A senior doctor has revealed how a campaign to improve the care of people with Parkinson’s at one of the UK’s largest hospitals has succeeded in delivering better treatment for patients.
Dr Sarah Jackson, a movement disorders consultant at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, initiated a campaign for change after an audit demonstrated the hospital could further improve care of its Parkinson’s patients.
In just five years the changes have delivered a specialist ward – one of the few in the UK, with trained Parkinson’s nurses which together with a multi-disciplinary...
Stuart Priscott is prepared to travel 200 miles to attend clinic appointments for a Cystic Fibrosis research study at a South West hospital.
The father of two, who was diagnosed with CF when he was a child, says: “I don’t view the time spent at the hospital for the research trial as time lost but very much as an investment in gaining more time if my quality of life is maintained for as long as possible. I have felt so much better since being on this trial and feel privileged to have had the opportunity to participate in it.”
The South West is playing its part in the recruitment of volunteers to dementia research studies.
One year on from the launch of a groundbreaking service called Join Dementia Research almost 16,000 people nationally have signed up to this initiative which encourages people to register their interest in taking part in clinical research into this condition.
In the South West 1,110 volunteers have registered with Join Dementia Research service which provides a valuable resource for researchers in their search for potential dementia research studies.
Members of the public had the chance hear first-hand about the benefits of science to healthcare at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital during national Healthcare Science Week (14th-17th March).
Scientists and staff from the South West NHS Genomic Medicine Centre (GMC), which is hosted by the RD&E, were on hand to answer questions about their pioneering work and how it is already benefiting patients, at an information stand in the hospital’s Oasis restaurant throughout the week.
A key focus of the event was to raise awareness of the ground-breaking 100,000 Genomes...
The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital has signed up to two high profile projects which cement its commitment to improving the experience of patients with Dementia and their families when in hospital.
The RD&E has just become the 40th member of the Exeter Dementia Action Alliance, a local organisation working towards making Exeter a dementia friendly city.
By joining the Alliance, the hospital has committed to introduce practical actions as well as a three year strategy which includes promoting their dementia and delirium care plan, easy identification of patients,...
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection report published today (9 February) follows the planned inspection of the RD&E conducted last year. The CQC’s team of nearly 50 inspectors visited the RD&E last November speaking to more than 300 staff, and dozens of patients, carers and relatives and visiting clinical areas of the Trust.
The report praises the Trust’s culture as “strongly focused on quality and safety with patients being the absolute priority”. The report goes on to say this was a “consistent theme in the feedback from staff at all levels”. Seven out of eight...
Exeter Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, has donated a ‘cuddle cot’ and two Moses baskets to the Maternity Unit at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to enable bereaved parents to spend more time with their babies. The cuddle cot is a cold pad that can be wrapped around a baby that has been stillborn, allowing parents to stay with them for longer. This gives parents time to grieve and start to come to terms with their loss, as well as enabling other family members time to meet the baby and say goodbye. Sands operate throughout the UK, supporting people affected by the...
Zoe Drew, 22 from Sidmouth, has donated box-loads of toys and games to Bramble Ward at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to help entertain young patients.
This year, instead of asking for birthday and Christmas presents from her family and friends, Zoe asked for gifts that could be donated to the children’s ward to help patients beat the boredom whilst in hospital.
Zoe said: “In August 2014 I had an illness that led to me being in a wheelchair. I’ve spent the last 17 months coming in and out of hospital, so I know how boring it can be in here.”
A pioneering project is transforming the delivery of cancer follow-up care for people receiving treatment at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
The Living With and Beyond Cancer project, involving the hospital, FORCE Cancer Charity and Macmillan Cancer Support, aims to provide support for patients from the point of diagnosis and redesign their follow-up care to help them take back control of their lives.
As part of the project, patients treated for cancer at the RD&E are already benefiting from support services provided by local cancer charity FORCE.
A leading nurse at the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust has been recognised in the New Year Honours List with a British Empire Medal. Fiona Fry has worked at the RD&E since 1993, and been in her current Hepatology Nurse Specialist role since 2001. In the last 14 years she has developed liver nursing services in Exeter and Mid and East Devon which have gone from strength to strength. The service has benefited from the care of a lead nurse who is shaping national thinking and as a result the service is ensuring high quality patient focused care. Fiona said: “The British Empire...
