Military Cross Award for Naval Medical Assistant Kate Nesbitt

Refurbishment of the Fracture Clinic
The Fracture Clinic on Level 6 has a very high profile within
Derriford Hospital with its staff expecting to see and treat
around 15,000 patients over the course of a year. It hosts a
variety of different clinics, from those for patients who have
been referred from Accident and Emergency to elective clinics
run by Orthopaedic Outpatients. It also regularly receives
patients for clinics led by nurses and physiotherapists. The
Fracture Clinic has seen the number of patients coming
through its doors increase steadily year by year, and as a result
it is an incredibly busy area relative to the size of the space
it occupies. The clinic was in serious need of a makeover
to bring it up to date, and it recently underwent its first
refurbishment in over fifteen years.
Derriford Hospital’s in-house Planning and Estates department
were responsible for the project and their brief was to adapt the
existing space in the clinic to make it more welcoming and user
friendly to patients, as well as to re-think the layout of the clinic
and make changes to allow staff to operate more efficiently. This
presented a huge challenge, and to make sure that the views of
everyone were taken into consideration both patients and staff at all
levels were consulted, meaning that everyone could be confident
that the most effective and useful changes would be made. Di
Brimacombe, project manager said: “Patients were consulted
about what changes they would like to see through a survey that
was conducted by the Trust’s marketing department. I also met
with individual members of staff on a regular basis throughout the
planning process to make sure their voices were heard and also to
make sure that they were kept in the loop as to what was going on.
We built up a rapport and as a result the teamwork between myself,
the contractors and the Fracture Clinic staff was excellent.”
The planning process started in June 2008 and the builders arrived
at the clinic in May 2009. Work was carried out in June, July and
August and the project was finished in early September. Business
carried on as usual throughout, with clinic staff and builders working
around each other to make sure that there wouldn’t be any disruption
to the clinic’s services – not an easy task if you take into account the
fact that staff at the Fracture Clinic can see up to 100 patients a day.
However, there’s little doubt that the changes that were made were
much-needed and well worth it. According to Karole Champion,
Senior Sister at the Fracture Clinic: “one of the biggest advantages
of the refurbishment was that it gave all members of staff the
opportunity to think about where everything in the clinic was and
where everything should go.”
This meant that processes could be streamlined and made more
efficient, making a better clinical environment for both staff and
patients. For example, new shelving has been put up and a new
space for linen has been created. Various pieces of equipment
have also been rearranged to
make them more logically and
accessibly placed. The clinic’s
computer has been moved
to a better location, and old
equipment that isn’t used
anymore (for example the
lightbox) was removed.
Another big improvement has been the installation of a new
sluice. The clinic didn’t have a sluice before, and this meant major
headaches for members of staff who previously had to take waste
to the main Orthopaedic Outpatients department (which is a fair
walk from the Fracture Clinic) to be disposed of. The new sluice
will mean an improved performance for the clinic in both cleanliness
and infection control checks, in addition to making everyone’s
life much easier. Movement sensors have also been installed to
control the lights in the sluice room, ensuring that the lights will only
be on when the room is being used. This makes the area more
environmentally friendly and makes savings in lighting costs.
One of the most visible improvements has been the refurbishment
of the main reception area. The window has been lowered,
which has made the reception desk more accessible to patients
in wheelchairs who can now interact with reception staff at eyelevel.
The old glass was also removed and replaced with a set of
electronic roller shutters. This allows for open interaction between
members of staff and patients who now no longer have to talk
to each other through glass, which is much more welcoming for
patients. Old furniture was also removed from behind the reception
desk and new shelves were put up. This means there is now less
clutter and more storage space which gives the area a much more
open feel, making it safer for staff to move around. According to
Junior Sister Lucy Mould, “for the patients one of the real stand-out
improvements is the reception area. It’s the first thing that they see
when they come to the clinic, and it was previously quite dingy and
dark. Now it is bright, light and much more welcoming.”
The waiting area also received attention from the refurbishment
team. An infrequently used children’s play area has been removed
and the seating has been rearranged to make it more functional and
attractive. Television screens have also been installed to provide
patients with up to date information about what’s going on at the
clinic and across the Trust, as well as health advice and images sent
in from Trust members of staff showing local areas of natural beauty.
“It wasn’t all that easy at times” said Karole Champion. “There
was a lot of planning to do with a lot of different people involved,
and it was a real challenge
keeping the clinic
operating as usual with
minimal disruption
whilst the improvement
works were going on.”
However, “everyone
came together to work
brilliantly as a team, and
we’re all really delighted
with what has been
achieved”.
Inside the Clinic:
Before (below) and
after (left)
Reception Desk:
Before (above) and
after (right)
16 Cascade
Autumn 2009