Monthly archives: September 2019
Unity Communications Bulletin Go-live Fortnight: Issue 12
Halfway through our Unity Go-Live fortnight: What have we learned?
We have completed a full week of Unity implementation since we began our Go Live fortnight. Well done to everyone who is continuing to get to grips with the new system. Some of you may be back in work for the first time if you were away last week so do look back at the top tips from our previous daily Unity updates by clicking here.
Some key learnings from Week one:
- There is lots of support and help out there: Just ask
During our Go Live Fortnight we have scheduled fewer patients in clinics / having surgery so that in some of our services we can have more time to learn how we do things in Unity. Floor walkers, super users and digital champions are all on hand. The Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) cover most of the tasks you will need to do in Unity. Our guides in this bulletin also include top tips for certain elements of care. You have one more week to become familiar with the new system so please make the most of the help that is on offer. Continue to contact 4050 to report issues that you haven’t been able to resolve with the help of the Unity team on the ground.
- Unity provides us with great data about our use of the system
Since the start of our Go Live Fortnight we have been tracking a few key functions in Unity to see whether we are providing safe care to our patients. Through Unity we can see the wards / departments that are doing really well and the ones who may need some support to improve.
Some of our latest data is below:
VTE assessments – 86% completed over the weekend
| Top Performers | VTE Done | % |
| SGH LYNDON 5 | 24 | 100% |
| SGH PRIORY 5 | 21 | 100% |
| SGH LYNDON 4 | 17 | 100% |
| SGH PRIORY 4 | 17 | 100% |
| City AMU2 | 18 | 100% |
Endorsed results – 49% of results were endorsed over the weekend. Since Wednesday over 6000 results remain unendorsed.
| Top Performers | Endorsed | % |
| City NNU on D16 | 57 | 92% |
| City D26 | 81 | 85% |
| City Crit Care | 45 | 83% |
| City D28 | 47 | 70% |
| City D11 | 164 | 77% |
- Unity helps us to provide safer care
The alerts that are built into the system remind us of checks that we need to do for our patients. The alerts are there for a reason so please take note of them. You must complete your VTE assessment within six hours in line with our safety plan. Not completing the VTE assessment will block you from continuing with the patient’s care plan. Medication administration is safe when the medicine bar code is scanned and the patient bar code is scanned. Bypassing this can lead to unsafe clinical care. Around 425 medicines are given that have not been scanned each day. Endorsing results is vital in ensuring that we haven’t missed a result that may have an impact on that patient’s care.
- Some tasks need to be done in a certain sequence
Discharging patients is a sequential activity in Unity. The discharge summary information and medications for discharge needs to be completed in Unity before the CapMan discharge activities are carried out. Follow the information in yesterday’s bulletin if you are unsure.
- Unity has shown how good we are at team work
From day 1 in our Go Live fortnight, the shout-outs and positive comments received demonstrate how everyone has pulled together and continued to support each other to make best use of Unity as we care for our patients. That team work will be essential as we continue beyond this fortnight and into optimisation. Through learning from each other and supporting each other we will make the best use of Unity, and free up our time to care.
The positives of Unity
Last weekend, we launched our electronic patient record, Unity.
We have received a variety of feedback throughout the go-live process including many positives from colleagues across the Trust.
Some of this feedback includes:
Rachel Cunniffe, development sister from Lyndon 5: “We really like the whole system, it’s comprehensive and improves our patient care.”
Do you have some positive feedback about Unity? Send it to swbh.comms.nhs.net.
Please ensure you continue to raise any problems with access, technicalities or use of Unity to ext. 4050 if you haven’t had the help you need from the “on the ground” support teams.
Ninth winner of shout-out competition
Today’s shout-out winner is Fatema Amujee, ward manager who was nominated by Maria Fisher, HCA.
Nominator Maria said: “Big shout out to our ward manager for putting in lots of effort during Unity go-live and the preparation prior to Unity. Staying beyond work hours and coming in at weekends to make up guides for Unity making it a easy and smooth transition for her team!”
Congratulations Fatema and well done Maria! You will both receive Love to Shop vouchers valued at £10 each.
Don’t forget to submit a shout-out via Connect when you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity.
Heartbeat: Lupus clinic is centre of excellence
The lupus unit at City Hospital has been reconfirmed as a centre of excellence by national charity Lupus UK.
Vice Chair and Trustee Yvonne Norton MBE commented: “The facility at City Hospital continues to fulfil all the criteria required to remain a Lupus UK Centre of Excellence. We are pleased that the relationship between City Hospital lupus unit and the renal lupus unit clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital continues to work so well.
“Considering the age and cramped conditions of the hospital building, you are doing an admirable job in conducting clinics and consultations and the harmonious relationship that is evident between all team members is far above that found in many more modern centres.”
Lupus is a debilitating disorder of the immune system known as an autoimmune disease. Patients with lupus typically experience their immune system turning against parts of the body it is designed to protect, leading to inflammation and damage to various body tissues. Currently there is no cure for lupus, however effective treatments can ensure people with the disease can lead active, healthy lives. Birmingham lupus clinics (including City, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Birmingham Women’s Hospital) were appointed the first Lupus UK Centre of Excellence in 2005. Professor Caroline Gordon recalled the excitement that generated for staff. She said: “Patient safety is our number one priority, and all our staff were delighted then to be recognised as working for a centre of excellence, as much as we are to have our status reconfirmed today. We are proud to provide both an excellent clinical service and active research unit, aiming to improve outcomes of the disease.
“Our patients always come first and with lupus being a lifetime condition, we are able to form lasting relationships with our patients as we see them through the highs and lows of their symptoms. As we work with them to continue our research into the condition we hope to improve treatments which will enhance quality of life for those living with the disorder.”
“Following my retirement I am still providing support for research and clinical advice if needed as Emeritus Professor of Rheumatology whilst John Reynolds – our new Senior Clinical Lecturer – continues my routine NHS clinical work.
“However there are many other people involved in the care of lupus patients (too many to name), and I am most grateful to everyone for all their contributions to clinical management and research and for making our lupus service such a success.”
Rebecca Gilman, Lupus Research Clinical Nurse Specialist added: It’s hugely important to be a Lupus UK Centre of Excellence because it matters to lupus patients. Our patients tell us it is difficult having an unpredictable condition, and so it is important that their condition is managed well. They tell us they want experienced clinicians using well established treatments in a logical and standardised way.
“As lupus is not common it takes time to build up this experience, and patients tell us they want to be able to come to a centre that has been checked independently. Lupus UK do this with their Centre of Excellence assessment, and if awarded, this status independently validates that staff at the awarded centre really do understand the condition, lupus patients and they will be giving them the best possible care and treatment.
“I’m proud that we continue to offer nationally and internationally renowned care locally to the Birmingham population, as well as to those patients who choose to travel from across the UK to us. I’m also proud to be working in a team that continues to offer best lupus practice and care, is at the forefront of research for care and treatments to continue to improve patients’ futures, and in teaching clinicians and practitioners of the future, as it has done since first receiving Clinical Excellence status in 2005.”
Long-time patient Angela McNab who has lived with lupus for nearly 30 years agrees, as she explained: “The experience of being treated at City Hospital is a positive one, because they allow me to be part of the management of my disease.”
Flu campaign launches this week
Our annual flu campaign launches this week with launch events at both Sandwell and City Hospital, join the occupational health and wellbeing team at Sandwell on Tuesday 1 October in the occupational health department between 10am and 3:30pm or at City in the breast feeding room on Wednesday 2 October from 10am to 3:30pm.
Drop in sessions for vaccinations are also taking place at the following locations:
Week 1: 1 – 4 October
Wednesday – Friday 7:30am – 3pm: Main Reception, Sandwell
Thursday – Friday 7:30am – 3pm: Breast Feeding Room (adj D6), City
This year the flu campaign will once again run for six weeks only so make sure you have your vaccination early to protect you, your family, your colleagues and our patients. You will also be entered into a draw to win some fantastic prizes, including:
- £200 Shopping vouchers
- Echo Dot
- 7″ Amazon Fire Tablet
- Amazon Fire Stick
- Tassimo Coffee Maker
Join the fight against flu – Become a vaccinator
If you are keen to ensure your colleagues are protected, you can also sign up to be a peer vaccinator!
If you are a qualified nurse, midwife or doctor you can help keep our colleagues and patients safe by becoming a peer vaccinator.
If this is of interest or for more information, please contact occupational health and wellbeing on ext 3306 or email alison.pincher@nhs.net
Unity Communications Bulletin Go-live Fortnight: Issue 11
Using Unity the right way
Throughout this weekend support is focussed on coaching colleagues to carry out a number of tasks in Unity correctly. We want all users of the system to become comfortable and confident in how to complete the necessary tasks in the right order.
- Recording of VTE assessments
VTE assessments are critical to providing safe patient care. All patients who require a VTE assessment must have this completed within six hours of the patient being admitted, in line with our Safety Plan. VTE assessments should be entered into Unity in real-time. Failure to process VTE assessments will result in a ‘hard stop’, effectively preventing a patient from progressing through to discharge home.
The number of VTE assessments that have been completed when triggered continues to improve and yesterday was at 87 per cent. Clearly there is a way to go to ensure that we complete the assessments in Unity every time.
Congratulations to Priory 5, Lyndon 3, D5, D11 and D26 who achieved 100 per cent VTE assessments on Friday and Saturday this week.
- Results endorsement
It is important that all colleagues are familiar with the process for endorsing results in Unity, both for laboratory and imaging reports. Throughout the weekend, this indicator is one that we all need to focus on in order to improve the safety of the care we provide.
Between Wednesday 25 September and Saturday 28 September, endorsed results improved from 29 per cent to 50 per cent.
The best performing wards and departments were City NNU on D16, D26, D28, D11 and critical care at City who achieved 100 per cent, 93 per cent, 87 per cent, 80 per cent and 77 per cent respectively.
- Recurring issue with barcode scanning
The RXK barcode on the patient wristband (see picture) MUST be scanned when carrying out medication administration. This is the barcode next to the RXK number and not the square QR code in the centre of the wristband.
If you do not scan the barcode, this will pose a risk to patient identification.
On Saturday 28 September the number of medications administered without scanning appropriately was 462.
- Discharging patients correctly
We continue to have a big focus on discharging across our wards. You will have seen our floor walkers and super users out and about supporting colleagues.
Over the last four days we are averaging 55 discharges each day where the discharge summary has not been completed.
If you are not sure what to do regarding discharging patients correctly the following should help:
- Start a discharge process for all patients. There is a particular emphasis on those with a planned discharge in the next 48 hours
- Follow the correct discharge process
- Fully complete the depart process
- Complete all mandatory fields
- Sign the discharge summary only once
- Complete the discharge in CapMan
Note: ED colleagues please be aware that the ED workflows may differ for documentation of some processes in ED. Please ensure you follow the correct workflows for the FirstNet application.
The positives of Unity
Last weekend, we launched our electronic patient record, Unity.
We have received a variety of feedback throughout the go-live process including many positives from colleagues across the Trust.
Some of this feedback includes:
“Using the Unity system has been absolutely fantastic as it allows me to spend more time with my patients.” Sarah Stockwell Staff Nurse, ED City.
“Used #SWBUnity for the first time on Thursday during a GP MDT meeting. I had real time information at my fingertips that I was able to share with my community colleagues. Care planning was started while the patient was still in a community bed!” Andrew Churm, District Nurse – Clinical Lead.
“1st week complete! It’s a thumbs up from the CNP team! We are really seeing the benefits! Tracking results and viewing reports a key attribute of Unity for us, making our job so much easier that is leading to improved quality of care and the speed of interventions!” Sherralea Madhoo, Clinical Nurse Practitioner and Emergency Care Nurse.
Do you have some positive feedback about Unity? Send it to swbh.comms.nhs.net.
Please ensure you continue to raise any problems with access, technicalities or use of Unity to ext. 4050 if you haven’t had the help you need from the “on the ground” support teams.
Eighth winner of shout-out competition
Today’s shout-out winner is Tiffany Jones, Lead Nurse Colposcopist who was nominated by Jean Whitehouse, receptionist in colposcopy.
Nominator Jean said: “Tiffany was here early on Monday morning (6am) to make sure everything was okay for go-live on Unity. She was on hand to help everyone even though she was in clinics throughout the day. A fantastic manager that always goes more than the extra mile.”
Congratulations Tiffany and well done Jean! You will both receive Love to Shop vouchers valued at £10 each.
Don’t forget to submit a shout-out via Connect when you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity.
Unity Communications Bulletin Go-live Fortnight: Issue 10
Going into our first weekend with Unity, so it is important we continue to communicate issues and raise concerns. Last night was the least busy on our IT helpdesk so far, which could suggest that problems are being ironed out. Well over 2,000 calls have been closed with issues resolved. The hub teams are in work this weekend and looking to tackle some of our 570 remaining tickets.
Safety alert: Unity
All week we have been emphasising the need to use bar code scanners to identify patients for prescription. The steps below are what you need to do. Last night one of our patients received IV antibiotics in error after the barcode was NOT used, and they shared a name with another patient on the ward.
Both patients are doing well but it illustrates again the safety gain we need from using the scanners. Please do your best this weekend to use the scanners, and next week we will begin to publish shift by shift data for each area on use of this system. Yesterday we did not use scanners 461 times when dispensing medication.
And remember too: If you can’t find the medications that you’re looking for use the Advanced Search button. Don’t just free-text as this means drug interactions can’t be checked. An important safety feature!
Extra training and support with Unity
FY1 training sessions on Tuesday 1 October and Wednesday 2 October will now include special Unity focused teaching as well as the planned clinical content.
Today (Saturday 28 September), 2pm-4pm there is a CapMan drop-in session for any interested colleagues in the conference room, Sandwell Education centre. Feel free come along and get your queries answered by experts.
At City, the floorwalkers and training teams will be working with all teams especially colleagues in BMEC.
Thank you – keep up the hard work
85% of all required VTE assessments took place correctly yesterday.
Even though the Trust standard in our Safety Plan is 100% this performance represents our best since Go-Live. Congratulations to five wards who managed 100%: Priory 2, D11, Priory 5, Lyndon 5, and Lyndon 3.
The positives of Unity
You should continue to talk to super users and floor walkers to raise issues. If you have a specific safety incident that has caused you concern do use an IR1. Ext. 4050 remains the main place to get IT related issued logged or concerns raised, including requests for more training.
Meanwhile, we continue to find examples of really positive experiences of Unity. Here’s a few recent ones:
Farooq Wandroo, consultant haematologist: “It has been fun, I like Unity”
Dominic LeGros, Workstream Lead: “Remember we document inefficiently by habit. The transition to digital takes a lot of thought but when we get to grips with #digitalnursing we will have more time to do what we love, care for people.”
Sabrina Ffrench, staff Nurse from surgical day unit at Sandwell Hospital: “The positives with Unity are that it gives you the alerts and flags that remind you what you need to do. This is really good for nurses who are on the wards as it gives you a quick reminder of what is outstanding. It also saves the trees – my notes used to be pages long! It’s like everything, once you get your head round it, we’ll be fine.”
Seventh winner of shout-out competition
Today’s shout-out winner is Tiffany Jones, Lead Nurse Colposcopist who was nominated by Jean Whitehouse, receptionist in colposcopy.
Nominator Jean said: “Tiffany was here early on Monday morning (6am) to make sure everything was okay for go-live on Unity. She was on hand to help everyone even though she was in clinics throughout the day. A fantastic manager that always goes more than the extra mile.”
Congratulations Tiffany and well done Jean! You will both receive Love to Shop vouchers valued at £10 each.
Don’t forget to submit a shout-out via Connect when you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity.
Chief Executive’s Message – Friday 27 September
I suspect we all go into our first Unity weekend with a degree of apprehension, but also I would hope a huge sense of pride and achievement about what we have achieved together since this time last week. I want to pay tribute to everyone working so very hard to make sense of the new system, and I know that our green t-shirted coaches – floorwalkers, super users and digital champions – have made a real difference in most parts of the Trust. There is a right way and a wrong way to use the system, which is operational in over 70,000 hospitals worldwide, and we need to use our second week of the Go Live fortnight to make sure that the best way is understood across your team.
I will continue to send some ideas and reflections out each day. I want to balance clarity on expectations and advice with recognition that this is an improvement journey and we will make mistakes. There is, and must be, no attempt to brush under the carpet challenges or difficulties, and at the same time we need to be vocal about what the system lets us do now: A drug round in half the time (both on D27 and D11!); easy access to order, view and endorse results; a clear look at GP records; single location access to reports from physiology departments; electronic requesting of portering support etc. etc.
My message this week truly is not about IT. My strongest sense from this last week has been the team working and organisational spirit that has been on display from bottom to “top” of our Trust. The whole purpose of the investment of time, energy, and money into a new system was to break down barriers and silos between functions. I think on that ambition we have made a fabulous start. What better time to make sure you know the risk reporting arrangements where you work. What better time to see your line manager at their best trying to motivate and engage. And the experience has shown us the passion that all of us of have for patient care and to do our best. A nurse of forty years told me she now enjoyed coming to work – the camaraderie was inspiring.
This Trust has a very exciting future. In two and a half years’ time we re-organise acute care to create a single centre at Midland Met. We separate ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ diagnostics. We develop multi-specialty acute care teams and change our hospital at night model. We move to a genuine seven day emergency service model. As we move through the Unity journey we need to reflect on what it teaches us about that huge reorganisation, what we would do the same way, and what we would do differently. I know, for example, of colleagues who have become incredibly engaged with Unity this last ten days, and wish they had leant in sooner. Equally, I think it is fair to say that some information about the impact of the new ways of working was itself belated and we need to consider how we enter 2022 immensely clear of the pathways and work patterns that we will take to the new hospital. November’s respiratory reconfiguration, and the changes that creates for gastroenterology and for haematology is the latest step in that journey, and there may be other changes as we countdown.
Of course, over the next year over 700 new staff will join us. They will have missed the excitement and difficulties of this fortnight. They will come cold to Unity, just wanting it to work for their patients and their work. That challenges us to think carefully at a local level and at whole Trust level about how we induct people and involve them before and as they start. You will know that Year One retention is not always our strongest suit as a Trust. We need in your team to understand that challenge and build on the good practice we have in patches across our directorates. Corporate induction will only ever be a tee-up for a local welcome that is not just warm but detailed and ongoing.
A number of colleagues have contacted me this week about next steps on Unity. There is time to finalise and formalise that in the weeks ahead, running after we are certain about walking. The big step is to meet our Optimisation challenge across the Trust, in every team, and through each individual’s use of the system. That is the job of the next six months and will dominate our coaching work. Of course there is scope to adapt the system, with priority given to safety issues, and then to teams best meeting that optimisation challenge. But Deva Situnayake was right to highlight to me, as others have done, that some of our clinical processes are exposed by the automation of Unity, and we need to find support to make changes to those processes this side of Christmas: Specialist opinions for example must be part of how Unity works, just as it does for other requesting.
The circumstance of Unity has made sure that people speak up. The simplicity of ext 4050, the immediacy of super users, the energy of our hub teams, has generated a real capability to raise issues and in most cases have them solved. That confidence to raise concerns and spirit of rapid solution is one that we want to try and “bottle”. There has been thought to the design of how we have organised ourselves to make that effective, commitment in the way that corporate functions have worked for and with ‘end users’, and a strong desire to communicate wisely as we go along. There are by-products from the programme that we can keep going – much better data on staffing gaps for example, real familiarity between key managers and the nooks and crannies of services, first name conversations without job titles, and decent stock levels!
Inevitably a number of patients have contacted me to raise issues about either slower access to care or concerns about corridor care, which I certainly share. I know teams have worked hard locally to both reassure and to explain what is going on. One or two instances have arisen of patients overhearing comments better made in private – our anxieties should be discussed, shared and addressed where they can be (thank you to those doctors in training raising queries via IR1s for example), but it must be wrong to tell patients directly or in their hearing in such a way that alarms them about the safety of their loved ones’ care. To be clear that is not about spin or media management, that is about wellbeing for those in need. If at any point you have a safety concern, raise it and it will be tackled. Unity solves problems we have had for years but it raises new problems we did not have, or in some cases know we had, before. All of us have a common purpose and I think that the last week has made that just a little bit clearer than we realised.
#hellomynameisToby
Unity Communications Bulletin Go-live Fortnight: Issue 9
Our Go Live fortnight continues and we are planning hard now for our first fully-live Unity weekend. We have 619 calls yet to close from your feedback and over 2,000 complete. Keep feeding back and speaking up. Both medication issues and powerchart continue to feature highly in your list of questions and this bulletin includes guidance on medication lists.
Using Unity the right way
today and throughout the weekend support is focussed on coaching colleagues to carry out a number of tasks in Unity correctly. We want all users of the system to become comfortable and confident in how to complete the necessary tasks in the right order.
- Recording of VTE assessments
VTE assessments are critical to providing safe patient care. All patients who require a VTE assessment must have this completed within six hours of the patient being admitted, in line with our Safety Plan. VTE assessments should be entered into Unity in real-time. Failure to process VTE assessments will result in a ‘hard stop’, effectively preventing a patient from progressing through to discharge home.
The numbers of VTE assessments that have been completed when triggered continues to improve and yesterday was at 81%. Clearly there is a way to go to ensure that we complete the assessments in Unity every time.
Congratulations to D5, Priory 5 and AMU2 who achieved 100% VTE assessments on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
- Results endorsement
It is important that all colleagues are familiar with the process for endorsing results in Unity, both for laboratory and imaging reports. Throughout the weekend, this indicator is one that we all need to focus on in order to improve the safety of the care we provide.
Between Wednesday 25 September and Thursday 26 September, endorsed results improved from 30% to 41%.
The best performing wards and departments were our neonatal unit, the critical care unit at City and EGAU who achieved 97%, 75% and 74% respectively.
- Recurring issue with barcode scanning
The RXK barcode on the patient wristband (see picture) MUST be scanned when carrying out medication administration. This is the barcode next to the RXK number and not the square QR code in the centre of the wristband.
If you do not scan the barcode, this will pose a risk to patient identification.
Over the last two days the number of medications administered without scanning appropriately was just below 500.
- Discharging patients correctly
We continue to have a big focus on discharging across our wards. You will have seen our floor walkers and super users out and about supporting colleagues.
Over the last two days we have had around 130 discharges each day where the discharge summary has not been completed.
If you are not sure what to do regarding discharging patients correctly the following should help:
- Start a discharge process for all patients. There is a particular emphasis on those with a planned discharge in the next 48 hours
- Follow the correct discharge process
- Fully complete the depart process
- Complete all mandatory fields
- Sign the discharge summary only once
- Complete the discharge in CapMan
Note: ED colleagues please be aware that the ED workflows may differ for documentation of some processes in ED. Please ensure you follow the correct workflows for the FirstNet application.
The positives of Unity
Last weekend, we launched our electronic patient record, Unity.
We are still facing many challenges in our ED departments but all our sites are now live and more than three quarters of incidents raised during go-live are now closed.
We have received a variety of feedback throughout the go-live process including many positives from colleagues across the Trust.
Some of this feedback includes:
Staff nurse from D27 around drug administration rounds:
“It was difficult the first couple of days, but after a floorwalker showed me how to use the barcode scanner properly, my medicines administration round is so much quicker and easier now. I feel more confident during the round as it picked up I was going to administer the wrong dose as I misread it as 25mg instead of 50mg and only scanned the barcode once – it told me it was an underdose until I scanned it again. It’s much quicker now with the scanner than it was with a drug chart.”
Becky Bloore, matron and lead for CNPs:
“When patients are referred to me now, I can see all the relevant clinical information, wherever I am. This means I can make some quick clinical decisions and provide clinical care quickly and without having to leave where I am to go to the ward to see the notes and prescribe simple analgesia or antiemetics. This has greatly improved patient care and made my work much more efficient. Also, I have had to ring the Senior Manager on-call since we have gone live and he was able to see the situation in ED from home and understand clearer what we were discussing and this helped inform our decisions better.”
Please ensure you continue to raise any problems with access, technicalities or use of Unity to ext. 4050 if you haven’t had the help you need from the “on the ground” support teams.
How to find specific drugs in the drugs list in Unity
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the drugs list when prescribing press the ‘search for additional items’ button, which is located next to the search box to expand the search.
Please do not use free text as this means safety decision support such as interactions and allergy checking will not work and nursing staff will require two signatures to administer.
There are a number of ‘plans’ that contain medications that must be recorded correctly to ensure patients are getting the right dosage at the right time including insulins, anticoagulants and gentamicin. For example if you start typing insulin, you will see a number of plans. You MUST use these plans as they have safety checks, tasks and alerts built into them. Please do not use the freetext field for insulins.
If you still cannot find a product, please contact pharmacy who will advise you. If it is out of hours, please consider if the request could wait until the morning before contacting the on call pharmacist.
Sixth winner of shout-out competition
Today’s shout-out winner is Dean Farrington, Matron who was nominated by charge nurse, Janine.
Nominator Janine said: “Dean our matron has gone the extra mile supporting us and encouraging us as a team to be Unity ready. This has paid off 100 per cent and has made our transition to Unity as smooth as it could be.”
Congratulations Dean and well done Janine! You will both receive Love to Shop vouchers valued at £10 each.
Don’t forget to submit a shout-out via Connect when you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity.
Leicester Tigers vs. Saracens discounted tickets
Leicester Tigers have kindly offered Trust colleagues discounted tickets for their upcoming home game against Saracens on Sunday 27 October.
If you wish to book tickets, please visit https://www.leicestertigers.com/matchtickets or call 0116 319 8888 using promo code “NHSSAR20.”
For more information regarding staff benefits on offer please contact amir.ali1@nhs.net.
Treatment escalation plan and referral forms
The treatment escalation plan and resuscitation status form has been updated. This form is for community transfer from hospital.
Any old forms must be destroyed immediately and new forms ordered, “MF5874: Treatment Escalation Plan and Resuscitation Status form”
The deteriorating patient and resuscitation team have a limited supply that can be collected from either D30 at City or Bryan Knight Suite at Sandwell.
For more information please call ext. 5908.
Unity Communications Bulletin Go-live Fortnight: Issue 8
How to discharge patients correctly
Today we have had a big focus on discharging across our wards. You will have seen our floor walkers and super users out and about supporting colleagues. If you are not sure what to do the following should help:
- Start a discharge process for all patients. There is a particular emphasis on those with a planned discharge in the next 48 hours
- Follow the correct discharge process
- Fully complete the depart process
- Complete all mandatory fields
- Sign the discharge summary only once
- Complete the discharge in CapMan
How to find specific drugs in the drugs list
If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the drugs list when prescribing, press the ‘search for additional items’ button, which is located next to the search box, to the right of the ‘search’ button. Don’t just use free text as this means interactions can’t be checked.
Medication administration
Please scan the bar code on the drug you are giving as well as the patient’s bar code. See our previous bulletins to check you are scanning the right bar code.
Clerking, treating and discharging a patient in Unity
Yesterday we shared Chief Clinical Informatics Officer, Ash Sharma’s quick summary for the most common things doctors need to do in Unity. This guides you through clerking a patient and then points you to the relevant QRGs, including:
Documenting procedures
Documentation should be done for all procedures/operations carried out in outpatient/inpatient/day case areas. Read QRG CD09 on Connect for a step by step guide on how to record a procedure.
Ward rounds
Ward round notes should be completed and recorded as a Progress Note. QRG CD07 explains how to create a progress note. Creation of a progress note should be reserved for occasions where a narrative entry needs to be made in a patient’s chart; which is not part of another workflow (e.g. documenting a conversation).
Board rounds
QRG CD91 has all the information you require for board rounds. Prior to commencing a board round, the user must be logged on as a clinical practitioner. Remember, a patient list must be set up. If it isn’t, then see QRG PL02 for guidance on how to set up a patient list.
The positives of Unity
Many colleagues have been sharing their Unity experiences on social media and elsewhere. Here is a sample of what they’ve been saying:
“Excellent start. Impressed with Unity in outpatients. Looking forward to developing it for research.” Kanthan Theivendran, consultant orthopaedic and upper limb surgeon
“Excellent progress made today! We as the CNPs found the process to be smooth and exceptionally productive! Great programme, with so much to offer. Well done to everyone, it went really well.” Sherralea Madhoo, clinical nurse practitioner
“I’ve just used Unity in a GP MDT to track down a patient (currently in Leaowes) and update the team on their current progress, including input from therapies re footware. It’s pretty nifty I must say!! Worked well from my laptop when using my phone as a hotspot.” Andrew Churm, District Nurse – Clinical Lead.
Fifth winner of shout out competition
Today’s shout-out winner is Dr Virupaksha Sadhunavar, who went above and beyond to help his A&E colleagues.
Nominator Zahid Sarfraz said: “He led the hectic A&E department on Monday night, where all were struggling with Unity. He was supposed to finish his shift at 22.00 but kept working the whole night till 7am the next morning and put great input and managed ED very well.”
Congratulations Virupaksha and well done Zahid! You will both receive Love to Shop vouchers valued at £10 each.
Don’t forget to submit a shout-out via Connect when you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity.
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