Emergency Care Services Become First Of Their Kind To Receive University Accreditation
Pictured L-R: Carol Kennedy, Staff Nurse, Emergency Assessment Unit; Denise Herbert, Nurse Practitioner, Urgent Care Service; David Campbell, Manager, Urgent Care Service (South West Ambulance Service); Linda Macmillan, Staff Nurse, Emergency Care Services
The Emergency Care Services at Poole Hospital have become the first of their kind to be accredited as a Practice Development Unit (PDU).
Poole Hospital’s Emergency Care Services comprise the Emergency Department, Emergency Assessment Unit and Out-of-Hours Urgent Care Service, and this important accreditation recognises all three departments’ commitment to working together and improving services for patients.
The accreditation means that people needing emergency care at Poole will benefit from a range of initiatives to cut waiting times, improve the quality of care and encourage patient feedback. Bournemouth University awarded the accreditation, and staff from the University worked in collaboration with the Emergency Care Services team to examine the way care is provided and look for ways to improve that care.
Initiatives that have attributed towards PDU accreditation include the introduction of Nurse Practitioners in the Emergency Department and Emergency Assessment Unit. These senior nurses can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe for a range of conditions, thereby ensuring that patients are seen promptly and their needs assessed quickly.
The introduction of a new patient record system has also been key to the accreditation process. The new ‘Symphony’ system was launched in December 2008, and is designed to bring patient information together in one place and reduce administrative work for staff.
Steve Frost, Matron for Emergency Care Services said: “We are delighted to receive accreditation as a Practice Development Unit. Patients coming into our department are often anxious and concerned, and I see it as our responsibility to ensure that their assessment and treatment is efficient, friendly and timely. There is a sense of purpose in our team to strive to get the experience right for patients, and we are very proud of the groundwork now laid towards future development.”
Dr Jerry Warr, Reader in Practice Development for Health & Social Care at Bournemouth University said: “This award is made in recognition of the dynamism and achievements of the whole team in Emergency Care Service.”
Date: 10 June 2009