The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has selected a project from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust as one of only four development sites in the second phase of the RCP’s Future Hospital Programme.
The Right Care, Right Here programme, led by consultant respiratory physician Dr Arvind Rajasekaran, recognises the need to change the way healthcare services work together in order to deliver integrated and person- centred, high quality care.
The Midlands-based respiratory services will deliver a cohesive approach to care, by not only increasing presence within hospitals, but also by integrating and ‘out reaching’ within primary care, with specialists working alongside GPs in the community.
By increasing early diagnosis, detection and management of respiratory conditions in a community setting, the project aims to reduce emergency admissions and re-admissions to hospitals, from 13% to the national average of 8% by 2017.
The Trust is also due to open a new acute hospital, The Midland Metropolitan Hospital, which will embody the Future Hospital principles and philosophies, as a beacon for providing effective and appropriate care for its patients.
Dr Arvind Rajasekaran commented:
“We are thoroughly delighted to hear this announcement. This could not have come at a better time for the department of Respiratory Medicine coming closely behind the event to mark the 1000 day countdown to the opening of the Midland Met new hospital.
“Our vision is to provide a proactive, responsive, high value care that is patient centred; co-ordinated and delivered by a team of respiratory clinicians with the correct skills closer to patients home. We want all our respiratory patients to have ready access to high value care at all times.
“We plan to create the framework for seamless and efficient working for the benefit of patients, staff and our trainees. It is a privilege to lead a team of enthusiastic and skilled Consultants, Respiratory Specialist Nurses, Therapists, Pharmacists, General Practitioners and community Matrons and Nurses. Our patients will play a crucial role in helping us design and execution of this project. With the expertise of the RCP we are optimistic of delivering a project that will save lives and encourage a population that is health aware and engaged in their care. This project will aid in our Trust mission to become the best integrated care provider in the NHS.”
Dr Frank Joseph, Future Hospital officer and consultant physician said:
I’m excited by the enormous potential of the four new Future Hospital development sites and the Right Care, Right here programme provides the opportunity to support them to deliver their projects. The commitment and determination of the clinicians and teams driving these projects is a fantastic example of clinical leadership in the NHS. We hope the Future Hospital development sites will inspire other clinicians to work in partnership with patients to deliver improvements to healthcare services.
The RCP will support the new Future Hospital development sites by providing access to quality improvement expertise, helping to implement new ways of working and providing support to evaluate the impact of the projects.
The lessons learned through the Future Hospital Programme will be collated and shared with the rest of the NHS, to spread innovative practice and nurture a powerful learning community, committed to system-wide improvement in the care of medical patients.
ENDS
Notes:
For interviews and further information regarding the Future Hospital Programme, please contact Joanna Morgan, communications manager, RCP Care Quality Improvement Department, on 020 3075 1354 or Jessica Smith, communications adviser on 020 3075 2399.
For further information about the specific development site projects, please contact:
Vanya Rogers Head of External Communications of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, by email on vanya.rogers@nhs.net or telephone 0121 507 4093.
Information about the project:
Respiratory diseases kill one in five people – more than ischaemic heart disease. Nearly 30,000 people die of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) every year and lung cancer kills more women that breast cancer. Respiratory conditions are the most commonly reported long-term illness in babies and children; up to one in five adults consult a GP for a respiratory complaint annually and respiratory disease is the second most common illness responsible for emergency hospital admission, with cases of COPD taking more than one million bed days in England alone.
NHS organisations across the UK were invited to apply to become Future Hospital development sites. The four new Future Hospital development sites will join the four original development sites, who began working with the Future Hospital Programme in 2014 and are all leading projects to improve care for people who are frail and elderly. Further information can be found at: www.rcplondon.ac.uk/FHP
The Royal College of Physicians
Everything that we do at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) aims to improve patient care and reduce illness. We are patient centred and clinically led. We drive improvement in the diagnosis of disease, the care of individual patients and the health of the whole population, both in the UK and across the globe.
Our 30,000 members worldwide work in hospitals and the community across 30 different medical specialties. They range from medical students to retired doctors. Physicians diagnose and treat illness, and promote good health. They care for millions of medical patients with a huge range of conditions, from asthma and diabetes to stroke and yellow fever. Physicians’ clinical work ranges from caring for patients who are acutely unwell in hospital, to supporting patients to manage long-term health problems at home and encouraging people to stay fit and healthy in the community. Further information can be found at: www.rcplondon.ac.uk
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