Winner

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust: Improving the safety of chemotherapy prescribing through implementation of a standardised electronic assessment proforma

After a review of adverse incidents, staff in the oncology service at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust identified improving the safety of chemotherapy prescribing as a key priority.

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The Manual for Cancer Services provides clear guidance on essential assessment and documentation for patients during chemotherapy. And so a target was set for clinicians’ assessments to document at least 95 per cent of the key parameters detailed in the manual and in local medical record keeping standards.

A form was created with checklists for the key information required. Initially, the document was on paper, but in due course an electronic version was introduced.

At the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre, the quality of assessments improved from 62 per cent complete in December 2015 to more than 95 per cent with the paper form, and then consistently 100 per cent complete following the introduction of the electronic form from October 2017.

Staff view the form positively, with 94 per cent agreeing it promotes safety, and high patient satisfaction with the chemotherapy service continues to be reported.

To read this entry in full visit HSJ Solutions.

Click here for more details on the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2018.

Finalists

  • Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust: EMPOWER
  • Gloucestershire Care Services Trust: Macmillan Next Steps Cancer Rehabilitation (MNSCR) – three step rehabilitation model
  • Poole Hospital Foundation Trust: Improving flow in the chemotherapy pathway
  • Southend University Hospital Foundation Trust: Safe movement of patients to and from the urology cancer centre in Essex
  • The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Foundation Trust: MDT working in oncology
  • The Christie Foundation Trust: Enhanced supportive care
  • The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust: Development, implementation and outcomes of a self management app providing communication and information
  • Velindre Trust: Improving the palliative cancer pathways by developing a rapid access radiographer led service