Heartbeat July 2018

AMU team present at Birmingham
Medical Education Conference
MEDICINE & EMERGENCY
CARE
The acute medical unit (AMU) team
were invited present a piece of their
work at the Birmingham Medical
Education Conference.
The conference, which is an annual
meeting held at the school of education
at University of Birmingham is one of the
biggest events of its kind in the United
Kingdom. It is hosted jointly by Health
Education West Midlands, the Medical
School and the Professional Education
and Research Unit at the University.
The team’s presentation focussed on
the introduction of a hub nurse role to
empower the medical specialist registrar
(SpR) and was presented by Dr Dom
Goold, Cheryl Shepherd, AMU Sister and
Dr Donna Best.
Acute Medical Consultant, Dr Sarb
Clare, explained more to Heartbeat. She
said: “Essentially the medical SpR is the
workhorse of the hospital 24/7 and we
need to reprieve them of as much duties
as possible in order to maintain good
Some of the AMU nursing team who have
been implementing the hub nurse role – L-R:
Sisters, Sophia Panton, Cheryl Shepherd and
Rachel Wiles and AMU Ward Manager, Mike
Beech
patient flow.
“Due to the pressures they are under, there
is a decline in doctors wanting to get into
general and acute Medicine and it is a top
priority for the Royal College of Physicians
to address this matter.
“To address it locally, Senior Charge Nurse,
Terry Byrne created the hub nurse role who
works alongside the AMU coordinator. After
training and education, this nurse takes on
the role of taking medical referrals from
various sources, including A&E, GP surgeries
and clinics.
“This role was traditionally done by the
SpRs, which would take them away from
the frontline and see them spending hours
on the phone. The hub nurse role, has not
only alleviated this and allowed them to
spend more time with patients, but has also
empowered our nurses and created more
development opportunities for them.”
Sarb added: “It sets an example for other
units of better ways of working and we
are aiming to deploy this to Sandwell AMU
shortly.
“Credit for this must to go our amazing
Terry for leading and delivering this
project and to our nursing team who have
taken on this role with real tenacity and
professionalism.”
Cardiology quality improvement event
enhances working with GPs
Following a pilot to expand
integrated working with our GP
colleagues across a number of
specialities, and provide care closer
to home for many more patients,
we recently held a joint cardiology
quality improvement event with a
local GP provider organisation. The
resulting discussions surpassed our
expectations so much so that we
are now committed to looking at a
range of services, and not just focus
on cardiology. We will be integrating
the following teams:
Dermatology
We already have the largest community
dermatology service in the UK serving
1.5m patients across 3 CCGs – delivering
11,000 consultations per year across 11
locations in the GP provider organisation,
but we will work to integrate with
specialist services in the trust.
ENT
Aiming to provide joint GP and
Consultant multi-disciplinary team clinics
within the community setting.
Gynaecology
We already have an integrated service but,
we are aiming to be the first communitybased
gynaecology service offering day case
procedures such as hysteroscopies.
Urology
To provide the first community-based
urology service offering day case procedures
such as flexible cystoscopy.
Rheumatology
Already delivering more than 5,000
consultations per year across 13 locations,
and is the only primary care-led service
in the UK to recruit patients into clinical
research, our consultants support this
service with collocated clinics.
And of course:
Cardiology
The reason for the event. Our aim is to
provide the first technologically integrated
community service, all tests/investigations
and results are accessible across both
community and secondary care.
What this means is that consultants
will work in teams with GPs to offer an
improved service for patients with reduced
waiting times and seamless IT. Patients will
be seen quickly, with their first appointment
offered within fewer weeks of referral in
many cases, and they will be seen locally
too, as appointments will be offered
for community based locations across
Birmingham. We’re aiming for a more
efficient service delivery, as patients will
receive their consultation and investigations
within a single appointment with consultant
support and direct listing for patients
needing further care.
For more information please contact
Dottie Tipton, Primary Care Liaison
Manager on extension 4309 or by
email: dottie.tipton@nhs.net
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