Annual Report 2010 - St. James's Hospital

Clinical Support Services I SCOPe
the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
(BAPEN) to identify the prevalence of patients nutritionally
‘at risk’ in adult hospitals. In total 27 Irish hospitals
participated, and the overall prevalence of malnutrition was
reported as 32% (24% high risk, 8% medium risk)
• Training in CODE (structured education for patients with
type 2 diabetes) was completed by staff from Clinical
Nutrition and the Diabetic Day Centre and the programme
was introduced for patients attending St. James’s Hospital
Education/Continuous Professional
Development
• 3 undergraduate students of BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition
& Dietetics completed their clinical practice placement.
The department provided a placement for a second
undergraduate student from the University of Ulster
• Training in Myers Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI ® ) was
provided for all staff to enhance team-working and
interpersonal skills
Medical Social Work
New Developments/Quality Initiatives
• The department raised awareness about the need to
protect vulnerable adults and children. This resulted in
an increase in liaison between the Medical Social Work
Department, Community Care Teams, and Senior Case
Workers for Elder Abuse in the Community
Education/Continuous Professional
Development
• Staff attended training in the following areas: Dementia
Care, Addiction, ASIST training, Suicide and Self Harm,
as well as a number of Irish Association of Social
Workers Conferences
• Three Medical Social Workers completed the two day
Practice Teachers Training course at Trinity College Dublin
Occupational Therapy
Service Trends
Occupational therapy activity remained high with 15, 751
inpatient contacts and 5, 169 out-patient contacts provided
to over 9, 000 individuals. Overall out-patient activity
increased by 5 %.
New Developments/Quality Initiatives
• Working with community occupational therapy colleagues in
Dublin South City, Dublin South West and Dublin West, 132
patients were provided with enabling equipment in order
to facilitate a seamless discharge home from hospital in a
timely manner, representing a 36% increase on 2009
• Greater links were developed with community services by
rolling out a hospital and community staff grade rotation
between St. James’s Hospital and Local Health Offi ce 3 in
Dublin South City. This highly successful initiative will be
developed further
• Two members of the Medical Social Work team participated
in a pilot project on RAPID HIV testing in Wheatfi eld Prison,
with the medical consultant
• Occupational therapists working in the Emergency
Department commenced an initiative to pilot the provision
of extended hours until 6 pm every day
• Social Workers successfully ran a six week Bereavement
Support Group for relatives who experienced the sudden
death of a family member
• A Patient Information Leafl et “Coping with Amputation”
was developed and completed
• Representatives from occupational therapy and nursing
convened a working group to improve practice with regard
to provision of specialised seating equipment at ward level,
handover of seating instructions as well as education and
training. The group aims to initiate a pilot project in 2011
at ward level
• The department was involved with the establishment of
a residents’ Representation Group and a relatives’ Focus
Group in 2010 for the benefi t of residents in Hospital 4
• Therapeutic horticultural groups continued to be facilitated
by occupational therapists in the MedEl gardening
polytunnel throughout 2010
• Clerical staff streamlined processes within the Department
in order to provide enhanced administrative support to
Social Workers
• Occupational Therapy staff in Burns and Plastics continued
ongoing projects to audit extensor tendon and fl exor
tendon protocols. Occupational therapy was centrally
involved in a study with medical colleagues investigating
hand clubbing and peripheral nerve injury. With participation
from the multi-disciplinary team, occupational therapy
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