The Christie Foundation Trust Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22

Inpatient services

Complex Discharge & Social Work is a multi professional team who work closely with other professionals to support and facilitate discharges for patients with complex health and social care needs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the teams have had to learn and understand new processes within the region with regards to discharge planning. Day of Surgery Admissions Unit (DOSA) has allowed changes to be implemented to our theatre scheduling pathway allowing patients to be admitted on the day of surgery rather than requiring an overnight stay prior to their surgery whenever clinically appropriate. By decreasing length of stay additional inpatient bed capacity has been created to support elective oncology surgery to continue throughout the pandemic. Inpatient Oncology Wards have gradually increased capacity in line with infection control precautions. Wards 4, 11 & 12 primarily admit patients from AAU who have been admitted with acute symptoms resulting from oncology treatments or disease progression. Ward 2 accommodates patients who are being admitted for elective oncology treatments. This has proved highly successful and prevented long delays in admissions for this group of patients. Acute Oncologists working with trainee doctors, ANPs and Physician Assistants have continued to provide senior medical review on all Medical Oncology wards, facilitating many quality improvement projects like red and green days, creating better, safer patient flow across the Trust. There has also been significant investment in support for staffing in these areas and the nurse:patient ratios are 1:6 which is significantly higher than other acute Trusts. The expansion of the clinical based educator (CBE’s) team has supported the nursing teams to develop and expand their clinical skills. The CBE’s are a team of experienced nurses who work clinically alongside the nursing teams. This has contributed to attracting a high calibre of nursing staff ensuring that the Trust has a sufficient, stable workforce to deliver excellent standards of care.

Integrated Procedures Unit (IPU) brings together several patient services in one geographical location which includes procedures team, endoscopy, interventional radiology, ultrasound, one surgical operating theatre, pain management service, dressing clinics and plastic surgery outpatient clinics. Additional endoscopy capacity has also supported GM with the elective recovery programme. Supportive Care includes management of physical and psychological symptoms and side effects across the continuum of cancer from diagnosis through to treatment to post-treatment care. Over the last year, in response to the COVID-19 surges, the Supportive Care team now offer more telephone and video patient consultations, increasing integrated working with primary care and community services. Surgical Oncology Unit patients are admitted to undergo elective oncology surgery under the care of our specialists in urology, colorectal, gynaecology and plastics. The nursing and medical teams on the ward are highly skilled to provide safe care to patients who have had extensive surgery. They are supported by specialist nursing teams including our Enhanced Recovery team who have made a significant impact on reducing the time patients are required to spend in hospital. All of which have contributed to not only ensuring capacity for Christie surgical activity but additionally supporting the GM elective recovery programme by providing capacity for non-Christie patients to have urgent oncology surgery.

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