Worcestershire Royal Hospital – News - Worcester Royal Infirmary ...

Rachael Allen - one of the Hospital's Infection Control Nurses, has obtained a 1st class
degree in Infection Control, from Hertfordshire University this year, together with the
University -Year Prize - for exceptionally high marks.
Not content with that, Rachael has also won a prize in this years prestigious Nursing Times
Awards - for her research work in a Commode cleaning regime, which reduced clostridium
difficils rates in the Trust.
This work has generated a lot of interest and Rachael has been asked to present her work at
a National Study Day - in the spring.
Orthoptics Service
This includes Opthalmologists, Nurses, Optometrists and support staff, which is situated in
the Aconbury West Building (the old Newtown Hospital).
Patients of all ages come to the clinic, including babies with strabismus. Patients with
diplopia, or on-going conditions like diabetes or thyroid problems or sudden onset symptoms
as a result of a stroke or trauma to the head or eyes.
The Orthoptists job is not only to diagnose these patients but to manage their treatment plan.
At Worcestershire Royal they are also accredited to undertake education and training of
under-graduate Orthoptic students from Liverpool & Sheffield Universities, as well as
Optometrists, Health visitors and School Nurses. Also undertaken are Visual Field Testing of
patients with glaucoma or neurological defects.
They are very much part of the Opthalmic Team in the 'one-stop' cataract clinics. This is the
Orthoptists role to do the measurements of the patients eyes (Biometry) and plot the patients
astigmatism, if applicable (corneal topography) - prior to their cataract operation.
The service covers many other areas including - special schools, child development service
etc., and serve the whole County of Worcestershire.
The Blood Transfusion Practitioner –
Nurse HILARY MORGAN - has been appointed to ensure that all patients have a safe
"pathway" for receiving blood and blood components. Hilary has always had an interest in
Haematology. She explains, "I work closely with all three Blood Banks and the Consultant
Haematologists responsible for blood transfusions, Doctor Frank Booth and Doctor Robert
Stockley".
She visits Redditch and Kidderminster and holds teaching sessions, Hilary sorts out any
problems and her role has strong clinical governance responsibilities, to ensure guidelines on
blood transfusions are strictly adhered to.
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