Shropshire hospitals adopt American methods on treatment
A ground-breaking way of treating people with sepsis has made the leap across the Atlantic and is now being used in Shropshire's two main hospitals.
Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has been working to improve care for patients who suffer sepsis.
It has been using techniques learned from the Virginia Mason Institute in Seattle, as part of a five-year partnership. The hospital was recently named the USA's hospital of the decade.
Sepsis is a form of infection that can be triggered by a minor injury but that can spread quickly and lead to death or bring on life-changing symptoms.
The Shrewsbury and Telford trust has launched a short video that highlights the improvement work and demonstrates the importance of recognising and treating sepsis quickly.
Since making the commitment to improve care for patients presenting with sepsis, SaTH has held two week-long workshops that focus on making small but significant and sustainable improvements.
It has ensured staff that all the equipment they need to tackle sepsis in a patient is close at hand, using a life-saving "bundle" that is ready to use and can ensure treatment is given in less than one hour, which evidence shows increases survival rates.
The results have only been achieved on a relatively small number of patients to date, all on the surgical assessment unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, but the trust plans to continue testing the changes by measuring results on a monthly basis.
Sister Andrea Walton said: "By taking a blood trolley and converting it into a sepsis trolley, that not only had everything needed to deliver the bundle but also came with a folder that clearly outlined with visuals exactly where everything was kept, we stopped staff from having to walk around the ward looking for equipment and various other parts.
"We also made the drip stand part of the trolley and that has resulted in the administration of intravenous antibiotics happening much quicker. Markings have been clearly placed on the floor of the ward to ensure the trolley is always kept in the same place and ensuring stock is kept at correct levels in now easier than ever before."
She added: "Such ideas may sound straight forward but when you are busy doing the day job you don't always have the time needed to stand back and say 'why don't we do this?' The workshop was really hard work but extremely rewarding."