ST 40 06 Top marks for Stepping Hill hospital

Stepping Hill hospital has received the highest possible rating of ‘excellent’ from the Healthcare Commission in a recent report about the management of medicines.

In a national review on the issues of prescribing and dispensing medicines only 18 acute hospital Trusts out of 173 in England received the highest rating. The Commission concluded that the three star Foundation Trust performed exceptionally well after being awarded the highest score in six categories.

Areas of excellence at Stepping Hill were identified as:

· Managing the risk of infection through medicines. Stepping Hill is attempting to reduce the risk of infections such as MRSA and clostridium difficile by having effective antibiotic guidelines. This includes changing oral antibiotics in preference to intravenous antibiotics where it is appropriate. A pharmacist with a special interest in antibiotics has been appointed to help achieve this.
· Creating effective barriers to prevent allergic reactions. Many people have allergies to medicines and the Trust has a strong system in place to prevent such reactions occurring as a result of administration or prescribing errors.
· Percentage of patients using their own medicines. The use of patients’ own medicines is important for continuity of care and can provide vital financial savings for hospitals.
· Developing strategies for medicine management. The Trust has a good strategy in place for managing medicines and contributing to clinical polices.
· Ensuring staff have a personal development plan. As well as enabling staff to be clear on what they need to deliver and gain regular feedback, a personal development plan can aid progress in medicine management as staff changes can identify required improvements.
· Aseptic preparations of medicines. Stepping Hill has an Aseptic Unit in the pharmacy, which enables certain injections to be prepared individually for patients instead of on a busy ward. This reduces the risk of errors and bacterial contamination.

Chris Burke, chief executive of Stepping Hill hospital said: “I am delighted with the findings from the report as the ratings reflect and recognise the hard work by all our staff. We can now build on this and discuss the best way to move forward and will implement any necessary changes to continue our success.”

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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