Rheumatology in Practice
Patients In Focus Awards 2012: Applications Now Open
NRAS Patients In Focus Awards 2012 are now open for applications. Now in its 9th year the NRAS Patients in Focus Awards aim to recognise patient-centred initiatives and good practice in the education, treatment and care of people with rheumatoid arthritis. It is an exciting time in rheumatology now and we believe these awards, and the publicity that will surround them, will help to raise awareness of the need for best standards of care to be recognised and shared with all professionals
in rheumatology, so that more patients can look forward to improved quality of life.
Applications are invited from teams and individuals working in rheumatology both in hospital units and in the community.
Click here for more information and to download the application form or call NRAS on 0845 458 3969 to request a form. Deadline for receipt of entries Friday 3rd February 2012.
Spotlight on a Rheumatology Unit
Patients in Focus winner: 2011 - Development of an Asian language helpline for South Asian patients with rheumatological conditions in Birmingham
Successful management of RA can be dependent upon the effective engagement of the patient. This has been recognised in the recent Kings Fund report “Perceptions of patients and professionals on rheumatoid arthritis care” [January 2009], a key recommendation of which is “to empower patients with RA with the confidence and knowledge to manage their symptoms and to give them a better understanding of their care options and choices”. The current project arose from a recognition of that need and the particular requirements of excluded and minority groups.
Patients in Focus runner up: 2011 - ‘Wii-hab’ for RA patients with moderate to severe foot deformity
Patients with established foot deformity admit to being reluctant to exercise appropriately, often because exercises are not considered effective and make little difference to symptoms and functional capacity. They are inclined to assume that ‘nothing can be done’ resulting in poor engagement and compliance with physical therapy instructions. With this in mind, the Rheumatology Dept at Burton Hospitals NHS Trust has re-focused attention on foot care, disability, functional loss and education through meaningful and effective exercises for our RA patients with moderate to severe foot disease. To achieve this, an innovative approach has been devised using interactive home entertainment technology.
Patients in Focus winner: 2010 - 'Just Improving Awareness'
Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology services are well recognised to be very variable, with inequity in the provision and the standard of care. In the West Midlands a Clinical Network has been developed to address these differences and work towards the provision of high standard and equitable services, which are accessible to all patients and their families irrespective of their locality.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: the role of early intervention and self-management
By Diane Home, Rheumatology Nurse Consultant & Maggie Carr, Rheumatology Consultant Nurse
British Journal of Community Nursing, Vol 14, No 10
RCN Survey on the performance and activity of rheumatology nurses
The RCN Rheumatology Nursing Forum (RCNRF) joined forces with the British Health Professionals inRheumatology (BHPR) and the Nurse Consultant Group in Rheumatology to identify the contribution that nurses and allied health care professionals (AHPs) make to delivering effective high quality care to patients.
Patients in Focus 2009 Small Unit Winner - Mums with RA - Patient support and participation, a two way partnership
14/05/09 : Julie Taylor
Providing care for a newborn baby or toddler is a challenge to all new mothers, with changes to lifestyle, self-esteem and roles. Add to this the daily difficulties of living with a chronic illness and the result is a greater set of needs and demands.
Tips for Mums
14/05/09 : Julie Taylor & mums with RA
Sometimes your Rheumatoid Arthritis can remain quiet or inactive when you are pregnant. However, after the baby is born, the arthritis occasionally may then go into a flare, this could be within a couple of weeks or may be longer. This leaflet aims to give you a few suggestions on how to make your life easier when living with arthritis and a new child.
The experience of running a Silver Ring Splint workshop with the team at NRAS in 2008
04/09/08 : By Christina Macleod, Occupational Therapist, Winchester
How did the idea come into being?
First be careful who you talk to at NRAS, I mentioned to Ailsa that I was considering organising a workshop on silver ring splints, but didn’t have all the skills or resources easily available.
Patients in Focus 2008 Small Unit Winner - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: A psycho-social treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
07/03/08 : Lynda Gettings RGN, DN Clinical Nurse Specialist, University of North Durham
Background
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common, progressive and debilitating condition, affecting around 1% of the population presenting at any age, with the peak onset between 35-50 years (1). Most patients develop impairment of joint function and have the potential for progressive joint destruction. Recent evidence suggests RA is associated with a shortened life span (2, 3), and cardiovascular disease is an additional risk factor related to the inflammatory component of RA and subsequent mortality (3).
Patients in Focus 2008 - Large Unit Winner - A Smoking Cessation Project for People with RA
07/05/08 : Eunice Whitehouse, Staff Nurse, Outpatients Rheumatology Clinic, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley
Introduction
I joined the NHS at the age of 18 years and trained to be a nurse at Wordsley Hospital near Stourbridge where In 1962 I gained my SEN qualification. After a few years I married and had 3 children eventually returning to hospital ward nursing nearly 30 years ago. I remained as a ward nurse up until 2000 and transferred to my present position at Russell’s Hall Hospital NHS Trust Dudley as a part-time clinic nurse in the Rheumatology Department that specialises in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In recognition of my experience, commitment and dedication to patient care I was promoted to Staff Nurse on the Rheumatology Clinic which is my present position.
Patients in Focus 2008 Innovation Category Winner - A Nurse Led Clinic in Primary Care for Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis
04/09/08 : Benny Harston, Nurse Practitioner, Hoveton and Wroxham Medical Practice, Norfolk
I am a Nurse Practitioner working in Primary Care. In 1994 my Occupational Health colleague and I set up a small clinic which we decided to dedicate to our patients with arthritis. The aim of this clinic was to ensure our patients were receiving holistic timely care alongside their care for other co-morbidities.
Stobhill Education Classes
05/10/07 : Esther McGlinchey, NRAS Volunteer
Recently Sister Liz McIvor, of Stobhill Rheumatology, had asked me if I would come along to her Education Classes and talk about what it was like living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. The classes run for four weeks and each week two members of the Rheumatology Team come along and talk about their area of expertise. Sister McIvor felt the only area not covered was the viewpoint of the patient.
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society Mapping Project
19/12/06 : Ailsa Bosworth, NRAS Chief Executive
If you look at a medical flow chart which plots the ideal route for patients from presentation of symptoms at the GP surgery through to diagnosis and on-going treatment, it is very clear, short and straightforward. However, our experience of listening to people with RA, is that their journeys through health care are often very different to that ‘medical’ pathway which shows what should happen to someone ‘in an ideal world’
Mapping the Patient’s Journey
11/07/07 : Authors: Susan M Oliver, RN, MSc., Nurse Consultant Rheumatology, Chief Nurse Advisor NRAS and Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive, NRAS
This mapping project provides the results of exploring the experiences of 22 patients’ pathways of care from first symptoms and seeking advice from their general practitioner to the first three years of their care. Individuals were recruited from the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) Membership and represent a UK-wide geographic spread.
NRAS Patient in Focus Award 2007 - Small Unit Winner - Improving Communication between healthcare professionals, patients and their carers/relatives.
04/07/07 : Trish Cornell, Senior Rheumatology Practitioner, Poole Hospital NHS Trust
Background
Poole Hospital NHS Trust serves a population base of approximately 250,000 in East Dorset. The Rheumatology Unit is out patient based and comprises of 2 full time Consultants, a part-time Associate Specialist, 6 Rheumatology Practitioners (Nurse Practitioners and Allied Health Professionals wte 2.64), part time physiotherapist, podiatrist, occupational therapist, extended scope physiotherapy practitioners (back pain) and part time specialist registrar.
Patients in Focus Awards 2007 - Large Unit Winner - Foot Health Provision for Rheumatology Patients: Leeds Clinical Model
04/07/07 : Heidi J Davys, Philip S Helliwell, Anthony C Redmond, Paul Emery
Introduction
Foot pain is a major problem in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and indeed the foot has been identified as the second most frequent site for symptoms1. Approximately 90% of people with RA complain of painful feet during the course of their disease, with many people suffering right from the onset of the disease2, 3, 4. The presence of foot complaints, both in the early and in the chronic stages of RA, has been shown to affect patients’ daily activities severely, especially walking and associated functional abilities.
Patients in Focus Awards 2007 - Innovation Winner - The Development of a Rheumatology Foot Clinic
04/07/07 : Abbie Dagg, Podiatrist Wakefield District Primary Care Trust, Helen Marsden Rheumatology Nurse Specialist, Dr Stephen Jarrett Consultant Rheumatologist, Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust
Background
Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust (MYHNHST) is a district hospital split over 2 sites, Wakefield and Pontefract. It supports a population of 36,000 people. Rheumatology is predominantly an out patient service. At present, 3 Consultants, 1 SpR in Rheumatology and 3 nurse specialists staff the department. Support is also provided by physiotherapy and occupational therapists. However, to date no Podiatry support has been provided to the Rheumatology population within the multi-disciplinary setting.
Patients in Focus Winner 2006
09/08/06 : Anne Meadows. RGN, BSc (Hons), Rheumatology Nurse Specialist, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Background
Peterborough & Stamford NHS Foundation Trust consists of a district general hospital split over two sites within Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, and a small community hospital in Stamford, 12 miles away in Lincolnshire. Rheumatology is an outpatient service only, as we have lost all inpatient space over the last few years. Staffing comprises of two consultants, supported by two hospital practitioners conducting a clinic each per week, and one nurse specialist. There is also a DEXA service provided by the equivalent of a full time radiographer. Support staff includes a part-time IV nurse for day case treatments and three healthcare assistants to run the outpatient clinics.
Patients in Focus Award 2006 Update
30/05/07 : NRAS
Anne Meadows, Rheumatology Nurse Specialist, Rheumatology Department Peterborough and Stamford NHS Foundation Trust, Edith Cavell Hospital explains what winning this award has meant to her and her rheumatology department.
Patients in Focus Award 2005
20/01/06 : Christina Macleod, OT, Therapy Services Department, Royal Hampshire County Hospital
The Innovative collaboration between rheumatology, occupational therapy services and a high street jeweller to produce finger orthotics as silver jewellery
Silver Ring Splints - A Patient's Perspective
20/01/06 : Gill Chambers, Patient of Christina Macleod
My name is Gill Chambers and I am 38 years old. I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for 17 years, starting at the age of 21.
Audit of the Rheumatology Day Case Unit
01/06/04 : Clinical Effectiveness Department, NHS Grampian
The DCU was set up in October 2002 to adequately accommodate the increasing number of day case patients that the department was receiving
Patients in Focus - Winning entry 2004
28/05/04 : Gill Jackson, Paediatic CNS & Jo White CNS , General Infirmary at Leeds
Setting up a home based patient self-administration subcutaneous methotrexate service for adults and children
Patients in Focus - Runner Up 2004
25/01/04 : Dr Michelle Sinclair GP, Richmond Surgery, Fleet, Hampshire
Richmond Surgery is a six-doctor practice with 11,000 patients, situated in the suburbs of Fleet, Hampshire.