An innovative bone health quality improvement for older patients with falls and fractures
Improving Documentation in Neck of Femur Fracture Admissions: A Quality Improvement Project redesigning a clerking proforma
RESPECT? Do we have any for our patients?
Introduction It is recognised that CPR should be based on an individual risk-benefit assessment, taking into account the likelihood of success, potential harms, and the patient’s wishes. RESPECT forms have been created to document personalised recommendations for emergency care based on discussions around a patient’s preferences, values, and wishes regarding future treatment and end-of-life care . This project aimed to assess and improve adherence to guidance from the Resuscitation Council UK regarding DNAR decision-making, patient + NOK discussions and documentation of these decisions with
Frailty SDEC& Front door team
Frailty SDEC & Front door team University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust is 1500 bed tertiary care hospital in Stoke-on Trent, UK Frail elderly patients account for a significant proportion of emergency attendance to our Emergency Dept. Early assessment and clinical decision making is vital for these groups of patients and specialist assessment at the front door can prevent unnecessary admissions and also reduce the risk of complications such as delirium, deconditioning and hospital acquired infections. Inorder to improve the care of frail older patients presenting to ED, we developed
Improving the Diagnosis and Antimicrobial Management of Suspected Urinary Tract Infection in Older Inpatients
Standardising Multifactorial Falls Assessment in a Consultant-Led Outpatient Falls Clinic: A Closed-Loop Audit
Brainomix – A Help or a Hindrance in our developing Stroke Services in South Wales?
Introduction In 2024 we conducted a service evaluation of our new stroke AI in Wales, Brainomix. We reviewed its sensitivity and specificity at identifying large vessel occlusions (LVO’s) on CT Angiograms (CTA’s) for our stroke patients. The purpose of Brainomix being to assist in rapid detection of LVO’s and support decision making around proceeding to mechanical thrombectomy for appropriate individuals. Multiple studies in recent years have demonstrated improved functional outcomes for patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy. Brainomix was hoped to be pivotal in bringing these
Protecting Registrar Training: A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Access to Protected SPA and Specialty Clinics
Introduction Supporting Professional Activity (SPA) time and specialty clinic attendance are essential components of higher specialty training. Despite being allocated within work schedules, protected educational time was frequently interrupted by clinical service demands, limiting curriculum progression and trainee development. We aimed to improve reliable access to protected SPA and specialty clinics for Group 1 specialty registrars through low-cost system interventions. MethodA prospective quality improvement project was undertaken in a district general hospital using two Plan–Do–Study–Act
Evaluating the Safety of Opioid Prescribing in Older Inpatients: A Quality Improvement Project.
Can We Predict Prognosis After Hip Fracture? A Review of GSF Accuracy in Orthogeriatric Patients
Background: The Gold Standards Framework (GSF) is a nationally recognised tool used to identify patients approaching the end-of-life and facilitate advances care planning (ACP). Accurate GSF assignment can improve ACP, support preferred place of care and death, and reduce unnecessary admissions. Mortality following hip fracture is currently 6% within one month and varies from 12.1%-35.8 % globally at one year, making accurate prognostication particularly important in orthogeriatric populations. We therefore evaluated the accuracy of GSF assignment in patients aged over 60 years admitted with
Beyond Frailty: The Prognostic Value of comorbidity in Non-invasive Ventilation Outcomes
Introduction: Several studies explored the role of frailty in predicting outcomes in critically ill patients. Frailty has been identified as an independent risk factor for all cause morbidity poor outcomes, including mortality, longer hospital stays and complications Rockwood et al. (2005). Muscedere et al. (2017) found that frailty is associated with worse outcomes in patients receiving mechanical ventilation, however there is limited focus on NIV. While NIV is widely used for managing acute respiratory failure, its effectiveness across varying levels of frailty and comorbidity remains
Back Pain, Bladder Dysfunction and Lower Limb weakness in Older Adults: Improving Recognition of Cauda Equina Syndrome
Functional Recovery Following Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty in Older Adults: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Evaluating Management of Suspected Transient Ischaemic Attacks (TIA) in the Emergency Department
Introduction Suspected Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) is a common and important reason for Emergency Department (ED) presentation in older adults. Local guidance recommends that patients should undergo CT head imaging, be prescribed aspirin and referred to the TIA clinic. However, a suspected TIA can create diagnostic uncertainty, making clinical decision-making challenging. We evaluated adherence to the local referral pathway to guide service improvement opportunities and identify variation in management according to final diagnosis. Method We conducted a retrospective audit of TIA
Parkinson's Pills - Do our patients "Get it on Time"?
Introduction: Medication timing is critical for patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). The 'Get It on Time" campaign strives to have PD patients receive their medications within 30 minutes of prescribed time. Methods: Using PDSA methodology, a list of current inpatients with PD was populated and their medicines reconciliation (med rec) repeated to check accuracy of admission prescriptions. HEMA records were analysed to ascertain how many doses in the last 3-5 days of admission were given >30 minutes late. We also collected qualitative data from patients via an in-person survey, asking how
Increasing the use of "Treatment Escalation Plan" Proformas in Acute Admissions - QIP
Melatonin Biomarkers and Delirium in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies
Optimising sensory orientation measures for delirium prevention in older adult inpatients: an audit in Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
Introduction NICE CG103 and SIGN 157 recommend non-pharmacological measures to reduce delirium risk, including visible clocks, day/date orientation, clear signage, and ensuring sensory aids are available and used. This audit assessed compliance with sensory orientation measures on an older adult delirium/dementia ward, then evaluated whether simple ward-based environmental and documentation prompts improved practice. Methods A baseline audit was performed on 14/04/26 on Ward 52, an older adult delirium/dementia ward at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow. Patients aged ≥65 years with
Evaluating Patient Self-Assessment of the Clinical Frailty Scale at the Front Door
Background: The Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is a validated 9-point tool used to assess frailty in older adults, supporting clinical decision-making and care planning. Current guidance recommends CFS assessment at first contact with acute services; however, locally, completion often occurs after review by geriatric teams. This project explored whether a patient/carer-completed CFS questionnaire could facilitate earlier frailty assessment. Aim: To develop a self-completed CFS questionnaire for patients and carers and evaluate its accuracy compared with clinician CFS scores in patients aged over