Capital Doctor Blog

Cromwell Hospital installs innovative, interventional solution

capdocblog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:51:11 +0000

The Artis dMP is proving popular with Cromwell clinicians as it is easy to use and offers sharp images for diagnosis. The flat detector provides a more stable image than a traditional image intensifier, expanding the range of interventional procedures that can be performed.

In addition to real time imaging, fluorodynamics can be recorded to DVD. This is useful to clinicians when diagnosing conditions as the recorded data can be used for extra evaluation or training purposes in a variety of disciplines. For example ‘video swallows’ are useful to speech therapists allowing them to examine the swallowing mechanism of patients to assist with treatment plans.

“The compact size of the system is a great advantage as it allows more work space around the table in the imaging suite. This is particularly useful during ERCP* as there is more space in the area for other essential equipment,” said Judith Valletta, Senior 1 Radiographer at Cromwell Hospital. “The Artis is also useful in paediatric procedures by using a low dose for smaller patients. We are very pleased to have the new system in place.”

“Siemens is delighted to work with the Cromwell Hospital, installing the AXIOM Artis dMP and extending the range of procedures that can be performed,” said Jay Odedra, Account Manager at Siemens. “The system provides crisp imaging and will assist in the delivery of a high standard of care.”

Whole body wash at the RSM

capdocblog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:50:44 +0000

The Third Best Practice meeting took place at the Royal Society of Medicine’s Chandos House, London, on the 18th March 2008. Moderated by Dr Rowland Hill, this cohort of key opinion leaders including Professor Judith Tanner, Professor Dinah Gould, Professor Richard James, Dr Angela Kearns, Dr Carol Pellowe, Helen Jenkinson and Susan Pirie, met together to discuss issues and formulate guidelines which will allow healthcare professionals to give best advice to patients about to undertake any form of surgical intervention.

A resume of past meetings (Best Practice 1 and 2) was given by Dr A. Kearns, followed by other presentations by the panel. Subjects such as the Health Act, insights into the Health Commission’s assessment of infection control; the Association for Perioperative Practice’s ( AfPP’s) view on hygienic measures for elective surgical patients; whole body washing as a basis for infection prevention and control; recent insights into whole body washing as a basis for infection prevention and control, and pre- surgical whole body antiseptic washing, were presented and discussed by the group.

The group also undertook a period of free discussion and intense debate on guidance for using whole body antiseptic washing to establish criteria which could form the basis of guidelines for proposals to be used as a basis for skin de- colonisation protocols in the community as well as hospitals.

Following this important meeting, there will shortly be a Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) publication of résumés of key papers from all three Best Practice Meetings. This far reaching publication will also include Best Practice Guidelines for total body washing, to enable healthcare professionals and patients to have a better understanding of the requirements and recommendations to reduce post- operative infection rates and give best advice to patients. .

For further details of the day and to be advised of the publication through the RSM, please contact Jill Lashmar at MJM Communications. jill@bestpracticemedical.org

WEST LONDON MENTAL HEALTH NHS TRUST UNDER INVESTIGATION

capdocblog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:50:21 +0000

The Healthcare Commission has launched an investigation into
services provided by West London Mental Health NHS Trust. The investigation
follows concerns from different sources about how the trust handles serious
incidents, including incidents involving self-harm.

It will examine whether the trust takes appropriate action to address the
root causes of incidents in order to prevent similar events reoccuring and
improve services to patients. As part of preliminary work, the Commission’s
investigations team made unannounced visits at several trust sites on
February 13.

Based on this information, the Commission considers that an investigation
is needed to make sure that there are adequate systems and processes in
place to protect the safety of service users. The investigation will focus
on the period from April 2005 to present. It will look at how the trust
responded to safety incidents in this period and whether it took appropriate
action to prevent similar incidents from reoccurring.

This will include an examination of:

The procedures and processes in place to protect the safety of
patients

How the trust conducts its own investigations into incidents and
‘near misses’, including the time taken to complete them and how the
outcomes are communicated

How the trust learns from incidents to improve services

The number and types of incidents in the specified time period

The systems that allow senior leaders at the trust to assure
themselves that the mental health services provided are safe and of
good quality.

The Commission will also look at any other issues that may arise in the
course of its investigation. More detail is provided in the terms of
reference, also published today.

West London Mental Health NHS Trust employs 3,800 staff across 32 sites and
provides care for up to 18,000 patients at any one time. It provides a full
range of local mental health services for children, adults and older people
living in the boroughs of Ealing, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham. The
trust also provides specialist and forensic mental health services. The
trust is responsible for high security services at Broadmoor Hospital but
these are not the main focus of the investigation.

Nigel Ellis, the Commission’s Head of Investigations, said: “Clearly, there
are particularly challenging safety issues that have to be managed at
mental health trusts. It is crucial that every trust monitors and manages
risks in order to protect the safety of patients. This investigation will
look into how this is done at West London Mental Health NHS Trust.

“We are not saying the services provided by the trust are unsafe. If we
believed they were unsafe we would take immediate action. But we have a
duty to patients to be certain that all necessary systems are in place to
manage risks.

“We are pleased to have the full cooperation of the trust in our work and
will report back fully and publicly in due course, making recommendations
to improve services if necessary.

As part of its investigation, the Commission will interview service users,
their families as well as staff members. People who think they might have
relevant information to contribute to the investigation can phone the
Healthcare Commission on 0845 601 3012.

200 CHILDREN A MONTH DIAGNOSED WITH STIs

capdocblog — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:49:57 +0000

Almost 200 children a month are diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), new research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. From 2002-2006, 11,256 children under-16 were diagnosed with either gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes or genital warts. Detection of chlamydia cases in the under-16s has risen by almost 20% in the past four years.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “These are disturbing figures but we cannot close our eyes to the reality of life for some of our children. Ignoring it is simply not an option. If they are having sex at such a young age they must be informed about the risks involved and about the safe framework of a relationship.The Government is guilty of criminal neglect in slashing public health budgets over the years. This short sightedness is putting a whole generation at risk of a sexual health crisis.”

Hyperactive girls face problems as adults

capdocblog — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:48:15 +0000

Hyperactive young girls are more likely to have poor school-leaving qualifications, become hooked on smoking and fall into mentally abusive relationships later in life, according to a collaborative study led by UCL (University College London) and the University of Montreal. Few studies have looked at the consequences of aggressive and hyperactive behaviour in girls, but the latest study shows that hyperactivity combined with aggressive behaviour in girls as young as six may lead to greater problems with abusive relationships, a lack of job prospects and teenage pregnancies.

The study, published in the latest issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, followed the lives of Canadian girls from the age of six until they reached 21, to understand the link between hyperactive and aggressive behaviour in childhood and adjustment problems in early adulthood. Of the 881 girls monitored, around one in 10 showed high levels of hyperactive behaviour, while another one in ten showed both high levels of hyperactive and physically aggressive behaviour.

Young girls displaying hyperactive behaviour (restless, jumping up and down, not keeping still, squirmy or fidgety) and those showing physical aggression as well (fighting, bullying, kicking, biting or hitting) were found to have a high risk of developing adjustment problems in adulthood, in particular addiction to smoking, mutually and psychologically abusive relationships with partners, and low educational attainment. However, only females with both hyperactivity and physical aggression were found to report later problems of physical as well as psychological aggression towards their partner, along with early pregnancy and dependency on welfare.

Dr Nathalie Fontaine, UCL Psychology, says: “Our study suggests that girls showing chronic hyperactivity and physical aggression in childhood should be targeted by intensive prevention programmes in elementary school, because they are more likely to have serious adjustment problems later in life. Programmes targeting only physical aggression may be missing a significant proportion of at-risk girls. In fact, our results suggest that targeting hyperactive behaviour will include the vast majority of aggressive girls.

“However, not all hyperactive and physically aggressive girls grow up to have serious adjustment. In our study, we found that about 25 per cent of the girls with behavioural problems in childhood did not have adjustment problems in adulthood, while more than a quarter developed at least three adjustment problems. We need more research to understand the factors that prevent or trigger the development of such problems. Other risk factors more specific to girls, such as social and relational aggression (e.g. rumour spreading, peer group exclusion) also need to be considered in future investigations.”

A Practical Guide to Appraisal and Revalidation

capdocblog — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:03:46 +0000

Date: 15 April
Venue: 4 Hamilton Place, London

Medical conference provides guidance on what to do when performance issues arise as a result of the appraisal process in order to meet the new requirements for revalidation.
Contact:

Call Hannah: 020 8541 1399,

email: hannah@healthcare-events.co.uk or

Visit: Heathcare Events

Download Brochure