The Emergency Multidisciplinary Unit (EMU) at Trafford General Hospital, part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, scooped a national win at NHS Elect Awards last week (5th December) at their Patient Experience and Quality Improvement Conference.
The team behind EMU won in the ‘Excellent Teamwork’ category for a pilot scheme that was implemented on the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) to improve patient experience, frailty standards and workflow.
The new project was a significant change to the working model on AMU and required numerous changes with various teams. The pilot saw an Advanced Clinical Practitioner led Emergency Multidisciplinary Unit for a three week period, with new clinical pathways, operating processes and feedback recorded to analyse improvements to the unit.
The new process introduced same day, multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment which helped to reduce hospital admission. Clinical pathways were also developed to manage various conditions supported by care navigators, therapists and The British Red Cross.
The results of the pilot were incredibly positive and highlighted a vast improvement compared to the previous system. The amount of patients seen to on the unit increased by 65%, hospital admissions were avoided for 29 patients, frailty standards were maintained at 100% and length of stay was reduced by 30%.
Not only did the team recognise an improvement over the 3-week pilot, but positive patient experience was also reflected in feedback with positive responses increasing from 17% to 92% during the trial.
Dr Lauren Wentworth Consultant Geriatrician (pictured left) and Dr Sarah Ramsey Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner from Trafford General Hospital collected the award on behalf of the team at the NHS Elect National Conference, which brings together industry experts and NHS success stories.
Dr Lauren Wentworth said: “It is fantastic that the fabulous work to improve the ambulatory service offered at Trafford General Hospital has been recognised nationally. It really has been a true multidisciplinary team effort to implement the EMU and together with engagement from The British Red Cross and Care Navigator Service, it has been a brilliant success.
“It is a great example of how collaborative working can improve the patient experience. I am so proud to work with such a passionate and engaged team.”
The service redesign has required a real team effort and has seen many benefits to the unit, not only for staff but for our patients and families. Following the success of the pilot, the EMU service has continued to run at Trafford General Hospital and the team are now reviewing staffing models to further progress the service.