GP Newsletter

Welcome from Paul Tisi, Medical Director

Welcome to the Spring 2024 edition of GP Matters.

There has been no let up in the demand for hospital services, as we continue to navigate high attendances and admissions.

We recently held celebrations to mark International Day of the Midwife and International Nurses’ Day. It is vital that we take time out to thank and celebrate our workforce and the incredible job they do on a day-to-day basis.

In other news, Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Milton Keynes University Hospital are now the lead providers for the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK).

Both our Trusts already run the DESP for our own respective areas, but together we will now provide clinical leadership and deliver screening at more locations to increase accessibility to patients across BLMK. This will enable us to deliver a single, effective, and standardised service across the whole of BLMK.

This marks a huge achievement in collaborative working to improve the patient experience and outcomes, whilst reducing health inequalities.

Best wishes and happy reading!

Paul Tisi
Medical Director

SystmOne deployment for a new service for Bedford and Luton patients

What is changing?

Name:

BHFT Prosthetics & Orthotics (ID: 585509911101)

One Community SystmOne Module covering three locations:

Adults Orthotics at Gilbert Hitchcock House

Childrens Orthotics at Child Development Centre, Kempston

Childrens & Adults Orthotics at Limb Fitting Centre, L&D

Childrens & Adults Prosthetics at Limb Fitting Centre, L&D

What is the impact of the change?

Please add the new service to your approved lists (if in place) to ensure appropriate sharing of information. Should you require instructions on managing your Share In Rules, please contact Beverley Mitchell direct: beverley.mitchell6@nhs.net

The Ardens Communication Template will be updated with a new referral form.

The service would prefer to receive all new referrals by way of S1 2 S1 Electronic Referrals.

Hepatitis C poster available

To support NHS England’s goal of elimination of Hepatitis C by 2025, Bedfordshire Hospitals has some posters to distribute to practice managers to encourage patients to get tested for Hepatitis C.

Therese Moore, CNS Viral Hepatitis, is able to supply these posters and speak to practice managers to ensure they understand what the poster is about and where is best to display them.

The NHS test-at-home service is safe, discreet and easy to use. The test will check for antibodies, and if positive, details will be sent on to Therese Moore from the Eastern ODN.

Treatment is a simple course of tablets either lasting 8 weeks or 12 weeks. Treatment is well tolerated, and often patients will say they felt no side effects whilst on treatment.

Success rates are >95% and we also see reversal of liver damage post treatment.

Risk factors of Hepatitis C include:

• Contact with the blood of an infected person
• Transfusion before 1991 in the UK
• Born outside of the UK
• Reuse of injecting instruments
• Unprotected sex
• Sharing toothbrushes, scissors and razors of infected individual
• The transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products
• Tattooing and body piercing
• Infected mother to baby, during pregnancy.

Free tests can be ordered by visiting HepCtest.nhs.uk. To request a poster, please email Therese.moore@bedsft.nhs.uk.

New BLMK Diabetic Eye Screening Programme launched

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Milton Keynes University Hospital are now the lead providers for the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK).

Both NHS Trusts already run DESP for their own respective areas, but will now join forces to provide clinical leadership and deliver screenings at more locations to increase accessibility to patients across BLMK. This will enable us to deliver a single, efficient, effective, and standardised service across the whole of BLMK.

Patients do not need to do anything differently as they will be contacted as normal for their regular diabetic eye screening appointments.

This new service will be delivered in 20 locations across BLMK. Full information about the programme and the list of locations can be found at: www.BLMKDiabeticEyeScreening.nhs.uk

Mr Aires Lobo, Clinical Lead for the BLMK DESP (Bedfordshire areas), said: “Working in partnership with Milton Keynes University Hospital provides us a great opportunity to deliver a sustainable and effective screening programme for patients across the BLMK health system.”

Suri Dhanoa, Clinical Lead for the BLMK DESP (MK area), added: “Both Trusts working together on this screening programme will also help to further improve patient experiences and outcomes, along with contributing to reducing health inequalities within the local communities we serve.”

All people aged 12 and over with diabetes (type 1 and 2) are offered annual eye screening appointments.

The only exceptions are people with diabetic eye disease who are already under the care of an ophthalmology specialist.

The screening test usually takes around 30 minutes. Screening does not replace regular eye examinations and it is important to attend both.

Paediatric physiotherapy referrals (L&D)

Paediatric Physiotherapists work with children and families to maximise independence and achieve the best physical function. The physiotherapists have expert knowledge in movement, development and conditions that are likely to affect a baby, growing child and adolescent.

The Paediatric (Children’s) Physiotherapy team are a group of specialist physiotherapists providing assessment and treatment to children and young people aged 0-19 years. Our physiotherapy service is divided into three teams.

1. Inpatient physiotherapy team working on the wards at the hospital including NICU and Hedgehog Ward.
2. Acute Outpatient Paediatric Physiotherapy team dealing with babies and MSK referrals working at the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
3. Community Paediatric Physiotherapy team dealing with long-term conditions and SEND who cover the Luton and Central Bedfordshire areas (Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable).

The Acute Outpatient Paediatric Physiotherapy team treat children aged 0-14 years old referred via any local health care professional. The outpatient team provide assessment, treatment and management for babies and children referred with a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions.

We can help in a variety of ways with many conditions including talipes, Erb’s Palsy, torticollis, hypermobility, rheumatological conditions, MSK conditions, developmental variants such as intoe gait, acute injuries, and chronic pain.

The Community Paediatric Physiotherapy team provide assessment and treatment to children and young people aged 0-19 years with neurodevelopmental, long-standing health needs or SEND when out of hospital.

We assess children and young people with neurodevelopmental difficulties, long term conditions or SEND that:

• Physically affect the child’s everyday life and how they function.
• Cause pain or discomfort.
• Have led to a regression with their physical skills.

To help you identify which physiotherapy service your patient requires, here are some common conditions we assess and treat:

Red flags at any age that require a referral:

• Strong parental concern
• Regression or loss of a physical skill
• Differences between right and left sides of the body/asymmetry
• Low tone or high tone that is affecting development
• Persistent joint/muscle pain, night pain or early morning stiffness.

Contact us

Inpatient and Outpatient Paediatric Therapy Team

Paediatric Physiotherapy Team, Therapy Hub, Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, Lewsey Road, Luton, LU4 0DZ

Phone: 01582 718266

Acute Paediatric Physiotherapy team accept medical reports or letters as a referral emailed to: ldh-tr.therapiesreferrals@nhs.net

In hospital referrals can be completed on ICE.

Community Paediatric Therapy Team, Paediatric Physiotherapy Team, Redgrave Children and Young People’s Centre, Redgrave Gardens, Luton, LU3 3QN

Phone: 01582 346000

Community team accept referrals from GP, consultants, health visitors and school nurses /SENCO’s

Please complete our referral form: www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/our-services/paediatric-physiotherapy/children-community-physiotherapy/referrals-and-professional-portal

Email to: ldh-tr.communitypaedsphysioreferrals@nhs.net

We will only be accepting electronically sent referrals on the completed referral form.

Incomplete referral forms will be returned to sender.

Parents/carers will be sent a letter to contact the department when it is time to make an appointment.

Declined referrals will receive email advice with the reason for non-acceptance at this time.

Bedfordshire Hospitals to roll out Martha’s Rule in major patient safety initiative

Our hospitals are two of 16 in the East of England – and 143 nationally – which will be rolling out Martha’s Rule in a major new patient safety initiative.

Martha’s Rule takes its name from 13 year old Martha Mills who died in hospital after developing sepsis, following a bicycle accident. Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2023, a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.

The purpose of Martha’s Rule is to provide a consistent and understandable way for patients and families to seek an urgent review if their loved one’s condition deteriorates, and they are concerned their concerns are not being responded to.

There are three key themes to Martha’s Rule:

1. All staff in NHS trusts must have 24/7 access to a rapid review from a critical care outreach team, who they can contact should they have concerns about a patient.
2. All patients, their families, carers, and advocates must also have access to the same 24/7 rapid review from a critical care outreach team, which they can contact via mechanisms advertised around the hospital, and more widely if they are worried about the patient’s condition.
3. The NHS must implement a structured approach to obtain information relating to a patient’s condition directly from patients and their families at least daily. In the first instance, this will cover all inpatients in acute and specialist trusts.

Liz Lees, Chief Nurse, and Paul Tisi, Medical Director, said: “Bedfordshire Hospitals is pleased to be in the first wave of implementation of Martha’s Rule on both our Bedford Hospital and Luton & Dunstable University Hospital sites. This will build on the longstanding critical care outreach services that we have on each hospital site.

“We will be working with colleagues from the regional Patient Safety Collaborative who have been commissioned to provide local implementation support and share learning.

“A particular focus for our hospitals will be to develop a process to ensure information is captured daily from patients, families and carers to ensure that all health professionals are aware of any changes in a patient’s condition.”

Energy Centre officially opened at the L&D

In May, the Energy Centre on the L&D site was officially opened.

This project started back in 2016 when the need to improve the site’s electrical infrastructure, in order to build the acute services block and new ward block, became apparent.

Construction work on the project began in 2020, and completed earlier this year. The site’s energy infrastructure is now upgraded, providing resilience for power, heating and hot water services, as well as having the flexibility to adapt to future green technologies.

Gilbert Hitchcock House refurbishment works underway

Building work has begun on the £24million project to improve Gilbert Hitchcock House.

When complete, this significant investment for Bedford will include a Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) that will deliver diagnostic services including MRI, CT, ultrasound, x-ray and cardiology diagnostic tests, increasing testing capacity in Bedford by 50%.

Alongside the CDC, therapies, phlebotomy and retinal screening will continue to be delivered in new, modern accommodation.

Services will continue to be run from GHH, however patients may notice some additional noise and disruption when attending appointments.

To see the latest progress, please visit the Redevelopment section of our website.