December 2022

University Hospitals Plymouth’s new Mobile Research Unit protecting babies against RSV?

Many of you may have already heard about UHP’s Mobile Research Unit which is helping to bring health research into the community. Now the units are delivering a new antibody treatment to help protect babies against RSV…

The Mobile Research Unit (MRU) launched from the hospital into the community last year thanks to funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network South West Peninsula (NIHR CRN SWP) via the COVID-19 Vaccine Taskforce.

Now the team are working hard to recruit babies to receive a new antibody treatment as part of a study in babies under the age of one. The Harmonie Research study follows on from other research studies, which have been completed and is looking at how strongly babies can be protected from a serious illness due to RSV infection (respiratory syncytial virus) by giving them a single antibody dose.

The aim of the Mobile Research Unit is to bring research opportunities, such as the RSV treatment, to the wider population and hard to reach communities. The team have taken the mobile van to local GP Surgeries in Plymouth so they can see the babies and their parents/guardians locally rather than them having to travel to the hospital.?

Using the Mobile Research Unit, the HARMONIE study recruited 7 babies in just the first week with more participants signing up as RSV cases continue to rise in the community. The study is open to all babies from birth up to 12 months old with those eligible to receive the one immunisation and follow-up contact via the study’s app.

“Parents have been really interested in the study and have been very keen for their babies to take part,” says Laura Dean, Research Nurse Specialist for the Mobile Research Unit. “RSV is the largest cause of hospital admission in the under 1’s and with winter pressures as they are, they understand the need to find new treatments for RSV, hopefully with this preventative solution”.

To find out more about Research and Development at University Hospitals Plymouth, please visit www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/research or for more information on the HARMONIE study visit https://rsvharmoniestudy.com/en-gb where parents can submit and expression of interest.

Pharmacy achieves ‘excellent practice’ in governance ?

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has found the pharmacy at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) to have ‘excellent practice’ in governance...

In November the Trust’s pharmacy received an unannounced inspection from GPhC which regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacies in Great Britain.

In the report, UHP pharmacy was praised for demonstrating a high level of commitment to reviewing and monitoring the safety and quality of its services.

Kandarp Thakkar, Chief Pharmacist & Clinical Director of Medicines Optimisation said “Good governance is central to everything we do in healthcare. So, for our professional regulator, the GPhC, to recognise areas of excellent practice within our Pharmacy governance is really pleasing to see. I am delighted to see the progress we are making generally as a department and our ambition is to be an exemplar in everything we do”

Dan Stevens, Associate Director of Operations – Pharmacy said “We are really pleased that our high standard is being recognised by one of our regulatory bodies, it’s always great to have the hard work of our team recognised.?A huge well done to everyone in Pharmacy”

Steve Mumford, Head of Pharmacy Governance, Operations & Improvement praised the hard work from the whole pharmacy team, stating: “We have worked hard as a team (Admin, Techs, Pharmacists & Managers) to ensure our governance systems are enablers in supporting the delivery of the Pharmacy Strategy ensuring we have direction, effectiveness, and accountability. This independent report demonstrates that we are on the right track.”

Well done to the pharmacy team who have all worked hard to earn this achievement.

Working together for Plymouth’s health this winter

Staff from health and care providers across Plymouth have been busy preparing to provide the best possible service to patients this winter…

We recognise that patients are facing long waits and sometimes difficulty accessing health and care services.

This is why organisations are working hard together to make improvements and have come together to create a campaign, #HelpUsHelpYouPlymouth, that keeps local people updated on what is available.

From obtaining a GP appointment, to being able to access emergency care more quickly at Derriford Hospital and then being able to leave hospital and secure reablement support either at home or in community services – changes have been made in a bid to make getting help easier.

Staff here at the trust, Livewell Southwest, NHS Devon, South West Ambulance Service and Plymouth City Council have been working together to make the improvements and the campaign explaining what is being done in the city to prepare for winter includes:

One third of the calls South Western Ambulance Service receive are people chasing up the arrival of an ambulance, which impacts their #999 phone response times. This video explains how you can #HelpUsHelpYou this winter and only call back if the patient's condition has deteriorated.

Two Plymouth GPs outline work underway to improve general practice including appointments, online services and new roles to support patients. GP practices in Plymouth, have been expanding the number of appointments, including face to face appointments through the addition of paramedics, pharmacists and advanced nurse practitioners to their teams.?People in these roles have specialist knowledge in areas such as medication, minor injuries, wound care, and managing long term conditions. There are now more than 100 people in the city working in these roles and if you are offered an appointment with one of them, you will be seeing the best person to help with your condition.

As we prepare for winter at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, we have invested ￡871,000 this winter to expand Acute Medicine and Same Day Emergency Care so more patients can be seen and treated and go home in a single day. The expanded Same Day Emergency Care service is now supported by a multidisciplinary team. This means that people who need specialist therapies can access their treatments on the same day. The types of patients who can be treated by the Same Day Emergency Care service include patients with deep vein thrombosis, low risk chest pain, some respiratory conditions, some cardiac conditions, patients with diabetes or gastrointestinal conditions. In addition, we have increased the opening hours of the Same Day Emergency Care service, so it stays open until 10pm (it previously closed at 6pm).

At University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust there is a continued focus on getting patients safely home from hospital. Derriford has launched a campaign with staff and families to help get patients ‘Home for Lunch’. It’s much better for a patient’s physical and mental wellbeing if they can leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit for discharge. Long stays in hospital can result in physical deconditioning, greater risk of falls and exposure to infection, an increase in long term care needs and a reduction in mental wellbeing.

To try and ease pressure on our services this winter we are helping support our patients to get home quicker through our new Hospital to Home team. The therapy led team facilitates patients ready for discharge from hospital, and in turn helps us free up beds for those people that need our services.

We are working with South Western Ambulance Service to reduce the times that ambulances wait outside our hospital. Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Kath Potts, outlines the actions taking place this winter.

Improving care in the community for people leaving hospital film

Patients can continue their hospital care either in the comfort of their own home or at a care hotel with a homely environment. Watch this video how Livewell Southwest are working with the City Council to get people home sooner.

You can also watch all the films in one place, here.?

Feel good Friday: Virtual tour of Plymouths Neonatal Intensive Care Unit goes live?

Parents can now take a virtual tour of the Plymouth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) thanks to the South West Neonatal Network...

?The aim of these tours is to help alleviate stress and anxiety for families around the admission, transfer, and care within a neonatal unit.

The South West Neonatal Network developed these tours following feedback from their Parent Advisory group after it was identified that there was a ‘significant impact and added anxiety’ that arrival at or transfer to a Neonatal Unit had on families. This is largely due to the visits being unexpected, in unfamiliar environments, or in areas that were far from home.

One parent who has trialled these virtual tours said: “I wish there was something like this when we were on the unit it would have helped relax me.” ?

These tours allow parents to have control in their journeys, helping them to familiarise themselves with the surroundings and even some of the staff they may interact with on the ward during their stay. Parents who have used this service have said: “Seeing someone on the video you may meet on the unit is reassuring. It’s real, not generic.”

Virtual Unit Tours enable families to see the environments that their infant will be cared for ahead of time in cases such as planned premature births, or at the point of transfer. Heidi Green, Lead Care Coordinator for the region, whose role is to support units to improve care, services and facilities for families said: “In all circumstances it is hoped that being able to familiarise themselves with the environment may both empower a parent and begin to reduce the anxiety associated with entering somewhere unfamiliar and support them throughout their neonatal journey. With a wealth of information at their fingertips, the tours demystify the environment and provide videos about the importance of parent touch, feeding their baby and signposting to further resources”

Some parents also reported being told too much or too little information and being able to recall what was said during their baby’s admission, they can now receive information when they feel ready and as many times as they wish, enhancing communication with the teams caring for their baby.

The benefits of these tours also extend to siblings, close relatives and family friends, who will be able to familiarise themselves with the environment in which the baby is being cared for, and can help support families to answer any questions that may help alleviate any anxiety or fears that may surround the babies wellbeing and care.

Midwifery and obstetric colleagues, visiting staff and other professionals visiting the unit will also benefit from these tours, as they will be able to use it as a resource to help familiarise themselves with the layout and location of the unit prior to visiting.

Plymouth NICU team have also recently developed a 'Cuddle Bundle' aimed at increasing the awareness of the importance of skin-to-skin contact between infants and their parents- including increasing brain development, promoting more physiological stability, and creating a powerful bonding moment.

You can view the virtual tour of the Plymouth NICU here: Plymouth Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (matterport.com)