Military Cross Award for Naval Medical Assistant Kate Nesbitt

EVENTS
Innovations Showcase
“Design Bugs Out” and
“Smart Pods” are two
outstanding innovation
projects making a big
impact in healthcare. The
event “Research - Innovate
- Design - Manufacture”
will showcase how “joinedup
action” makes a real
difference for developing
new healthcare equipment.
It takes place on Monday,
December 14th and will be
delivered via the telematic
lecture theatres at the John
Bull Building at Derriford
Hospital, between 2pm and
4pm.
Both of these national projects have sought extensive input from
front-line staff – the people who use the kit day-in and day-out –
to ensure that key issues are not compromised in new designs,
and make sure people’s experience is incorporated.
“Design Bugs Out”
This is a “blank-sheet” re-design of hospital equipment to
combat Healthcare Acquired Infection. The project was
commissioned by the Department of Health, and the NHS
Purchasing & Supply Authority (PASA). The Design Council
brought together researchers, designers and manufacturers
to work with healthcare staff and patients. The project was to
design-out the root causes of HAIs in key hospital equipment.
It has rapidly delivered a suite of excellent new products for
the NHS – ranging from porters chairs and bedside furniture
to medical equipment and ward fitments. These new products
have “hit the mark” so much that they are going into production,
and will be available to the NHS soon.
“Smart Pods”
This project is a radical re-think on the delivery of urgent
healthcare in the community.
The research project covered the issue of mobile deployment
of urgent health resources into the community, ranging from
advanced ambulance capabilities through to service re-design.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council (EPSRC), Smart Pods involve designers from the
Royal College of Art as well as academics from Loughborough
University and the Universities of the West of England, Bath and
Plymouth.
The project worked directly with healthcare professionals in the
ambulance service, emergency medicine, community services,
and connected with NHS procurement sections. This yielded
solutions “fit for purpose”, which are influencing future provision
of equipment, vehicles and services.
To attend the presentations, contact Michelle Bowden on 01752
764420 or email mbowden@sciencepark.org.uk
For more information on either project log on to
www.designbugsout.org.uk and www.smartpods.co.uk
‘Your 5 moments for hand hygiene’
Football players from Plymouth
Argyle, children from Happy Days
Nursery and an astrologer Lorie
Reid, who writes for the Express
newspaper and OK magazine paid a visit to Derriford
Hospital on Monday 19 October to give their support to this
year’s Cleanyourhands campaign.
The players and children will be joined staff from the Infection
Prevention and Control Team, Chief Executive, Paul Roberts
and Director of Nursing and Midwifery Julie Hendry, in the main
concourse area to help raise awareness of the importance of
good hand hygiene to patients, visitors and staff.
The Infection Prevention and Control Team also highlighted the
continuous efforts of staff at the Trust in promoting hand hygiene
and working towards the prevention of hospital-acquired
infections. And also held workshops throughout the week,
offering teaching/instruction on the ‘5 Moments’ and providing
materials for staff to display in their areas.
Now in the fifth year, the Cleanyourhands campaign has had a
significant impact on hand hygiene compliance amongst staff.
Susan Hunt, Infection Control Sister, said: “Since the Trust
joined the campaign in February 2005, the hand hygiene
compliance rate within the Trust has risen from 47% to 98%.
Traditionally, the average compliance rate for hospital staff is
approximately 60%.
“The rise in hand hygiene compliance is a good indicator of the
commitment of staff throughout the Trust to reduce the spread
of infections. The fact that staff are seeing, hearing and taking
on board the messages about cleaning their hands regularly and
always in between patients is having an impact on our MRSA
rates which are continuing to fall.
“This year’s theme is ‘Five Moments for Hand Hygiene’ and
has been developed to stress the importance of the correct
location and time for hand hygiene and to ensure the chain
of transmission is broken by hand hygiene and thus prevent
healthcare- associated infection.
“We were delighted that the players from Plymouth Argyle,
children from the nursery and astrologer, Lori Reid, are all able
to join us and support this vital and effective effort to prevent
hospital-acquired infections at the Trust.”
12 Autumn 2009 Cascade