This weekend sees me on nights covering the ops officer shifts for East Dorset. Cold weather has hit the south coast with low temperatures both during the day and overnight. We have even had a flurry of the white stuff and guess what ... so far the world has not come to a grinding halt.
As you will have seen from last weeks blog my daughter had her first job interview earlier this week. I am please to say she was successful and will be starting work in July as a diagnostic radiographer once she has completed her university course and becomes HCPC registered.
As any one who has seen the news , read a newspaper or been exposed to social media the NHS is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. I think it is important to acknowledge the hard work and dedication shown by staff at every level and in every directorate across the whole of the NHS. This continued hard work ensures that patients continue to receive high levels of care despite the huge pressures faced on a daily basis. There is always talk of winter pressures and it is being reported that demand on NHS services this winter is the highest it has ever been, however this follows a sustained period of pressure and high bed occupancy over the previous year.
From my perspective as a operations officer dealing with handover delays, as a team in East Dorset this has been something we have to deal with throughout the year to a varying degree. Close liaison with our two local acute hospitals, new ways working and regular meetings all mean that we work together to reduce delays and improve patient care.
One night down two more to go off to bed now.
Stay safe.
Friday, 10 February 2017
Sunday, 5 February 2017
Social media a positive
After a weekend away at Butlins Minehead for Giants of Rock (If you like rock music this is a great weekend) I have had a few more days leave.
After the 21st birthday celebrations last month my daughter is now feeling very old and adult as she has sent off her first job application. Interview next week so fingers crossed.
As some of you may know I am involved in the planning of a table top exercise for the Poole Harbour Islands Safety Group. The scenarios are all completed and the invites have been sent out. The countdown to the exercise is beginning and I will bring you more about how it goes.
The past few days have seen some very high tides and strong winds and there have been several flood warnings for the coastal areas of Dorset. Publicising these warnings shows the benefits of social media alongside the more normal methods of alerting the public and responders.
Social media seems to have become s become a necessity for many people. News is now available to us 24 hours a day in the palm of your hand. It is also, almost instant reporting unlike having to watch television news or buy a newspaper. This can lead to information being available to us unexpectedly which you may unprepared for. This information can also be biased or unreliable depending on the source. The old adage that Sky News could have a film crew on scene at most incidents in 20 minutes has now been overtaken by Facebook Live, and video posting to a multitude of media platforms.
Social media can be used to good effect as can be seen from the many Facebook, Twitter profiles and blogs by many agencies responders and organisations.
Stay safe
After the 21st birthday celebrations last month my daughter is now feeling very old and adult as she has sent off her first job application. Interview next week so fingers crossed.
As some of you may know I am involved in the planning of a table top exercise for the Poole Harbour Islands Safety Group. The scenarios are all completed and the invites have been sent out. The countdown to the exercise is beginning and I will bring you more about how it goes.
The past few days have seen some very high tides and strong winds and there have been several flood warnings for the coastal areas of Dorset. Publicising these warnings shows the benefits of social media alongside the more normal methods of alerting the public and responders.
Social media seems to have become s become a necessity for many people. News is now available to us 24 hours a day in the palm of your hand. It is also, almost instant reporting unlike having to watch television news or buy a newspaper. This can lead to information being available to us unexpectedly which you may unprepared for. This information can also be biased or unreliable depending on the source. The old adage that Sky News could have a film crew on scene at most incidents in 20 minutes has now been overtaken by Facebook Live, and video posting to a multitude of media platforms.
Social media can be used to good effect as can be seen from the many Facebook, Twitter profiles and blogs by many agencies responders and organisations.
Stay safe
Saturday, 21 January 2017
Lots to celebrate
Great to celebrate my youngest daughters 21st birthday this week. Where has that time gone?
Its great to see one of our local Operations Officers return to a full range of duties as well this week.
I also attended a table top exercise to validate the latest version of the counties site clearance plan. Great to see joint working and communications from all involved. Very interesting to learn about the assets and specialist skills and advice that our local authorities can bring to an incident, both during the rescue and recovery phases but also going forward in to the long term restoration phase of an incident.
This weekend has seen me scraping the car before heading off to work to cover the East Dorset operations officer role . Please make sure you clear your windscreen before setting off.
The hospitals remain busy but handover delays seem to have reduced which can only be good for patients.
I am away next weekend so you will get a break from my drivel but fear not normal service will be resumed the week after.
As always stay safe.
Its great to see one of our local Operations Officers return to a full range of duties as well this week.
I also attended a table top exercise to validate the latest version of the counties site clearance plan. Great to see joint working and communications from all involved. Very interesting to learn about the assets and specialist skills and advice that our local authorities can bring to an incident, both during the rescue and recovery phases but also going forward in to the long term restoration phase of an incident.
This weekend has seen me scraping the car before heading off to work to cover the East Dorset operations officer role . Please make sure you clear your windscreen before setting off.
The hospitals remain busy but handover delays seem to have reduced which can only be good for patients.
I am away next weekend so you will get a break from my drivel but fear not normal service will be resumed the week after.
As always stay safe.
Saturday, 14 January 2017
Winter pressures
A few days off this week and then back in for a Learning Development Review shift with one of our Learning Development Officers.
All clinical staff will be observed once a year during a operational shift to highlight any development needs, check their driving meets the required standard and to give the staff member the chance to ask questions or go through things they may not be sure of . This is in addition to the day in the classroom we receive each year. Pleased to say my day went OK!
This week has seen continued pressures on the NHS as a whole and the recent cold weather has added to the demand on services. Locally we were lucky with just low temperatures but no laying snow.
The term" winter pressures" is used to describe the spike in demand at this time of year, however as call volumes increase , hospital admissions increase and social care come under increasing pressure it seems that it is almost year round pressures with no let up. When I started in the ambulance service almost twenty years ago you almost map the spikes in demand around holiday periods, bank holidays and special events. This is not the case now as the statistics show a continual rise in demand.
Is there a magic cure for this? Does more money need to be spent? Do the public need educating? do we all need to take more responsibility for our own well being and health care? Yes is the answer to all of those questions, however it will take time to implement changes and even longer to see actual differences.
All I and my colleagues in the health care profession can ask is that you do think about what is the best course of action if you are unwell, who do you contact, can you self medicate with over the counter medications? Can 111 help you with advice ? Can the pharmacist help you, what about a practice nurse? Can you be seen at a drop in clinic or minor injuries unit? Do you need to be seen by a GP? Do you need to go to a emergency department, do you need an ambulance? As you can see there are a large number of people and facilities available to you when you are unwell or need health care advice. Please choose well and use the most appropriate for your needs.
Stay safe
All clinical staff will be observed once a year during a operational shift to highlight any development needs, check their driving meets the required standard and to give the staff member the chance to ask questions or go through things they may not be sure of . This is in addition to the day in the classroom we receive each year. Pleased to say my day went OK!
This week has seen continued pressures on the NHS as a whole and the recent cold weather has added to the demand on services. Locally we were lucky with just low temperatures but no laying snow.
The term" winter pressures" is used to describe the spike in demand at this time of year, however as call volumes increase , hospital admissions increase and social care come under increasing pressure it seems that it is almost year round pressures with no let up. When I started in the ambulance service almost twenty years ago you almost map the spikes in demand around holiday periods, bank holidays and special events. This is not the case now as the statistics show a continual rise in demand.
Is there a magic cure for this? Does more money need to be spent? Do the public need educating? do we all need to take more responsibility for our own well being and health care? Yes is the answer to all of those questions, however it will take time to implement changes and even longer to see actual differences.
All I and my colleagues in the health care profession can ask is that you do think about what is the best course of action if you are unwell, who do you contact, can you self medicate with over the counter medications? Can 111 help you with advice ? Can the pharmacist help you, what about a practice nurse? Can you be seen at a drop in clinic or minor injuries unit? Do you need to be seen by a GP? Do you need to go to a emergency department, do you need an ambulance? As you can see there are a large number of people and facilities available to you when you are unwell or need health care advice. Please choose well and use the most appropriate for your needs.
Stay safe
Sunday, 8 January 2017
Mrs Miggins journey
I hope you have all had a good week. How are the New year resolutions going?
I have been on four night this week and along with the normal clinical incidents, staffing and fleet issues, the main focus of the week has been dealing with hospital handover delays.
As you have probably seen in the press this is a country wide problem with very few hospitals not experiencing some sort of delays. Within East Dorset we have two acute hospitals and both have had delays all week.
As I am sure you understand hospitals have a set number of beds (capacity) this can be added to by using what are known as escalation or winter pressure beds. Capacity can be affected by a variety of factors such as weather, time of year, local factors or acuity of patients.
So lets look at Mrs Miggins ( the well known ambulance patient and pie shoppe owner ) journey from 999 call to discharge.
Mrs Miggins rings 999 at 1430 on a Monday afternoon. Her call is answered by a call taker in the clinical hub and the Pathways triage tool is used to determine the response needed. It is decided that she will need an ambulance to assess and probably transport her to the local hospital.
The ambulance is dispatched and the after a clinical assessment decide that Mrs Miggins will indeed need to be sen at the local hospital.
Once at the hospital the crew complete a handover and Mrs Miggins is transferred on to a hospital bed. She is then undergoes a examination by the Emergency Department doctor. His finding show that Mrs Miggins will need to be admitted to a ward. The bed manager is contacted, a bed on a ward is arranged. She is then moved to the ward where she is a inpatient for 3 days. Once her condition has been stabilised and she is ready for discharge the discharge team are asked to arrange a package of care to be put in place to support Mrs Miggins for the first week or so once discharged from hospital. Once all this is in place transport is arranged to return Mrs Miggins home.
As you can see the Journey involves a large number of steps all reliant on one another. Recently ambulance services were experiencing 20% increases in demand so this may have delayed Mrs Miggins arriving at hospital. The ED department may be full and the crew not able to off load. Once seen and a clinical decision made there may not be capacity in the hospital so a transfer to the ward may be delayed. Once fit for discharge if social care in the community is needed it can take time to organise and community beds in hospitals or care facilities can take longer. At every stage of the process a delay can be introduced which can affect patient care and outcome.
Up and down the country health care staff work tirelessly on a daily basis to ensure that the patient journey is a smooth and problem free as possible and I for one am proud to be part of that team. the system is not perfect but but our local management team work with both acute hospital to reduce handover delays. This is both by changing the handover process so that it works better on a daily basis as well as supporting the hospitals during acute periods.
So what can you do to help to reduce delays? There are many people you can contact before ringing 999 or attending a Emergency department.
Please think before calling 999 or attending an Emergency Department.
Finally a thank you to all the staff working hard to ensure patients receive the treatment they need in a timely manner across the country.
Mrs Miggins went home and the Pie Shoppe is open as usual.
Stay safe.
I have been on four night this week and along with the normal clinical incidents, staffing and fleet issues, the main focus of the week has been dealing with hospital handover delays.
As you have probably seen in the press this is a country wide problem with very few hospitals not experiencing some sort of delays. Within East Dorset we have two acute hospitals and both have had delays all week.
As I am sure you understand hospitals have a set number of beds (capacity) this can be added to by using what are known as escalation or winter pressure beds. Capacity can be affected by a variety of factors such as weather, time of year, local factors or acuity of patients.
So lets look at Mrs Miggins ( the well known ambulance patient and pie shoppe owner ) journey from 999 call to discharge.
Mrs Miggins rings 999 at 1430 on a Monday afternoon. Her call is answered by a call taker in the clinical hub and the Pathways triage tool is used to determine the response needed. It is decided that she will need an ambulance to assess and probably transport her to the local hospital.
The ambulance is dispatched and the after a clinical assessment decide that Mrs Miggins will indeed need to be sen at the local hospital.
Once at the hospital the crew complete a handover and Mrs Miggins is transferred on to a hospital bed. She is then undergoes a examination by the Emergency Department doctor. His finding show that Mrs Miggins will need to be admitted to a ward. The bed manager is contacted, a bed on a ward is arranged. She is then moved to the ward where she is a inpatient for 3 days. Once her condition has been stabilised and she is ready for discharge the discharge team are asked to arrange a package of care to be put in place to support Mrs Miggins for the first week or so once discharged from hospital. Once all this is in place transport is arranged to return Mrs Miggins home.
As you can see the Journey involves a large number of steps all reliant on one another. Recently ambulance services were experiencing 20% increases in demand so this may have delayed Mrs Miggins arriving at hospital. The ED department may be full and the crew not able to off load. Once seen and a clinical decision made there may not be capacity in the hospital so a transfer to the ward may be delayed. Once fit for discharge if social care in the community is needed it can take time to organise and community beds in hospitals or care facilities can take longer. At every stage of the process a delay can be introduced which can affect patient care and outcome.
Up and down the country health care staff work tirelessly on a daily basis to ensure that the patient journey is a smooth and problem free as possible and I for one am proud to be part of that team. the system is not perfect but but our local management team work with both acute hospital to reduce handover delays. This is both by changing the handover process so that it works better on a daily basis as well as supporting the hospitals during acute periods.
So what can you do to help to reduce delays? There are many people you can contact before ringing 999 or attending a Emergency department.
Please think before calling 999 or attending an Emergency Department.
Finally a thank you to all the staff working hard to ensure patients receive the treatment they need in a timely manner across the country.
Mrs Miggins went home and the Pie Shoppe is open as usual.
Stay safe.
Sunday, 1 January 2017
Happy New Year
Happy New Year every one. What will 2017 bring us?
When I started this social media trip I didn't really know what to expect, I am learning as I go along hopefully developing what I publish and Tweet. I now have over 200 followers on Twitter and people are reading my blog so I can only assume I am doing something right.
My aim was to try and highlight the work of the emergency services and voluntary services. As those of you who do read this blog regularly you will have noticed some themes around drink driving, how you can help us and also how my role as an Operations Officer is varied. Thanks to all of you who take the time to read my ramblings or follow me.
I had aimed to blog once a week and I have almost achieved this over last year. This year will hopefully be the same, perhaps with a few longer more detailed pieces thrown in.
How was 2016 for you? Mine was pretty good with lots of challenges and achievements. looking forward to 2017 I have lots to look forward to both at work and family wise. As the year goes on I am sure I will be writing about some of them.
I would also like to congratulate local Dorset PC, Chris Smith @dorsetbikecop for his Queens Police Medal for services to road safety announced in the New Years Honours list. Well deserved!!
Every body is different at this time of year, many people take New Year as a opportunity to look back and take stock of the year gone by, other to look forward and make New year resolutions. Whichever you are I wish you health and happiness for 2017.
Please stay safe
Howard
When I started this social media trip I didn't really know what to expect, I am learning as I go along hopefully developing what I publish and Tweet. I now have over 200 followers on Twitter and people are reading my blog so I can only assume I am doing something right.
My aim was to try and highlight the work of the emergency services and voluntary services. As those of you who do read this blog regularly you will have noticed some themes around drink driving, how you can help us and also how my role as an Operations Officer is varied. Thanks to all of you who take the time to read my ramblings or follow me.
I had aimed to blog once a week and I have almost achieved this over last year. This year will hopefully be the same, perhaps with a few longer more detailed pieces thrown in.
How was 2016 for you? Mine was pretty good with lots of challenges and achievements. looking forward to 2017 I have lots to look forward to both at work and family wise. As the year goes on I am sure I will be writing about some of them.
I would also like to congratulate local Dorset PC, Chris Smith @dorsetbikecop for his Queens Police Medal for services to road safety announced in the New Years Honours list. Well deserved!!
Every body is different at this time of year, many people take New Year as a opportunity to look back and take stock of the year gone by, other to look forward and make New year resolutions. Whichever you are I wish you health and happiness for 2017.
Please stay safe
Howard
Sunday, 25 December 2016
Christmas Day
.
Well the big day is here and I hope that you are all enjoying time with your family and friends. I like many others am working today, providing essential services to their communities. I would also like to mention and thank all those who give up their time voluntarily throughout the year to help and support the local communities.
These volunteers are often the unsung heroes who quietly go about their business in the background with little or no recognition. When you see a collecting tin please try to spare some change to support the important work these people do.
A public thank you to all those people who give up their time to help other people in a wide range of settings.
As I have said before in my ramblings please think about helping a charity by volunteering. You don't have to be at the sharp end, there are many backroom rolls which need to be carried out as well.
I hope you are all enjoying your day where ever you are and whatever you are doing.
Happy Christmas, stay safe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)