FIRST PUBLIC MEETING OF UL HOSPITALS BOARD

Transcription

1 April 2014 Issue 6 FIRST PUBLIC MEETING OF UL HOSPITALS BOARD The chief executive of UL Hospitals Ms Ann Doherty told the first public meeting of the new hospitals group board in Limerick on January 30th that the group had slashed waiting lists in 2013 thus meeting government. At the end of 2013 no patient was waiting for over 12 months for a routine outpatient appointment, over 8 months for scheduled inpatient or day case procedures and no child is waiting over 8 months for a scheduled inpatient or day case procedure. All targets for both routine and urgent colonoscopies were also met. INSIDE First public meeting of UL Hospitals Board New Website for UL Hospitals 2 Launch of Three Year Strategic Plan 2 Operation Plan UL Hospital s Academic Partnership with the University of Limerick PUMP Programme 4 Surgery At A Glance now in Turkish 5 The Productive Ward: Productive Times in Nenagh Hospital Hand Hygiene Initiatives in UL Hospitals My first solo delivery at 36,000ft! 7 Inaugural GP Study Day 8 The first public meeting of the UL Hospitals Board (Photos: Kieran Clancy Mr. David Waldron Receives The Silver Scalpel Award TLC4CF buys life changing Cystic Fibrosis equipment for the Mid West Patient Advocacy Liaison Services (PALS) Designer Louise Kennedy opens Family Room in Nenagh Hospital 5 minutes to save a life (Brief Intervention) Ark de Triomphe: Paris dinner raises funds for Limerick Paediatric Unit In 2013 the colorectal screening and neonatal hearing screening programmes commenced; critical care services began moving into new units; senior medical staff were recruited to establish Acute Medical Assessment Units and new integrated departments of anaesthetics and radiology were developed. Ms. Doherty said the group had a financial overrun of m or 4.1%m of its budget allocation. The financial challenge at the start of 2013 was 21.7m or 9.1%. The sizeable improvement in financial performance is noteworthy and is attributable to a number of factors such as additional budget allocation, generation of additional income and the formation of sub committees to monitor, approve and provide visibility and accountability at every organisational level over all areas of spend. Ms Doherty said that this year UL Hospitals plan to complete the development of ICU and HDU capacity to ten and eight beds respectively, to maximise the use of bed capacity across all hospital sites in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, to recruit additional neonatal and obstetric consultants and to strengthen the relationship with the University of Limerick through the recruitment of additional academic staff.

2 Issue 6 April 2014 page 2 Plans for 2014 also include the commissioning of new theatres at Nenagh Hospital, the opening of additional beds at University Hospital Limerick in Dooradoyle, the opening of an interim paediatric emergency department and the continued advance of the capital programme. The capital programme includes a new Emergency Department in Dooradoyle due to open in 2016 and a new dialysis unit scheduled to open the same year. A new Parkinson s, Stroke, Breast and Dermatology building being built in conjunction with the voluntary sector is expected to be completed in In addition an education and research facility in partnership with the University of Limerick is due to be ready in A key objective for UL Hospitals according to Ms Doherty is to secure capital for the development of a new maternity hospital on the Dooradoyle campus although this is a long term project. Chief Clinical Director Professor Pierce Grace said that that although the existing University Maternity Hospital at Ennis Road provided an excellent service to the women of the Mid West it was less than ideal. Best practice in modern medicine was, he said, to have access to all facilities and specialities which could only be achieved on the Dooradoyle campus. Ms Doherty said she was acutely conscious of the continuing pressures on the Emergency Department. In December the Emergency Department was treating 58.4% of patients in LAUNCH OF THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN Prof. Niall O Higgins, Ms. Ann Doherty, CEO & Prof. Pierce Grace at the launch of the Strategic Plan. UL Hospitals has launched a strategic plan which covers the next three years and aims at placing the group among the top three University Hospitals in Ireland by The chairman of the under six hours compared to a national figure of 65.9% and 75% of patients in under nine hours compared to the national figure of 81.2%. Efforts will be continued throughout 2014 to promote the use of Local Injuries Units and Medical Assessment Units at Ennis, Nenagh and St John s as an alternative to attending the Emergency Department in Dooradoyle as appropriate. Ms Doherty said 2014 plans for UL Hospitals rested on the assumptions that government legislation would deliver the anticipated financial benefits, that savings linked with the Haddington Road agreement were realised, that access to nationally held funds for schedule and unscheduled care support were provided and that key safety concerns were prioritised and addressed. NEW WEBSITE FOR UL HOSPITALS The new dedicated website for UL Hospitals is available at Please send all feedback, recommendation and new content to web.master@hse.ie UL Hospitals Board, Professor Niall O Higgins, said The plan sets targets and indicates what must be done to achieve them. Judgement on whether or not we have realised our vision by 2018 will be made by those we serve. Having a map, a destination and a plan is just the first step in our journey. While the strategic plan identifies specific actions that we will take to achieve our strategic priorities, our success will depend on the extent to which each and every employee at UL Hospitals embraces the plan and becomes part of its implementation, he added. Four strategic priorities have been identified and will be focused on over the next three years. These relate to: 1. Developing a functioning single hospital across multiple sites. 2. Providing a quality, safe and efficient service.

3 Issue 6 April 2014 page 3 3. Developing ICT systems. 4. Promoting clinical education and research in association with the University of Limerick. The strategic plan was drawn up by a working group headed by Professor Paul Finucane. Membership comprised UL Hospitals chief clinical director Professor Pierce Grace, Chief Director of Nursing Ms Noreen Spillane, Ms Suzanne Dunne, Director of Nursing, Nenagh, Facilities Manager OPERATION PLAN is going to be an extremely challenging year for UL hospital as it will be for the entire Health Delivery system. Our challenge may be different to other areas as we are an organisation in a growth and development phase whilst we continue to struggle with inadequate capacity and facilities to meet all the needs of our patients. This manifests itself predominately at the University Hospital Limerick where patients attending our emergency department, regrettably, can experience unacceptable delays in accessing our services. This is something that we are acutely aware of and remain concerned that the solutions to fully address this are not realisable in the short term. We are developing a new Emergency Department and additional bed capacity on the site of UHL however, by the nature of capital development this will not all happen in We have developed and continue to refine our acute medical assessment services in an effort to address the issues that manifest themselves in the emergency department. This coupled with timely sub speciality access to outpatient services and the maximum usage of our beds at Ennis, Nenagh and St John's Hospitals will assist with our delays in ED. Liam Casey and Ms Breda Duggan CEO s Department. The 3,000 staff working in the hospitals group in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary were consulted throughout the process and given an opportunity to contribute to the strategy. Building an Independent Future: Strategic Plan is available at: Our 2014 Operational plan sets out the actions we intend to take in 2014 to deliver our services in line with the commitments of the Health Service National Service Plan 2014 and UL Hospitals Strategic Priorities , based on the funding we have received and all our planning assumptions being realised. There are risks to delivery of our plan which are clearly articulated in the plan. We will monitor closely all the measures and parameters of performance and we may need to adjust our plan if unacceptable variance or trends start to emerge was a challenging year for UL Hospitals and we achieved a lot. This was only possible with the hard work and commitment of our staff. We are ambitious and aspire to be in the top three university hospital in Ireland by We have much to do to achieve this but we are confident that this is a realisable goal for us. Ann Doherty Chief Executive Officer February 2014 The Operational Plan is available at: html UL HOSPITAL S ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK The Higgins Report, published in 2013, provides the framework for a major reorganization of the acute hospital services in the Republic of Ireland 1. It has recommended that all the acute hospitals be organised into six groups, each with a primary academic partner. UL Hospitals is one of the six groups and is partnered academically with the University of Limerick ( The rationale for an academic partner can be summarised by the 4Es : Excellent patient care Excellent education Excellent research Excellent people Prior to the Higgins Report the University of Limerick had a long association with the heath

4 Issue 6 April 2014 page 4 services of the Midwest. The Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences (PESS) has existed on the UL campus since 1972, the Department of Clinical Therapies was established in 2002, rapidly followed by Nursing and Midwifery (2003), and Psychology (2007). The Graduate Entry Medical School was also founded in 2007 with its first graduates qualifying in These groups together with the Departments of Education and Professional Studies comprise the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, one of the four major faculties at the University of Limerick. However, several other departments across the university have also interacted with UL Hospitals especially in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, but also in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Kemmy Business School. The University also recognised the contribution to academic medicine of a number of medical specialists at UL Hospitals by awarding them the title of Adjunct Professor. Today the University of Limerick and UL Hospitals work closely together to provide undergraduate and postgraduate education and training across several campuses and in several disciplines. Structured teaching and self directed learning programmes operate across both institutions. There are numerous joint clinicalacademic appointments and both organisations collaborate extensively on research projects. The presence of an academic partner also attracts and retains health professionals of the highest calibre, PUMP PROGRAMME A new service to enable better care of children with type 1 Diabetes has begun in March 2014 in the hospital as part of a supra regional service covering Limerick and Galway. The Insulin Pump service, launched as part of the under 5 s National Diabetes Clinical Programme will attract referrals from both regions. This will enable children getting 5 7 injections a day to reduce their injection need, enable better flexibility of lifestyle and reduce complication rates. Establishment of this service in Limerick means children will no longer need to travel up to Dublin to get this therapy, enabling better care closer to home. An Insulin pump is a mini computerised device, which continually infuses Insulin under the skin and enables better who contribute greatly to the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the clinical services delivered to the population. As stated in the Higgins Report the benefits that academia brings to healthcare are: A questioning and critical appraisal of established knowledge A culture of high quality clinical service The generation of new ideas, evidence and products that improve patient care and reduce costs Direct benefit to patients The delivery of financial gain and contribution to economic growth A contribution to international healthcare. Exciting new developments are the construction of a Clinical Education & Research Centre on the UL Hospitals campus and the development of a Health Research Institute at UL to promote health related research across both organisations. A key appointment will be that of the Chief Academic Officer who will be a member of the UL Hospitals Executive Management Team and will provide a strong link between UL Hospitals and the University of Limerick. Higgins J. The establishment of hospital groups as a transition to independent hospital trusts, a report to the Minister of Health, Dr James Reilly, TD. Department of Health, 2013, available at: blood glucose control. Children under five years of age are being prioritised. The vast majority of Diabetes in childhood is type 1 diabetes, often challenging to manage and generates a significant family burden on a daily basis. The incidence of type 1 Diabetes in children is increasing yearly and the current service development would provide the much needed multidisciplinary input to the care of appropriately selected children with diabetes. The set up of the service has been possible because of appointment of additional specialist Nursing and Dietetic support. The programme is currently being run under the care of Dr Smita Koppikar, Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist.

5 Issue 6 April 2014 page 5 SURGERY AT A GLANCE NOW IN TURKISH A popular surgical textbook written by chief clinical director Professor Pierce Grace and Mr Neil Borley, general and colorectal surgeon, Cheltenham, is now available in Turkish. First published in 1999, Surgery at a Glance is now in its fifth edition and has gained favour with medical students internationally. It had previously been translated into French, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Hungarian, Greek, Chinese, Korean and Indonesian. The textbook covers all surgery 87 topics are clinical presentations and are surgical diseases. It is part of At a Glance series published initially by Blackwells and later by John Wiley of Chichester. The layout feature one topic per two page spread with illustrations on the left hand page and text on the right. Professor Grace is a general and vascular surgeon. He is professor of surgical science at the Graduate Entry Medical School in UL and lead clinical director with UL Hospitals. THE PRODUCTIVE WARD: PRODUCTIVE TIMES IN NENAGH HOSPITAL The Productive Ward continues in Nenagh Hospital. Currently we are busy collating baseline data to be able to show are improvements.we are using Productive Ward safety crosses to capture falls incidence and unplanned staff absence. Our patient status at a glance boards have arrived and we are almost ready for our official launch. This has been postponed previously due reconfiguration and staffing constraints but is now back on track and ready to go! The UL Hospitals Nenagh Productive Team attended the National Productive Ward Conference in Dublin and gained information and motivation! Some of the UL Hospital Nenagh Productive Team attending National Conference. Vera Ryan, Bridget Kelly, Annette Ridley & Elaine O Sullivan. In 2014 the Productive Ward will be introduced in UL Hospital Limerick. All are encouraged to fill in the readiness checklists as this is a very positive and productive initiative which saves time on things we do not need to be doing and releases time to care for patients. This project is based on frontline staff and their ideas of what can be done to make wards work more effectively and efficiently with patient safety at the helm.

6 Issue 6 April 2014 page 6 HAND HYGIENE INITIATIVES IN UL HOSPITALS In 2013 the Infection Prevention & Control Team commenced weekly hand hygiene observational audits with the directorate management teams. This initiative has proven to be successful with hand hygiene compliance rates rising steadily in recent months, which is also reflected in the national hand hygiene audit results in November National audit targets set by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) are 90% compliance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) 5 Moments. These weekly audits provide an opportunity for the directorate management teams to directly observe hand hygiene practices in clinical areas and also demonstrate leadership in promoting hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers whilst in the clinical areas. are both compliant and non compliant at the time of the observation, which assists healthcare workers in changing their approach to hand hygiene. A follow up report of the audit results is given including quality improvement plans to help promote and sustain improvements in hand hygiene compliance. Another initiative included the provision of hand hygiene certificates for areas audited which achieve an audit score of 90% or higher. The following areas are photographed receiving their framed hand hygiene certificates which are displayed in their wards and clinical areas. These hand hygiene audits are conducted using the HPSC tool, whereby 15 moments of hand hygiene are observed using the WHO 5 moments criteria. Direct feedback is provided to staff who

7 Issue 6 April 2014 page 7 Photos of UL Hospitals staff receiving Hand Hygiene Certificates MY FIRST SOLO DELIVERY AT 36,000FT! By Dr Erin Sullivan (GEMS Graduate) Recently when I was on my way home to Canada from Scotland there was a page overhead asking if a doctor was on board? I rang the flight attendant call bell and told them if they needed any help to let me know. A few moments later the attendant came back and said they NEEDED ME RIGHT AWAY. Dr Erin Sullivan (GEMS Graduate Class of 2013) There I found a non English speaking woman labouring on the airplane toilet. There was a nurse also present who had answered the same page. I instructed the flight attendants clear out one of the business class sections and we moved the woman there so she could lie down between the seats (gotta love the extra leg room in business!) She didn t look well, she was pale and sweaty and I initially had no idea if she was bleeding or if she had had any issues during her pregnancy. First (I remembered ABC's!!!) I put her on oxygen, got her lying down and comfortable. Her BP/HR were fine. After finally figuring out which cannula to use (of course everything in the medical kit was written in Dutch because I was on a KLM flight) I inserted an IV line and started infusing one of the only 2 bags of 500cc normal saline. Having only done one previous vaginal exam on a labouring woman, I was pleased that it was at least ABUNDANTLY clear that delivery was imminent. I could feel the entirety of the baby s head! The flight attendants were asking if we needed to divert the plane for an emergency landing and since I had just learned that this was her first baby and that she was only 6 months gestation I was pretty nervous that not only could things go wrong with the mum but that I could potentially be catching a 24 week premie! There was no neonatal resus kit at all on board and the ob 'pack' was limited to two sets of silk sutures, one umbilical clamp, and one pair of scissors. I told the attendants that yes we were going to have to have an emergency landing and

8 Issue 6 April 2014 page 8 that they needed to page overhead again and ask for more medical assistance (at that moment I was envisioning a postpartum haemorrhage and a flat baby). My only relief was that at least if it was a small baby there was less likelihood that I'd have a dystocia or other 'passage' complication. Meanwhile I was running through all the manoeuvres I could remember but things were mostly coming back in flashes... flex the legs? Suprapubic pressure? Two more nurses and a 'doctor' turned up. The doctor was a bit shaky and looked more afraid than me. When I asked when his last delivery was he muttered something about a 'long long time ago' and then disappeared to wash his hands. I asked the attendants to get an OB on the line from the ground for me to talk to but of course radio/phone communication could only be done in the cockpit. So the other doctor again disappeared to the cockpit to talk to the OB. Within about 30 mins the baby delivered smoothly. He was vigorous and crying right away and was clearly a term gestation. Since we only had one clamp, one of the nurses fished out a clamp from her purse that is used for re sealing potato chip bags and we used that to clamp the mom's end. I put the baby on mum's bare chest and got them wrapped in blankets, just kept an eye on the cord and continued fundal massage. She gave a few weak pushes for the placenta but it wasn't coming and we had no oxytocin. I figured at that stage (since all I had were a bunch of serviettes to pack her with if she started to bleed and wasn't even sure if that would be the best thing to do!!) the placenta was better in than out and I was definitely not pulling on that cord. We landed in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories shortly after and the EMS team met us (they were fire fighters not even paramedics) and so I escorted mum and the baby to the hospital. When INAUGURAL GP STUDY DAY UL Hospitals inaugural GP Study Day took place on Saturday 1st, February at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick Recognising the need for good collaboration between hospital and primary care a UL Hospitals/GP Forum was established and over the last year frequent discussions have taken place about issues that are common to both primary and secondary care. From those meetings the GPs we walked in all the emergency department nurses and doc were lined up and cheering. It was quite the reception! I have never witnessed emergency staff cheering at the arrival of an ambulance. We went upstairs and I handed over to the OB on call and the paediatrician. They were both happy with the care the patients had received and congratulated me. The paediatrician checked the baby over and said that everything looked great. I was escorted back to the plane via ambulance with the air marshall who had accompanied me. I was so relieved and so happy that everything had turned out well (if maybe a little embarrassed that the clamp on the dangling umbilicus was a chip bag clamp). One of the flight attendants said "Oh it was a full term baby? So we could have carried on to Calgary then? And not had to land?!" I informed her politely but firmly that indeed the emergency landing was needed as even though the delivery went well there was no way I could have known if mom would have remained stable for the additional 2 hours of flying and that they did not have the necessary equipment for me to support her if things had gone wrong. I must admit, I was in a bit of a post adrenaline haze and hardly breathed a moment of celebration. Just a huge sigh of relief. They gave me a bottle of Champagne and some vouchers towards a future flight. Of course I had to pay to buy another connecting flight home to Saskatchewan after missing my flight from Alberta! Last week I received a lovely thank you note from KLM with a red Longchamp handbag. Certainly a once in a lifetime experience! (At least I hope so!). expressed a desire to have a study day with a number of the hospital consultants around the theme of chronic disease management. The result was the first GP Study Day with UL Hospitals in Limerick. It was a study day with a difference; a GP and a Consultant will jointly ran a short 15 min interactive session in a breakout room for up to 20 participants. The GP then presented a short

9 Issue 6 April 2014 page 9 case scenario followed by a short discussion with the audience with the consultant giving a brief summary and wind up. The participants then moved to the next room and the process was repeated for another topic. Falls in the Elderly, Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding, Suicide Assessment, Infant Feeding Problems, Parkinson s Disease and Management of Knee Pain. Dr. Emmet Kiern, Dr. Jude Ryan, Dr. Catherine Peters & Dr. Calvin Coffey An exciting programme was put together for the day. Initially an update was given on the local provision of stroke thrombolysis, primary PCI and the acute medical & surgical units. The participants then broke into three groups to attend the interactive sessions on chronic disease, Leah Bourke, Dr. Austin Stack, Prof. Pierce Grace, Dr. David Hannon, Dr. Ray O'Connor, Dr. Kieran Bohane & Anne Doherty, CEO, LeoPharma, Barrington s Hospital, Arcoxia & Mundipharma provided sponsorship for the meeting. MR. DAVID WALDRON RECEIVES THE SILVER SCALPEL AWARD The Silver Scalpel is an award voted on annually by the Higher Surgical Trainee group in Ireland, based on which Surgical Trainer is judged to have performed best in terms of leadership, training and development of surgical skills in their trainees and has shown a high level of professionalism and good communication. The award is presented at the annual Irish Higher Surgical Training Group (IHSTG) Meeting, which is associated with the Charter Day Meeting of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The awardee is also invited to present the Bosco O'Mahoney Lecture, which is delivered at the end of the IHSTG meeting and based on the principles of surgical training and in memory of Mr. Bosco O'Mahoney (RIP), General Surgeon who worked in Wexford General Hospital and was renowned for excellence in Surgical Training. Mr. David Waldron, Consultant Surgeon of being presented the award of the Silver Scalpel by Ms. Patricia Cronin, Chairperson of the IHSTG.

10 Issue 6 April 2014 page 10 TLC4CF BUYS LIFE CHANGING CYSTIC FIBROSIS EQUIPMENT FOR THE MID WEST Monday 10th February marked the launch of two new pieces of state of the art equipment University Hospital Limerick. This life changing equipment was purchased after a mammoth fundraising drive by TLC4CF, which raised over 205,000 to provide the much needed equipment for the hospital. TLC4CF (Tipperary, Limerick &Clare for Cystic Fibrosis) is a regional branch of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and was founded to improve services and supports for people with CF and their families in this region. According to Owen Kirby, Chairperson of TLC4CF, Local CF branches, Children s Light of Hope and the Soroptimists Club were largely responsible for raising the necessary funds to purchase these new machines. A Bronchoscope suite costing 160,000 was purchased and will be used to carry out internal examinations on the lungs and airways of children with Cystic Fibrosis. Paediatric CF consultant Mr Barry Linnane commented The Bronchoscope suite allows us to visualise the internal structure of the lungs, and to obtain samples from the lower airways of children with CF. With this approach infection and inflammation can be detected even before the patient develops symptoms, facilitating early, targeted treatment. In addition, University Hospital Limerick is the first hospital in Ireland to acquire a new Exhalyzer D which cost 44,000. This piece of high tech equipment has just been installed in the Paediatric CF Unit and provides a unique system of measuring and monitoring pulmonary function in children and adults. UL Hospitals chief executive Ann Doherty said The added bonus of this equipment is that it allows us to attract more clinical trials and research to Limerick because it is very sensitive and can measure clinical outcomes. New developments in technologies and research have the potential to improve the quality of life for people with CF and other inherited illnesses. Dr Barry Linnane added The Exhalyzer D represents the cutting edge of lung function technology and has the ability to detect some of the earliest changes in the lungs of people with CF. It will significantly enhance our ability to detect and monitor lung disease before it is apparent using conventional techniques. This will facilitate early treatment tailored to each individual patient with a view to maintaining, rather than recovering, good lung health. Thanks to TLC4CF, Limerick is the first Hospital in Ireland with this technology Eabha, her mother Theresa O'Brien and Dr Barry Linnane, Paediatric CF Consultant at the launch of the TLC4CF/ Soroptimist and locally funded equipment Cystic Fibrosis is Ireland s most common life threatening genetically inherited disease. The disease primarily affects the lungs and digestive system. Ireland has the highest proportion of CF people in the world and approximately 1 in 19 people are carriers of the CF gene. Children with CF can be born into families without any previous history of illness. A simple blood test can detect the presence of the gene. Recent advances in medical research and treatment such as the availability of the drug Kalydecohave increased the chances of survival and many people now live well into adulthood. In an environment where fundraising for charities is becoming increasingly difficult, it is heartening to see how generous local people are and how their trust, and the investment in this equipment, will benefit children and people with CF in the years to come. With this state of the art equipment, along with the support of our anaesthetic, surgical and nursing colleagues, Limerick is now the only centre outside Dublin providing a routine flexible bronchoscopy service to children, and the only centre in the country currently using the Exhalyzer D said Mr Linnane.

11 Issue 6 April 2014 page 11 PATIENT ADVOCACY LIAISON SERVICES (PALS) Patient Advocacy Liaison Services (PALS) is a service quality initiative which works to increase the level of the patient s voice and influence on how our hospital services are designed and delivered, improving the care experience of patients in our hospitals. In February of this year, UL Hospitals became part of this international movement to regularly engage with patients and the public about how we deliver healthcare in partnership with them, with the introduction of a PALS Manager role. Ms Miriam McCarthy was appointed PALS Manager for UL Hospitals: Our vision is that every person who attends our hospital feels welcome, safe and involved. We need to ensure that every patient s experience in our hospitals is as good as it possibly can be, especially when people attending hospitals are vulnerable and in an unfamiliar environment will be an exciting year for UL Hospitals with plans underway to introduce a PALS Volunteer service, initially in UHL Dooradoyle, over the coming weeks. Other elements of the PALS programme for this year include the roll out and implementation of the National Healthcare Charter, the further development of Patient Partnership Forums and proactive gathering and use of feedback. and Your Service, Your Say: It s Safer To Ask leaflets By providing more structures and opportunities for patients to share their experiences, the information gathered can help inform us as to how we can continue to improve the healthcare services we deliver to best meet the patients needs. The National Healthcare Charter sets out eight principles which patients can expect from our health service, and equally what they can do to help. Associated with this Charter are resources including Your Service, Your Say feedback forms Pop up information sessions for staff will be faciliated throughout UL Hospitals over the coming weeks, explaining clearly what the National Healthcare Charter means for you and the area you work in, and how we will work together to implement it.

12 Issue 6 April 2014 page 12 DESIGNER LOUISE KENNEDY OPENS FAMILY ROOM IN NENAGH HOSPITAL Acclaimed designer Louise Kennedy returned to her native Tipperary today (12 th March) to open the first family room in Nenagh Hospital which is for relatives of patients who are seriously ill or near the end of life and those families who are bereaved. has a family room for loved ones to grieve privately and to be in a calm and peaceful environment. Caption: Fashion designer Louise Kennedy (right) with from left: Suzanne Dunne, Director of Nursing, Nenagh Hospital; Noreen Spillane, Chief Nurse; Anne Doherty, CEO of UL Hospitals in the room. Caption: Fashion designer Louise Kennedy (right) with Suzanne Dunne, Director of Nursing, Nenagh Hospital.. The room was funded under the Design & Dignity Grants Fund which is operated and co funded by the Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).The new facility cost approximately 35,000 from the Design & Dignity Fund The Design & Dignity Fund was instigated in October 2010.A total of 11 projects in acute hospitals countrywide are being supported by the Fund and so far five facilities have been completed. Located near the main entrance to the hospital, the new family room was created from combining two small rooms measuring12sq meters in total. The clever use of space has allowed the hospital to have a tea and coffee making facility, a couch, armchairs and a pull out bed should relatives wish to stay overnight near their dying loved one. Speaking at the opening, Louise Kennedy commented: Our Late father Jimmy Kennedy spent time in Nenagh Hospital, he received amazing care from the very dedicated nursing team who also gave my family the support we needed at a very vulnerable and anxious time. It is such a welcome facility that Nenagh Hospital now Ann Doherty, CEO of UL Hospitals, commented: Families need a private dignified space during this most critical time. Today we are pleased to open a new facility that will offer some comfort to families when they need us most. They can stay day and night while their loved one is coming to the end of their lives. Nenagh Hospital is committed to improving end of life care. We aim to ensure that patients and families who are with us during their final journey will have a peaceful and dignified experience. Nenagh Hospital s Specialist Palliative Care Nurse Carmel Sheehy was instrumental in the development of this room, said: This family room was both a practical and a profound project. It involved a lot of skilled people working collaboratively on every aspect of this facility: design, interior colours, lighting, artwork, acoustics, fabrics and furnishings. We are proud of what has been created and hope this small but dignified space will demonstrate our compassionate care for families. Joe Hoare, Estates Manager, commented: This project is a product of the ongoing collaboration with the Irish Hospice Foundation on the built environment. The objective was to compliment the culture of care being fostered in the hospital by providing a dedicated space for the benefit of families and also to set an example for others to follow..

13 Issue 6 April 2014 page 13 Mary Lovegrove, Manager of the HFH programme, remarked: 'The Design & Dignity Fund aims to bring design excellence to hospitals in which so many people spend the last days of their lives. The evidence shows that good design can have a very positive impact on how we experience death and dying. We congratulate the hospital management, members of the Nenagh s End of Life Care Committee, the staff at Nenagh Hospital, HSE Estates, Julian O Mahony of Collins Building & Civil Engineering Ltd and architect MagdalenaKubat for all the hard work it took to complete this project. We hope that this family room will inspire similar projects in other hospitals in the region.' The 50 guest at the opening included the CEO and other senior management of HSE Mid West; members of the Service Users Group of the hospital; the builders and architects involved in the project; heads of department from Nenagh hospital and other sites in the mid west region; the Friends of Nenagh Hospital and members of North Tipperary Hospice. 5 MINUTES TO SAVE A LIFE (BRIEF INTERVENTION) In Ireland at least 5,200 people die from diseases caused by tobacco use each year. This represents approximately 19% of all deaths, the breakdown of which is as follows: Cancers (44%),Circulatory diseases (30%), Respiratory diseases (25%), Digestive diseases (1%). As of December 2012, smoking prevalence in Ireland was 21.7%; The Government of Ireland has set a target to achieve a Tobacco Free Ireland by 2025, aspiring to have less than 5% of the population smoking by this time. Tobacco Free Ireland published by the Department of Health in October 2013 outlines recommendations for action in order to achieve the 2025 target. According to this document, all frontline healthcare workers should be trained to deliver brief interventions for smoking cessation as part of their routine work. All patients who smoke expect to be asked about their smoking in a health care setting. What is Brief Intervention? It is a few minutes given to addressing smoking behaviour. It consists of 3 A s. Ask: and establish smoking status, and record. Advise : on how to stop, emphasising that the best way to stop is a combination of specialist ad vice and medication which increases the chance of success by 4 times. Act ; on patients response. Build confidence, give information (for ex.quit booklet), offer help by referral to the the local tobacco cessation specialist service.(uhl staff can also self refer to the specialist service) National Smokers Quitline number(free calls) Mary T Burke Tobacco Cessation Specialist University Hospital Limerick Tel: Mary Mac Mahon, Tobacco Cessation Specialist Clare Health Promotion Services, Slainte Offices, Francis Street, Ennis,Co. Clare, Tel: facebook.com/ HSEquit Self refer to their local cessation service Visit tion_service for a list of HSE services

14 Issue 6 April 2014 page 14 Brief Intervention training is free and applications can be made on line through the following link: BI Training 2014 or contact Mary T Burke, details as above. Dates for Brief Intervention training for this quarter are outlined below Dates Time Venue Tuesday April 15th Tuesday April 29th Tuesday June10th The course will cover: 09:30 16:30 St. Joseph s Hospital, Ennis 09:30 16:30 HSE Building, Ballycummin, Limerick 09:30 16:30 HSE Building, Ballycummin, Limerick Knowledge of tobacco Use The health effects of tobacco use & the benefits of quitting Raising the issue of tobacco use with patients Principles of a motivational approach to enhance client centred practice Coping with withdrawal symptoms Nicotine Replacement Therapy Smoking Cessation services and supports Smoking cessation interventions have been shown to be one of the most cost effective of all life saving treatments provided within healthcare systems. In the UK savings have been calculated to be somewhere in the region of 1,000 per life year gained, compared with more than 15,000 for the average life saving treatment. In Ireland, the average cost per admission of treating a smoker in an in patient setting for a tobacco related illness is 7,700. The Tobacco free campus (TFC) policy working group would like to thank all the staff that participated in the recent audit of the TFC policy, for their ongoing support. This survey is very encouraging to highlight the work and cooperation of all staff to ensure that the TFC policy meets the national targets outlined in the Tobacco Free Ireland 2013 document. This policy is being audited, and we appreciate your co operation and support. All survey results will be circulated and will be available on Q Pulse. New developments included in the TFC policy launched in January 2014 reflect the national directive on electronic cigarettes. Electronic Cigarettes should not be advertised, promoted or sold in any healthcare establishment. In addition, their use by patients, staff and visitors is prohibited in all healthcare settings and campuses. Stopping smoking at any age will lead to improvements in physical and mental health. The risk of lung cancer stops increasing when smokers quit; The increased risk of heart disease diminishes by 50% within the first year of stopping; The rate of progression for COPD is drastically slowed once a smoker stops smoking; Ex smokers report being healthier, happier and having greater life satisfaction than smokers; The average smoker saves over 3, per year if they quit. Mary T Burke, Tobacco Cessation Specialist, UHL.

15 Issue 6 April 2014 page 15 ARK DE TRIOMPHE: PARIS DINNER RAISES FUNDS FOR LIMERICK PAEDIATRIC UNIT Article from the Limerick Leader

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