RJAH 40 06 Healthcare Commission report gives hospital the ‘thumbs-up’

Oswestry’s Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic hospital has received the ‘thumbs-up’ from the Healthcare Commission in a recent report about the management of medicines.

The Commission concluded that the specialist orthopaedic hospital performed well in a number of areas. However the hospital agrees that improvements need to continue being made in other areas.

Areas of good performance were identified as:
· Empowering patients to take control of their own medicines. Most people administer their own drugs at home, but this is often routinely taken over by ward staff in hospital. For some patients this is appropriate, but more patients need to be given the choice to remain in control of their drugs. RJAH is in the top scoring eight per cent of Trusts progressing towards self-administration.
· Managing the risk of infection through prescribing and administering medicines. Hospitals can reduce the risk of infections such as MRSA and clostridium difficile by prudently using antibiotics and by using oral antibiotics in preference to intravenous antibiotics, where appropriate. RJAH is included in the top 40 per cent of Trusts that received the highest score for this category.
· Preventing allergic reactions. Many people are allergic to medicines such as penicillin, which if prescribed in error can cause serious side effects and even death. RJAH is included in the top seventy-three per cent of Trusts who demonstrated strong systems in place to prevent mistakes.

However, areas where improvements need to be made include:
· Involving pharmacists in patient care to ensure medicines are being used to the best effect and to minimise medication errors
· Ensuring that the side effects and purpose of any medications are communicated fully to all patients
· Assessing the risk in areas where intravenous and injectable drugs are prepared.

Mandy Edwards, director of service improvement said: “I am pleased with the hospital’s overall result found by the report and we will continue to make improvements to our routine and practice. We will now discuss the best way to move forward and implement any necessary changes.”

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For further information please contact Vicki Baxter or Alison Duffy at Bell Pottinger North on:
Tel: 01625 506444
E-mail: vbaxter@bellpottingernorth.co.uk or aduffy@bellpottingernorth.co.uk