Current Studies
In this Resource Pack there are two excellent talks about sustainability in Community Hospitals. The Pack is based on a week-long conference on sustainability. The report is designed as a flipbook, and is full of resources as well as links to all of the presentations and videos of talks. Read more here
Frome Community Hospital - "Earthly Ideas"
by Pete Harvey Matron and Melinda Messenger Senior Administrator
Presentation here Video of Talk here
Rye Community Hospital "Decarbonisation of Rye Community Hospital"
by Barry Nealon, Chair of the Trustees and Jo Posnette Trustee
Presentation here Video of Talk here
Design of Community Hospitals - Italy
Laura Sacchetti is carrying out research on the design of community hospitals, which will inform the development of 400 community hospitals in Italy - both new build and conversions. If you would like to share your experience of community hospital design with Laura, please email the CHA at info@communityhospitals.net.To read extracts from Laura's book on the design of community hospitals, please download here
Community Hospitals in Italy
The CHA is pleased to be connected with Professor Giovanni Fattore and his research team at the University of Boccini with regard to the strategy to invest in community hospitals in Italy. It is fascinating to compare the model in the UK which has been established for 150 years with the new model developing in Italy for their network of community hospitals. This link takes you to the commitment for 400 new community hospitals. Read more
Introduction of the Discharge Medicines Service (DMS) at acute NHS trust, does this go far enough?
Congratulations to Temitope Odetunde on her publication about the role of community hospitals offering a Discharge Medicines Service. Temitope is Head of Medicines Management, First Community Health and Care, and recommends that community hospitals. Temitope Odetunde et. al. conclude that: "Although a small-scale study, the findings demonstrate that it is important for private providers of community hospital services, such as First Community, to be included to deliver the DMS referral service. Further investigation is recommended to explore whether similar results would be achieved in other community hospital services run by private providers." Read more here
Managing Care for Older People in Community Hospitals
Professor Catherine Evans. Professor of palliative care and ageing, Kings College London
To aim of the study is to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a new Symptom Psychosocial & Assessment & Communication Evaluation (SPACE) tool that intends to support the management of clinical uncertainty for older people in community hospitals. The CHA is a partner in this study. Dr David Seamark, our Vice President, is on the Project Board and actively supporting the study.
Link https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/space
Publications from the study
Tunnard, I., Yi, D., Ellis-Smith, C. et al. Preferences and priorities to manage clinical uncertainty for older people with frailty and multimorbidity: a discrete choice experiment and stakeholder consultations. BMC Geriatr 21, 553 (2021).
The study examines patient and staff priorities to manage care for older adults with multimorbidity and frailty receiving intermediate care to support recovery at points of decline and to anticipate and plan for nearness of end of life. The authors record that: "Family act as the 'glue' to align care with patients' wishes at points of decline following a health event such as a fall." Staff valued standardised tools to create fluency across teams about patients' priorities and performance status, such as level of frailty. Use of standardised tools was key to improve communication and continuity of care at points of transition in care setting and reduce demands on the family.'
Evans, C et. Al. (2021) Need for greater integration of palliative care in Community Hospitals
https://ehospice.com/uk_posts/need-for-greater-integration-of-palliative-care-in-community-hospitals/
This article makes the point that to deliver high quality care requires a model of integrated care between community hospitals, geriatric care and palliative care, and a skilled workforce to manage multiple care needs across the continuum of care and into end of life. The article also gives links to CHA and to resources concerning palliative and end of life care.
Evans CJ, Potts L, Dalrymple U, Pring A, Verne J, Higginson IJ, Wei G (2021) Characteristics and mortality rates among patients requiring intermediate care: a national cohort study using linked databases. BMC Medicine 2021; 19(1): 48. Study carried out on behalf of SPACE.