Mouth Care Matters launches from Monday 5 July

July 2, 2021

Following a pilot on D11, D26, Priory 4 and Newton 4 to improve the oral health of patients, mouth care matters is set to roll out across the organisation from Monday 5 July.

Mouth care matters is a practice guide seeking to improve the oral health of inpatients. Poor oral health of a hospitalised patient can result in an increase in hospital acquired infections, namely hospital and ventilator acquired pneumonia, as well as poorer nutrition. This can result in an increase in the length of stay and care costs, alongside poorer quality of life and dignity for patients.

The pilot on our four wards reduced hospital acquired pneumonia by 40 per cent.

Group Director of Nursing, Medicine and Emergency Care, Julie Thompson explains more in this video.

As part of the Trust wide roll out on Monday, representatives from Stryker will be at City and Sandwell sites from Monday and Rowley from Thursday. They will be visiting all wards directly to provide colleagues with short training sessions on the Trust’s new mouth care protocol and products.

The ward visits will be happening daily through the week, both mid-morning and mid-afternoon to ensure staff have ample opportunity to receive the training.

Stryker are supplying new mouth care products that will be used with high acuity patients to keep mouths clean and help prevent risk of aspiration pneumonia. They are also providing various training and education activities to help raise awareness and understanding of the importance of mouth care for all of our patients.

For further details please call 07896 649 364 or email either julie.thompson40@nhs.net or martin.clinton@stryker.com.