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Patient care boosted by NHS staff bright ideas

Smart technology developed by Sunderland-based health professionals to ensure patients can breathe easier has landed a top Bright Ideas in Health Award.

David Bramley, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Lean Innovator Andrew Turner, both of the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, developed the nebuliser mask regulator to make it easier for doctors and nurses to set the correct level of oxygen for patients.

Their innovation was rewarded with first place in the Innovative Technology or Device category at the Bright Ideas in Health Awards which celebrate the ingenuity of NHS staff.

The bright idea of a team at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust to tackle the problem of patients not getting enough nutrition scooped top prize in the awards’ Service Improvement category.

They developed a Health Call Undernutrition Service using automated telephone technology to monitor patients identified as being at risk of not having enough nutrition.

The ingenuity of the winners headlined the awards event which also recognised a host of other smart ideas from NHS staff to help patients and the health professionals caring for them. A Spinal Imaging Aid, a Community Nursing Kit Bag and a Specialised Macular Treatments in the Community idea were among the other finalists showcased at the awards ceremony at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel. (*see below for full list of winning entries, the entrants and their corresponding NHS Trust)

The Bright Ideas in Health Awards are organised by the NHS Innovations North team based at RTC North Ltd and in conjunction with the Academic Health Science Network North East and North Cumbria.

The awards, now in their 11th year, celebrate the achievements of NHS employees across all sectors in the North East who have risen to the challenge of demonstrating how patient care can be improved through technical innovation or better delivery of services. Staff from a variety of professions across the NHS are encouraged to develop their own solutions to problems they encounter in their everyday jobs.

Dr Nicola Wesley, Head of NHS Innovations and Director of Innovation, Academic Health Science Network North East and North Cumbria, said: “Once again we are celebrating the achievements of NHS employees throughout all sectors of the service in the North East, who have risen to the challenge of telling us how and where they believe that improvements to the healthcare service could be achieved.

“It is now eleven years since NHS Innovations North created its annual awards ceremony to celebrate the bright ideas emerging from frontline NHS staff. In that time, we have assessed more than 3,000 bright ideas, protected more than 200 items of intellectual property and commercialised over 60 technologies and services.

“The panel of judges has assessed 130 entries in the two award categories. It is really encouraging to us that entries have originated from healthcare professionals across the complete spectrum of the NHS.

“This reflects the appreciation amongst healthcare staff that their ideas are of relevance and will be taken seriously. The judges commented upon the high quality of the successful entries and the breadth of the topics covered.”

Innovation in the NHS is seen as vital in tackling rising healthcare costs and increasing patient demand, and this message was reflected by the guest speakers on the evening, who emphasised the growing trend of innovation in the region and the need to celebrate the achievements of those who contribute to this.

Guests listened to keynote speakers including; Gordon Ollivere CEO RTC North Ltd, Dr Arnab Basu CEO Kromek and Chairman of Academic Health Science Network North East and North Cumbria, Boda Gallon CEO Keiro, Miles Ayling Director of Innovation NHS England and Stephen Miller, Paralympic Gold Medalist, who echoed the message of the evening.

Cash prizes for the development of winning ideas were shared across the two categories ‘Innovative Technology or Device’ and ’ Service Improvement’ and the winners will now go on to receive further specialist support from NHS Innovations North to make a real difference to healthcare in the UK.

The Bright Ideas in Health Awards this year were organised in association with the Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria and sponsored by, Urquhart- Dykes and Lord LLP, Marks and Clerk LLP, University of Northumbria, RTC North Ltd and Archer IP.

The awards were created by NHS Innovations North to celebrate the ingenuity of frontline NHS staff. NHS Innovations North is one of a number of NHS Innovations hubs across the UK set up to provide professional commercial support to NHS Trusts. They identify, protect and commercialise ideas that will benefit patients and society as whole. It is delivered in the North East by RTC North Ltd.

Delivered in the North East by RTC North, the project is funded by NHS North East, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and benefits from £520,670 of European Union investment from the ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13.

The ERDF programme is bringing over £250m into the North East to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region.

For more information on the Bright ideas in health awards, call Sarah Black on 0191 5164400, email: enquiry@nhsinnovationsnorth.org.uk or visit: www.nhsinnovationsnorth.org.uk

The Winners…

Innovative Technology or Device 1st Place The Bright Idea… Nebuliser Mask Regulator Currently available Venturi masks require the correct oxygen flow rate to be set for any given mask. This is necessary as the valve within the mask is only set to give predictable gas delivery for a set flow rate. Current masks have the flow rate branded onto the mask; however this is often difficult to read. If the flow rate is not set correctly then the patient will receive incorrect oxygen concentrations. The nebuliser mask regulator is a device which makes it easy for clinicians to ensure that the patient is receiving the correct oxygen flow rates.

The Innovators… David Bramley, Consultant in Emergency Medicine Andrew Turner, Lean Innovator City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

2nd Place The Bright Idea… Spinal Imaging Aid Current practice for nurses assisting radiographers dealing with scoliotic patients is for them to have their hands enclosed in lead gauntlets to enable them to assist the radiographers with imaging of the spine. The Spinal Imaging Aid conforms to infection control criteria and also removes the nurses hands from the area in question, thereby avoiding the exposure of the nurse to the potentially harmful radiation.

The Innovators… Mark Paterson, Christina Mackay and Suzanne Doney Diagnostic Radiographers Simon Richardson, Senior Clinical Technologist The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

3rd Place The Bright Idea… Community Nursing Kitbag After holding a series of idea generating workshops, it was identified that there is no standard set of equipment for nursing staff in community services. Using staff feedback, the ideal bag contents were identified and with the help of a local manufacturer, a specialized kitbag was designed, prototyped, piloted and then rolled out across the Trust. The bag has infection control principles at its heart, being easy to keep clean and discouraging over stocking.

The Innovator… Steven Yull, Community Clinical Educator North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Commended The Bright Idea … Nebuliser Mount In paediatric outpatient departments, nebulisers are regularly used to administer antibiotics and mucolytics to children with cystic fibrosis. When using the nebulisers, the children are required to hold them to their mouth, breathing in the vapour until all of the medication has been inhaled. The nature of the nebuliser means that it can become uncomfortable for the patient to hold it in the correct position for the required amount of time. The Nebuliser Mount is a device which makes it both easier and more comfortable for the patient to hold the nebuliser in the correct orientation for the required length of time.

The Innovators… Charlotte Kemp, Principal Clinical Scientist Pat Cole, Paediatric Physiotherapist Tony Alton and Ian Boddy, Clinical Technologists South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Service Improvement 1st place The Bright Idea… Using Digital Health to Monitor Patients Prescribed Oral Nutritional Supplements Research has shown that undernutrition costs lives and money. Undernutrition can be treated with oral nutrition support through the prescribing of oral nutritional supplements. However, there are concerns that these can sometimes be prescribed inappropriately as a result of limited monitoring of patient compliance. To overcome this, a Health Call Undernutrition Service has been established using automated telephone technology to monitor patients identified as being at risk of under nutrition.

The Innovators… Catherine McShane, Specialist Dietitian Rachael Masters, Highly Specialist Dietitian Jeannie Hardy, Project Manager, Telehealth Ian Dove, Facilitator with Transformation Team Richard Quinne, Product Director,InHealthcare. County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

2nd Place The Bright Idea… Specialised Macular Treatments in the Community There has been a leap into an era of vision improvement treatment regimens which prevent blindness, reduce the social burden and improve quality of life as a result of a recent revolutionary change in how retinal pathologies are managed. This said, there are often difficulties in the administration of intraocular injection services given the distance some patients have to travel and as a result of the increased demand for such a service. This idea aims to ultimately reduce patient episodes, alleviating staffing challenges and effectively utilising existing services within the community.

The Innovators… Deepali Varma Consultant Ophthalmologist City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

3rd place The Bright Idea… Eating Disorders Intensive Community Treatment Service (EDICT) The Eating Disorders Intensive Community Treatment Service has been established in response to patients having to attend an inpatient service at two different sub-regional generic inpatient adolescent units. This new initiative allows specialised intensive outpatient and home based treatment for children and young people suffering from severe eating disorders who meet the criteria for inpatient treatment, preventing patients from unnecessarily being admitted to hospital for treatment.

The Innovators… Dr Sabia Chaudhry, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Jane Townsley, Senior Specialist Nurse Practitioner Jane Loughridge, Senior Specialist Dietician Louise Searle, Katie Turnbull, Claire Symons, Jodie Naylor and Rebecca Kennerley, Specialist Nurse Practitioners Ann Robson, Secretary Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Foundation Trust

3rd place The Bright Idea… SPARED and ERA Antibiotic Campaign Following the outcome of a number of routine antibiotic audits, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust became the pilot site for an antibiotic poster focusing upon the acronym SPARED, which aimed to prompt Samples, Policy, Allergy, Reason, End Date and Daily Review of antibiotics. The acronym is in the order in which issues should be considered whilst prescribing antibiotics, and the poster is a simple yet effective means for making a significant change within the Trust. Whilst working on SPARED, it was also considered appropriate to devise an associated campaign for nurses who can provide checks on the quality of antibiotic prescribing on drug charts when conducting medication rounds. Subsequently, ERA was derived which looks at End date, Reason and Allergy.

The Innovators… Debbie Lockwood,Advanced Clinical Pharmacist – Antimicrobials Delia Bradley,Antimicrobial Medicines Management Technician Claire Blood, Graphic Designer Marie Lozman, e-Communications Officer South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Commended The Bright Idea… Quality Improvement in Colonoscopy (QIC) Study High quality colonoscopy plays a crucial role in the prevention of colorectal cancer (CRC). A high quality colonoscopy must consist of both a complete and thorough examination however, variations in quality continue to exist. The Quality Improvement in Colonoscopy (QIC) study is a programme that aims to improve the quality of colonoscopy, across the North East of England.

The Innovators… Dr Praveen Rajasekhar and Professor Colin Rees, Medical Doctors The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust working with the Northern Region Endoscopy Group.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Gordon Arnott .