Our weekly round up is here, featuring news of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals’ new kidney disease centre, Northampton General Hospital’s new Rainbow Initiative, and much more.
Find out the latest updates from across the health and care, down below…
Lancashire Teaching Hospital to build new kidney disease treatment centre
Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS FT has partnered with East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust to build a new renal dialysis centre for people with kidney disease.
The centre, which will be constructed on the Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital site, will feature 24 dialysis stations as well as clinic facilities.
Kevin McGee, Chief Executive, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are grateful to our colleagues at East Lancashire Hospitals for their assistance and support in creating this important new dialysis centre.
“The improvements we are making in East Lancashire will mean that patients will enjoy much more comfortable surroundings and an all-together better experience when they make their regular visits to our sites for this life-saving treatment.”
Liverpool Heart and Chest autonomous AI TCD ultrasound system
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) has introduced a ‘fully autonomous artificial intelligence’ (AI) driven robotic transcranial doppler (TCD) ultrasound system for open aortic arch surgery.
Professor Mark Field, Consultant Aortic and Cardiac Surgeon, LHCH, said: “Robotic TCD has the potential to inject a level of sophistication and nuance to neuromonitoring, resulting in patient specific neuroprotective strategies. What this means in practice is that this new system will ensure even better and safer patient care for those individuals undergoing highly specialised aortic arch surgery at LHCH.
“What this means in practice is that this new system will ensure even better and safer patient care for those individuals undergoing highly specialised aortic arch surgery at LHCH.”
NGH and KGH to participate in NHS Rainbow Initiative
Northampton General Hospital (NGH) and Kettering General Hospital (KGH) are to take part in the NHS rainbow initiative.
The programme, which requires participants to wear the rainbow badge, provides staff with access to resources and basic education around the challenges LGBTQ+ people face in accessing healthcare.
NGH and KGH are amongst 40 NHS trusts – chosen by NHS England – to take part in the second phase of the rainbow programme.
CWPFT open two mental health crisis cafes
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWPFT) has opened two new mental health crisis cafes across the Cheshire East area.
The opening of the cafes is a result of a partnership between CWPFT, Cheshire East Council, Independence Supported living, and East Cheshire Housing Consortium.
Sean Boyle, CWP speciality clinical director for crisis and urgent care, explains: “Crisis cafes form a vital part of improving peoples’ experience of urgent mental health care as non-clinical, warm and welcoming, safe spaces for people seeking support whilst in mental health distress.
“They are also a way for people to get help from trained staff and peers on coping with or preventing future mental health crisis.”
Royal Free London Hospital launch overseas vaccine validation service
Royal Free London Hospital, part of Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, has launched an appointment service for overseas vaccine record validation (OVRS).
The service will allow the public to book an appointment and show evidence for any COVID-19 vaccinations administered outside of England.
Following the appointment, NHS staff will be able to validate a vaccine for the official record, which may result in a covid pass.
If attending the appointment, participants will need to bring their passport and a vaccination certificate provided abroad (either electronic or paper).
ENHT gastrointestinal team win quality award
Lister and New Queen Elizabeth II Hospitals, part of East and North Herefordshire NHS Trust (ENHT), have won a quality award for their gastrointestinal endoscopy services.
The gastrointestinal team at the trust were awarded the JAG (the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) accreditation for endoscopy services, which demonstrate they meet the best-practice quality standards.
The Jag accreditation assesses the endoscopy service in four specific areas: clinical quality, patient experience, workforce, and training.
Dr Nasser Khan, Lead Clinician, ENHT, said: “We know how stressful it can be when you attend hospital either for an exploratory endoscopy, or for treatment – and this accreditation means that we can assure patients of the high-quality care that they will receive.”
