Network

Strike at Stroke - leading the way on anticoagulation

The detection and management of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) has long been a key priority for the Network. We currently have the highest number of AF patients audited using the GRASP-AF tool in the country and the highest number of new patients receiving anticoagulation as a result of our incentivised programmes in primary care.

Since starting the project we have seen:

• 33,565 AF patients (19,457 High Risk) identified using the GRASP-AF tool
• Over 200 GP practices participating in the project
• 601 additional patients newly anticoagulated
• 24 strokes avoided

At our Striving for Stroke event on 21^st March 2012 we were joined by stroke patients, carers, clinicians and our third sector partners in celebrating these achievements. Jo Jerome of the Atrial Fibrillation Association (AFA) presented awards to the top performing GP practices

The innovative work within this Network has resulted in far more AF patients being better assessed and protected against the devastating event of a stroke. With 45% of embolic strokes being the direct result of atrial fibrillation (AF), and nationally 75% of AF patients known to be sub-optimally protected, the award ceremony was a celebration of good medicine. Brilliant news for AF patients in the area – the right care, at the right time, in the right place.

To find out more about our work on AF click here

South West and South Wales Regional Teaching in Adult Congenital Heart Disease - Advanced ACHD

10th September 2012, Bristol    CPD points awaited - typically 5

85% children born with congenital heart disease now survive into adulthood and the number of adult patients with ACHD now exceeds the number of children. It is therefore becoming increasingly common for general cardiologists to come across adult patients with congenital heart disease on their wards and in their clinics.

Although Bristol remains the regional referral centre for these patients and the centre for intervention and surgery, it is important for cardiologists and trainees working in other hospitals throughout the region to have a working knowledge of the common lesions encountered and their management.

The aim of this training programme is to offer education to all cardiologists and trainees in the South West and South Wales region so that they might be more confident in caring for ACHD patients.

This session is part of a rolling programme of training which has been a great success since it started in 2009;  

    'this is a major development for SpR training and ought to be compulsory.'

    'Very good content. Good speakers and interesting cases.'

The training is free and is open to Consultant Cardiologists, SpR’s and Specialist Nurses.

Provisional Programme click here

For further information click here

For registration details click here

Striving for Stroke - presentations and posters

21st March 2012, Bristol

Patients, carers, clinicians, commissioners, providers and third sector colleagues joined us to celebrate some of the substantial improvements in Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation care achieved across the Network.

Presentations:

ASIIST Data: the final frontier - Elsa Brown, AGWSCS Network click here

Sharing the Load - Judy Cronan, Salisbury Foundation Trust click here

Our Stroke Services - Sarah Caine, University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust click here

The Story so Far - Prasad Siddegowda, Great Western Hospitals Foundation Trust click here

Strike at Stroke: the Primary Care experience - Elsa Brown, AGWSCS Network click here

Strike at Stroke: A GP perspective - Mari Shaw, Lovemead Practice click here

Stroke Prevention: an ambulance service approach - Ali Mann, Great Western Ambulance Trust click here

A Stroke Patient Story - Sue Sandars click here

My Personal Health Budget - Harry Howson click here 

Network Clinical Lead Appointments for 2012

Dr Stuart Walker has been appointed as new Cardiac Clinical Lead for the Network. Dr Walker is a consultant Cardiologist and Acute Medical Clinical Director at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

I am very pleased to be able to take up this important position within the AGWS Cardiac and Stroke Network. I hope to be able to build upon the extensive work undertaken by my predecessor, Dr Tim Cripps, to further improve cardiac and cardiac surgical services across the AGWS area. I am very much looking forward to working with the excellent Network team and my clinical colleagues from across the region in the future.

Dr Peter Murphy, Stroke Consultant, University Hospitals Bristol Foundation Trust and Mrs Claire Fulbrook-Scanlon, Royal United Hospitals Bath, will continue as Joint Stroke Clinical Leads. Both appointments are for a year, the tenure lasting from 1^st March 2012 to 31^st March 2013.

In 2012/13, a year of transition both for the Network and the wider NHS, we hope that the appointments will enable the network to manage this transition smoothly whilst delivering with vigour our work plan.

Stroke services improve across the Network

We are delighted to announce the results of the ASSIST 2 programme which has been supporting improvements in stroke care over the past year. The aim was to encourage stroke teams in acute trusts to work together using data to drive improvements in patient care.

Overall there have been significant improvements across all nine acute trusts in the Network over the past year:

• reducing 7-day inpatient mortality by 25%
• Increasing the proportion of patients receiving all the 9 sentinel key indicators by 80%
• More than two-fold increase in the % of patients supported by Early Supported Discharge
• an 85% increase in the proportion of ischaemic patients who recieve thrombolysis

The winning teams will be sent to national and international stroke conferences during 2012 to support continuous professional development and recognise individuals contribution to improving performance, patient care and leadership. Winners from Salisbury will travel to Brazil for the World Stroke Congress in October, second place University Hospitals Bristol staff will attend the European Stroke Conference in Lisbon in May and runners up Great Western Hospital Swindon will attend the UK Stroke Forum in December.

'Our aim as a clinical network is work to improve the quality of care for all cardiac and stroke patients in our area and we are delighted that this initiative has resulted in improvements for patients in all of the stroke units across the region.'

 Elsa Brown, Deputy Network Director

For further information on the programme click here

Stayin' Alive with Vinnie Jones

30,000 people have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital each year. In most cases there is enough oxygen in the blood to keep you alive, as long as someone keeps it pumping around your body by pushing your chest until an ambulance arrives. The British Heart Foundation have launched this campaign to teach hard and fast hands-only CPR in a bid to increase the number of people who survive cardiac arrest.

For further information click here