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Items from the 72nd AGM held in April 2003 The membership stands at 1786 and the database will allow additional information to be identified as well as more frequent releases of the membership list. Elected to the Executive: Margaret Crispin, Jill Dolman, Jenny Elwood and Helen Litten. Benevolent and bursary fund stocks have matured and been reinvested, but at a lower interest rate. The Royal London Hospital Jonathan Asbridge gave a short update on how the hospital had prepared for possible service casualties from the War in Iraq. He explained how nurses were to be trained in trauma care for the Territorial Army. The RLH was one of two trauma hospitals and with its helicopter service already provided experience for doctors. As part of the emergency preparations funding had been provided for six extra beds on Harrison ward (the High Dependency Unit). No casualties had been received. The hospital was also funded to open 12 extra beds with special scavenging systems in the event of a terrorist attack. The Health Protection Agency was funding the RLH to disseminate training materials in how to prepare for mass casualty attacks. Two major training exercises would be held in the next year. The government target for waiting times of under 4 hours for 90% patients had been surpassed. The RLH had gone from 67% to 95%. The change of practice to 'treatment initiation' had produced a 20% increase. Multi-disciplinary documentation and protocols were used by nurses to assess needs, order x-rays and blood tests, set up infusions and so on. Cambridge ward had become an 'undifferentiated diagnosis' department with a doctor based there so that patients could be in bed rather than on a trolley waiting for admission. An emergency medical day unit provided beds for those needing intensive treatment for a few hours, such as people with asthma or renal colic. The modern matrons were involved in achieving faster discharge of patients from the wards. All the changes were sustainable. Additional staff had been agreed by the Primary Care Trust. The hospital had received one Sars patient who, although initially very ill, had recovered and been discharged home. The Nursing Institute leadership programme had led to improvements in the patients' experience of care - see articles about the Essence of Care from Progress in Practice (issues 10, 11 and 13). The midwifery department had been fully refurbished. The final bidders for the new hospital buildings would be selected soon. Senior nurses had been taking the lead in scrutinising the proposals. Demolition work would start soon to prepare the site. Changes in the clinical placements for students in their first year would start in May, and The Royal London and Barts would once more provide the full range of experience for their 'own students'. A full report and one from the School of Nursing will be included in the next issue of The Review. Page last updated by DEB on 26/04/03 |
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