Notes on Ealing Hospital's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 24th September
 
 
 
Speakers:

Ian Green, chair of Ealing Hosptial NHS Trust

Steve Pound, MP for Ealing North

Mrs Seema Kumar, Deputy Mayor

Julie Lowe, Chief Executive of Ealing Hospital

Dr Bill Lynn, Medical Director for Ealing Hospital

In addition, some of the Hospital's directors and members of its Governing Council were present. 

Julie Lowe - Chief Executive

The Hospital has applied to be a Foundation Trust but their application, as with some other applications, is on hold awaiting clarification about the Healthcare for London plans (see http://www.healthcareforlondon.nhs.uk/) . The application has been approved by the Dept of Health; the assessment process has been completed and they have a Governing Council in place.  So all ready for the go-ahead once the implications of Healthcare for London are clear.

There are four key areas relating to their application:

1. Maternity services - they want to expand the number of  deliveries in hospital 
   
2. Providing more local services such as services for older people 
   
3. More cardiology services - to provide these in order to avoid patients needing to go to Central London for treatment 
   
4. Developing Accident and Emergency services - the Hospital now has a GP based in A&E full time who can deal with patients needing more routine care

This survey came out with some poor results and the Hospital staff take this very seriously.  Actions taken to put matters right include:

• Written document called Staff Commitment to Patient Care which lays out very clearly how patients should expect to be cared for 
  
• Increased monitoring of cleaning and increased frequency of cleaning 
  
• Weekly surveys of patients to get feedback on any problems

A new Patient Survey will take place in October 2008. 

In last year some of the new developments were:

• New League of Friends coffee bar
• Costa Coffee bar in main entrance
• Pharmacy robot for automated dispensing of some medicines
• New CT scanner

Dr Bill Lynn - Medical Director

The Hospital has a specific team tackling infection which includes nurses and doctors working together and vital to empower all staff to be able to tackle anyone who does not wash their hands when they should.

There is still a focus on the ‘Clean Your Hands' campaign which is based around the use of alcohol gel for cleaning hands. The use of this gel is steadily increasing and is now up to 90% - against a target of 85%. Use of the gel is regularly monitored. Also, the Hospital has adopted a ‘bare below the elbow' policy to help prevent the spread of infection.

A hospital-wide ‘deep clean' was completed in April 2008 at a cost of £100,000.  They have adjusted cleaning schedules to improve standards.

The hospital now screens all patients coming in for treatment and all A&E entrants for MRSA.  There has been a drop of nearly 60% in incidence of MRSA from last year.

The hospital has done well in reducing the incidence of C-difficile infection.  They have introduced an e-learning package for staff and improved information about these infections for patients.

Lastly, the hospital is rebuilding its intensive care unit to further reduce the likelihood of transmission of these infections.

Questions and Answers

Nursing care and food

The hospital is committed to top quality nursing care and issues weekly questionnaires to patients asking for their comments.  One questioner raised the issue of the hospital needing to have appropriate food choices for the different nationalities who are treated there. (I don't think this was answered)

Reducing waiting times

The hospital aims to see all patients within 18 weeks.

Worth noting that Ealing Hospital has a high rate of people who do not attend their appointments and this is a waste of time and resources which prevents other patients being seen.

David Highton

25^th September 2008