Category > Quality improvement

Improving maternity care – lessons from scaling up the PReCePT programme

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Enhanced quality improvement (QI) programmes may be necessary to support the adoption of best practice in maternity units with less developed integrated working practices, a new paper published in the Journal Implementation Science suggests. The research builds on ARC West’s evaluation of the AHSN Network’s national PReCePT programme, led by the West of England AHSN,…

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Working together to reduce caesarean birth infections

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The West of England AHSN is working collaboratively with the region’s six acute maternity hospital trusts on a new project to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) following caesarean births. In March 2023 the first wave of four trusts launched their use of the locally developed PreCiSSIon (Preventing Caesarean Birth Surgical Site Infection) care bundle. The…

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Reducing high blood pressure health inequalities

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The West of England AHSN has been supporting the region’s Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and a number of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to adopt a new framework for optimising blood pressure. The framework seeks to improve patient safety by effectively managing high blood pressure and reducing heart attacks, strokes and cases of vascular dementia. This…

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Improving asthma diagnosis and patient care in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire

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Over the past year, the West of England AHSN has been supporting six Primary Care Networks (PCNs) in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) to implement FeNO testing, which supports faster and more accurate diagnosis of asthma. 27 practices are now offering the service, with 775 tests performed to December 2022. The project forms…

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Transforming asthma care across the South West of England

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The West of England and South West AHSNs, alongside the South West Severe Asthma Network (SWSAN), have been working with 10 hospital trusts across the South West of England to improve asthma pathways and enhance access to innovative treatments for adult patients. A new evaluation shows the collaborative project, which was awarded Pathway Transformation Funding…

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Evaluation finds PReCePT national programme effective in helping to prevent cerebral palsy in premature babies

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The PReCePT programme to increase the use of magnesium sulphate, a £1 injection that helps prevent cerebral palsy in premature babies, has been found effective according to an evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The findings, led by researchers at the University of Bristol, are published in the Archives of…

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Launching our project to improve non-invasive ventilation

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In December 2022, 24 colleagues from six regional acute hospital trusts and the West of England AHSN came together to launch a new collaborative project focused on improving patient outcomes from non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Watch our introductory video on Vimeo: Acute NIV is an evidence based, clinically effective and lifesaving treatment used to manage patients…

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Regional neonatal units celebrate achievements including highest delayed cord clamping rates

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Maternity and neonatal (MatNeo) units across the South West are celebrating achieving the highest rate of delayed cord clamping in England and Wales for the second year in a row, as measured by the 2021 National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP). Evidence shows that delaying cord clamping reduces death in preterm babies by nearly a third. Celebrating success Rates…

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Patients in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire receiving faster and more reliable asthma diagnoses

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A new evaluation has found more patients in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) are receiving faster and more reliable diagnoses of asthma thanks to an ambitious project designed to ensure adoption and spread of proven innovative products.  A system wide project, led by the West of England AHSN, took place between…

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The Collaborative digitally launches on World Mental Health Day

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Today on World Mental Health Day (10 October) the launch of the brand-new name and visual identity for The Collaborative has taken place. The Collaborative (formerly known as the South of England Mental Health Collaborative – MHC) aims to improve the quality and safety of services for people with mental health conditions through the use…

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