There is a maximum of 20 people on each tour so please do book to avoid disappointment. You can

email farada.raza@ghnt.nhs.uk now to book a place.

If you have booked a place, you can meet at the Miller offices near Main Oupatients at Entrance A (main

entrance) at the date/time you have booked one. We are also looking to arrange a separate event just

for GPs which could take place outside office hours.

If this is something you would be interested in please contact us to suggest some times that would be

better for GPs or groups of colleagues.

Electronic monitoring on wards

Medical staff are now using iPads and iPods instead of the traditional bedside paper observation charts at the hospital.

The new system will help save time and provide more accurate, reliable patient records. It is hoped that better monitoring can lead to a wide range of benefits but ultimately improved care and less time in hospital for the patient.

The new devices will mean that healthcare staff can provide more accurate and detailed information to senior clinicians who will then have better data to make informed medical decisions. It also takes less time to record the observations in electronic format than having to write it out on paper.

The new electronic observation system is currently being rolled out to all adult in-patient areas of the hospital and should be complete by the end of November.

In the future the system will also be able to monitor new areas electronically including nutrition, infec-tion risks, dementia assessment and alcohol screening. It will also automatically inform junior medical staff of any potential deterioration of a patient’s condition.

Mike Bunn, a resuscitation nurse who is leading the project in Gateshead said: “This observation system can identify patients at risk of deterioration much more efficiently than a single paper copy at the end of the patients bed and should help to save lives.”

Click here to read more...

Getting the balance right! Balance It! is a healthy lifestyle and activity programme for school aged children (5 – 17 years old) in

Gateshead.

As a GP you can refer patients to the

programme where they will access

expert advice and support on nutri-

tion and physical activity to help chil-

dren maintain a healthy weight. We

encourage the involvement of par-

ents and carers to support their chil-

dren throughout the programme.

Why should we bother?

Regular activity, healthy eating and a

general healthy lifestyle has a num-

ber of benefits including:

Increasing energy levels

Reducing stress

Managing weight

Strengthening bones and muscles

Giving children the ‘feel good factor’

improving confidence and self-esteem

How long does the programme run?

Each individual referred on to the scheme will be entitled to up to 24 months on the programme.

What’s on offer?

A range of indoor and outdoor activities for FREE

Expert advice from the dietitian or school nurse

Support and advice from a physical activity specialist

Group based sessions

Fun family activities

What’s next?

GPs can refer children to the programme or contact the Balance It! specialist at the QE for more infor-

mation on 0191 445 2074 or www.qegateshead.nhs.uk/balanceit

Coming soon…...

The story of our year

A summary of the Annual report and accounts is now available on

the Trust website.

This year we've done something slightly different and produced a

more visual summary that provides some of the highlights from the

past financial year.

The document, called The story of our year 2013/14, is full of pic-

tures, news stories and statistics about the key issues faced by QE

Gateshead. It also provides detailed links to more information in the

full annual report.

Visit the website to find out more….

Stay in touch We hope you enjoyed reading Health Matters which will now be sent out by email once a month.

If you would like to submit stories for the this newsletter or offer any feedback on the content please

get in touch with:

Helen Groom (Helen.groom@ghnt.nhs.uk)

Ross Wigham (ross.wigham@ghnt.nhs.uk)

Thanks for reading and please continue sending us your story ideas and suggestions.