Building for a brighter future - GHA Central

Review of Operations: Quality Report
area, with no falls occurring in the
acute area resulting in serious injury.
In the aged care area with an
additional 30 high care residents (who
have a higher risk of falling) there was
a 3.5% increase in the falls resulting in
minor injury and a 1% increase in falls
resulting in serious injury.
As part of the awareness campaign,
the increased emphasis on incident
reporting and an additional 30 high
care residents in aged care, 601 falls
were reported this year, 24 more than
last year, an increase of 4%.
Pressure areas
For the last three years, WGHG has
participated in the Victorian Pressure
Ulcer Point Prevalence study. This
study aims to identify the prevalence
of pressure ulcers by measuring the
number of patients with evidence
of pressure areas on a set day. The
results of the study are then compared
against other Victorian public
hospitals and against previous results.
During the year, based on the results
and assessment of equipment needs,
WGHG implemented a number of
pressure prevention strategies.
Pressure relieving seating surfaces,
heel boots and 10 dynamic mattresses
were purchased with a generous
donation of $16,963 donated by the
Drouin Auxiliary. Nursing education
of assessment and pressure area
prevention was implemented with a
catch cry of “zero tolerance to pressure
areas”.
This year the results show a dramatic
decrease in pressure point prevalence,
in part, due to these strategies.
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
Pressure Ulcer Point
Prevalence Survey %
PUPPS 1
2003
PUPPS 2
2004
PUPPS 3
2006
Managing demands
for elective surgery
WGHG is committed to monitoring
and improving access for our
community to elective surgery
and other acute inpatient services.
During the year, the elective surgery
waiting list reached over 800 patients
and the length of time patients were
on the list was well above the average
of other rural hospitals.
To help manage this demand,
and with funding provided by DHS,
Newly appointed Elective Surgery
Access Coordinator Debbie Cole
discusses the waiting list with orthopaedic
surgeon Mr George Owen.
An Elective Surgery Access
Coordinator was appointed in March.
An extensive audit of the waiting list
and a preliminary gap analysis was
carried out identifying barriers to
timely access for elective surgery
patients and those requiring admission
from the Emergency Department.
The waiting list audit process involved
contact with hundreds of patients
on the elective surgery waiting list,
particularly those who had been on
the list for some time. This provided
the opportunity for patients to ask
questions about the waiting list and
also identified more than 200 patients
who, for a range of reasons, no longer
Surgical Ward nurse Sheree Blum
adjusts a compression device fitted
to the patient following surgery to reduce
the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis.
Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis
and Pulmonary Embolis
This year, all clinical areas
implemented practices to prevent the
occurrence of Deep Vein Thrombosis
(DVT) and Pulmonary Emboli (PE).
Deep Vein Thromboses are blood clots
in the larger veins, usually the veins
of the legs. Pulmonary Emboli are
blood clots in the lungs. Research
show that DVTs and PEs are a major
and largely preventable cause of
complications in hospitals around
the world.
With these clots occurring 100 times
more frequently among hospitalised
patients than amongst those in the
community, WGHG is one of 40
hospitals around Australia
24
participating in a project to reduce
the number of patients developing
these blood clots.
An assessment form for all patients
and standardised prevention practices
based on evidence recommended
by the National Institute of Clinical
Studies, will be implemented early
next year.
Methods used to help prevent
DVTs and PEs are:
➤ The use of blood thinning
medications
➤ Anti-embolytic stockings
➤ Sequential compression devices
used mainly in the operating theatre
to prevent blood from pooling in the
legs during operations
➤ Early mobilisation or exercises