NSLHD News August 14

NSLHD News August 14

NEWS NORTHERN SYDNEY LOCAL HEALTH DISTRICT NSLHD

spinal injury research The Kolling Institute has received funding for vital spinal injury research.

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robot pablo changing rehab patients’ recovery Page 5

COVID-19: pop up clinics and the Virtual hospital Page 7

Leaders in healthcare, partners in wellbeing

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experts in the Chief Health Officer’s team at the NSW Ministry of Health. Importantly, all staff and patients were wearing masks in the ED and because of this, we believe the risk of further transmission will be low. I encourage everyone to familiarise yourself with the fact sheets on the correct wearing of face masks which can be found on the NSLHD intranet under the PPE link. It is extremely important you avoid the temptation to touch your mask once it is on, and you maintain hand hygiene and social distancing – these continue to be the key principles in reducing transmission of the virus. I continue to be so proud of the resilience and calm and professional approach that I have seen in the last few days. It will continue to be a challenging few weeks and it is important we continue to support each other. Thank you all for your ongoing commitment to the care of our patients during these challenging times. You and your patients wellbeing remain our priority. message FROM the Chief executive Deb Willcox

Our district prides itself on the high standard of care our staff provide to our patients and their families. I have always been immensely proud of the compassion, respect and dignity our staff show towards our patients. It was therefore not surprising to learn our patients feel the same way according to a recent survey. The Bureau of Health Information’s Emergency Department survey of our patients recorded positive results across all categories, but consistently outperformed the state average in the respect and dignity category, as well as in trust and confidence. When asked about their experience in the ED, 75 per cent of our patients said they would speak highly of their experience to family and friends, second only to Northern NSW Health District at 76 per cent. Congratulations to everyone for this fantastic result. It is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication you all show each and every day. This comes as we continue to experience challenging times with the continued transmission of COVID-19 in the community. Unfortunately, our colleagues at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital’s Emergency Department have been impacted by the virus in recent days. We are taking a very precautionary approach and are working on the advice of our local public health unit, infectious diseases physicians and the public health

Deb Willcox Chief Executive Northern Sydney Local Health District

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Eating Disorders Service team Caroline Hill, Gabriella Heruc, Simone Jacques

nslhd’s new eating disorders service The newly established Eating Disorders

Increasing staff awareness of the incidence, seriousness and warning signs of eating disorders will assist in screening patients, supporting them and linking them into appropriate services. Accessing evidence-based treatment provides patients with the best opportunity for recovery and quality of life. The new Eating Disorder Service - Simone Jaques (Clinical Psychologist), Gabriella Heruc (Dietitian) and a Psychiatrist (being recruited) - supports staff as they look after patients in their care with an eating disorder. “The team’s role is to support staff and this may be through providing team inservices, attending interdisciplinary team meetings or case conferences or it could be in helping staff to find appropriate services for their patient,” said Caroline. “We also have a small outpatient service for over 18s who live in our LHD and are unable to access any other eating disorder specific services.” Staff can contact the Eating Disorder Service for advice and support for patients with a diagnosed or suspected eating disorder or for further training and inservices. Staff can find out more about the service on the intranet at: https://bit.ly/3fIQMDe

Service is breaking ground for the first time in Northern Sydney Local Health District with a dedicated service supporting clinical staff and the community. With up to 16 per cent of Australians having experienced an eating disorder, NSW Health recognises the serious physical and psychological consequences of eating disorders and the significant burden they place on sufferers and their families. In 2014, the NSW Government established the NSW Service Plan for People with Eating Disorders (the Service Plan), with the soon to be released 2020- 2024 Service Plan aiming to support better access, governance, innovation and quality care. Caroline Hill, Eating Disorder Coordinator, said: “Each local health district has an eating disorder coordinator, however, at NSLHD we are excited to have a dietitian, clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist on board. “Eating disorders have the highest mortality and morbidity of any mental health illness. Many of our patients across our community, outpatient and inpatient services may experience disordered eating behaviours, however, they may not disclose these behaviours due to anxiety, shame or guilt.”

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Some members of the team working on the ACP Pilot

advance care planning pilot Northern Sydney Local Health District is piloting an electronic package for managing advance care planning (ACP).

whether a patient has documentation including Advance Care Directives and Appointment of Enduring Guardian, and whether a copy has been presented or scanned • AMBER care bundle – a systematic approach for multi-disciplinary teams to follow when it is uncertain whether a patient may recover Together these components support planning, transfer, intervention and communication of advance care decisions and information. More than 370 resuscitation forms across NSLHD have been transcribed into electronic versions since the project went live on 14 July. ICT Business Analyst Angela Hermes said the ICT team members have worked closely with the eHealth Project Team, NSLHD Clinical Governance Unit and clinicians to deliver

this project. “So far the adoption has been very promising and staff have been enthusiastic about the introduction of the solution,” she said. “Nursing staff are pleased about having a specific location in the eMR for Advance Care Planning documentation and medical staff are impressed that the system will provide prompts of previous Resuscitation plans when patients are readmitted to hospital.” At the end of the 12-week pilot period, an evaluation of the product will be provided to the District Steering Committee and Ministry of Health outlining the pilot findings and recommended future enhancements prior to implementation in the other LHD’s across NSW. For more information, please visit Advance Care Planning on the Intranet.

In 2019 NSLHD and Central Coast LHD were selected as a combined health area by the Ministry of Health and eHealth to pilot the electronic solution for ACP. The scope of the ACP pilot project is for both LHDs to test, implement and support the ACP solution across inpatient areas. The ACP solution is designed to support clinicians to document a patient’s advance care needs and to discuss those needs with the patient and their family or carer. The solution consists of three components: • Resuscitation Plan – an electronic version of the adult and paediatric paper state forms • Advance Care Documentation – recording

follow nslhd on social media NSLHD on Facebook • facebook.com/nthsydhealth/ • facebook.com/RydeHospital/ • facebook.com/MonaValeHospitalNSW/

• facebook.com/NSLHD.MHDA/ NSLHD on Twitter • twitter.com/NthSydHealth NSLHD on LinkedIn • linkedin.com/company/northern- sydney-local-health-district/

• facebook.com/RoyalNorthShore/ • facebook.com/HornsbyHospital/

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NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 15| 14 AUGUST 2020

Kolling teams receive funding for spinal injury research An Australia wide trial is set to get underway with hopes it may lead to life-long improvements for

those who experience a spinal cord injury. Led by Professor Lisa Harvey from the Kolling Institute’s John Walsh Centre for Rehabilitation Research, the study represents a collaboration between the University of Sydney and every spinal injury unit in Australia. The NSW Government is investing $2.5 million in the project, with the University of Sydney contributing $500,000. Lisa said the innovative approach is one of the most promising interventions for those with spinal cord injuries. “Researchers will assess the effectiveness of early and intensive physiotherapy on neurological recovery and function in people with a recent injury,” she said. “The type of physiotherapy we are looking at will be directed below the level of the injury to take advantage of the plasticity of the spinal cord, and its ability to self-repair soon after injury. “The treatment will aim to help partially paralysed muscles work again through a range of specific exercises, including walking on a treadmill with overhead suspension and electrical stimulation. “It’s hoped the trial will provide evidence of the rehabilitation patients at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital’s are recovering from illnesses such as stroke. Pablo is a computer-based robotic device that allows patients to perform strength training and repetitive movements that aid in their recovery to perform daily activities. Up to three patients at a time are able to use the Pablo program using the different devices, which have the potential to reduce the amount of time to recover. Occupational Therapist Taryn Fox said using Pablo was exciting for both staff and patients who no longer needed to use older rehabilitation devices that were less intuitive. “The Pablo allows for a wide variety of therapy; it allows people to complete the 1000 repetitions, as research has shown to improve outcomes, without feeling as though they are completing therapy,” Taryn said. “It records the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8

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