The Care Group, known as Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Frailty, contains 14 wards and departments across Doncaster, Bassetlaw and Mexborough. The service has the largest bed-base within the Trust, looking after older and more infirm patients, who are often living with dementia.
For a period of 584 days, the Care Group has not had any patient in their care suffer a severe HAPU, with some wards having gone over four years since the harm last occurred. To celebrate this achievement, the teams were visited by their Matrons, Head of Nursing, as well as the Trust’s Skin Integrity Team and were presented with an award.
A common problem in hospitals, HAPUs develop when a patient’s skin and underlying tissue becomes damaged, usually as a result of being confined to bed for a long period of time. The sores can range in severity from patches of discoloured skin, to open wounds, but the more serious occurrences can be very damaging. If undetected, these HAPUs can make patients extremely susceptible to infections and other such problems. They are also tremendously painful and heal incredibly slowly.
However, with the correct skin care, knowledge and expertise, the sores can be prevented. Routinely going beyond ‘normal’ ward care, the team at DBTH have been working hard to reduce unnecessary injuries, including falls and avoidable HAPUs. To that end, staff at the Trust have put a great deal of emphasis on the individual, pioneering what is known as ‘person centered care’ which means tailoring treatment to specific patient needs, ultimately improving a hospital stay.
This hard work has clearly paid off, as out of the 14 departments, four have gone two years without a sore. Meanwhile, two others have managed three years, while another trio are on their way to five years without a severe HAPU.
Speaking about this ongoing achievement, Cindy Storer, Head of Nursing and Quality for MSK and Frailty, said: ‘’Reaching this milestone is an outstanding achievement, one which we should be immensely proud of. Since October 2016, we have been working extremely hard, introducing several fresh initiatives to help maintain our good progress for the benefit of patients.
“Better education and training is now available for staff, while we have also worked closely with the Skin Integrity Team to develop a ‘Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management Policy’, ensuring that there are clear standards in place for tackling these sores. Through these measures, we have been able to continually sustain this amazing achievement. Well done Team DBTH!”
Alongside these new schemes, there has also been a concentrated effort on properly engaging staff and motivating them to be vigilant and mindful of these harms. For instance, ‘Days Since’ signs are openly displayed on the entrance to wards, informing patients of when the last avoidable HAPU occurred. Meanwhile, a new award scheme has been put in place to motivate areas to hit key milestones. These innovations give the staff something to be proud of, as well as targets to achieve, encouraging them to continuously improve good performance.
Finally, the work is also supported by projects such as ‘#EndPJParalysis’ and ‘24 Hour Rehab’, whereby patients are encouraged to move away from their beds and make use of each ward’s facilities, whether that’s getting up for a bite to eat or joining other patients in the day room to socialise or watch television.
Moira Hardy, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at DBTH, said: “I am extremely pleased that we are seeing sustained improvements in patient care. It’s all thanks to the impressive work of our staff, who go above and beyond on a daily basis, putting best practice into action, for the benefit of our patients with their extraordinary dedication and proactive thinking . They really deserve a spotlight for taking such pride in their work and for consistently putting patient safety at the heart of everything they do.”
No stranger to accolades, the Care Group Were finalists in the Care of Older People category for the prestigious Nursing Times Awards 2017.