Guide launched to help primary care reduce harm from opioids
News
The West of England AHSN have launched a new easy to follow guide for healthcare professionals working in primary care. The guide will support clinicians to identify patients at risk from opioid prescribing, includes templates and ideas as well as providing information on training and examples of best practice initiatives. The free guide has been produced…
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Regional neonatal units celebrate achievements including highest delayed cord clamping rates
News
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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South West of England Learning Disabilities Collaborative hold successful first online event
News
On 3 October, the new and extended South West of England Learning Disabilities Collaborative (SW LDC) held an online event for those with an interest in learning disabilities and improving outcomes for people with a learning disability across the South West to come together and share experiences, ideas and learning. The event was chaired by…
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Regional Perinatal Equity Network celebrates first anniversary
News
Maternity and neonatal practitioners came together in the South West this month to celebrate one year since the launch of the Regional Perinatal Equity Network, marking the anniversary with talks on perinatal inequalities from speakers including obstetrician Dr Christine Ekechi, author Kim Thomas and the Positive Birth Company. The Regional Perinatal Equity Network (RPEN), a…
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Care home staff find the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) empowers residents
News
GPs and care home staff see the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) as positive and empowering for residents, according to an evaluation carried out by researchers at NIHR ARC West in collaboration with the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) and published in Age and Ageing. To assess experiences with ReSPECT, researchers interviewed 16 GPs…
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The Collaborative digitally launches on World Mental Health Day
News
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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Launching the South West of England Learning Disabilities Collaborative: building on work across the West of England
News
Join the online launch of our new and extended South West of England Learning Disabilities Collaborative (SWLDC) on 3 October 2022, 1-2pm. Book your place here. The expanded collaborative, previously the West of England Learning Disabilities Collaborative, will share learning and best practice across the South West with presentations including improving the outcomes of someone…
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Mark Juniper appointed as West of England AHSN’s new Medical Director
News
We’re delighted to announce that Mark Juniper has been appointed as the West of England AHSN’s new Medical Director. Mark will be joining the AHSN on 1 October 2022 on a three-year, part-time secondment from Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where he is Consultant Physician. With a long track record in supporting the work…
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Looking ahead to World Patient Safety Day 2022 focussed on medicines safety
Blog article
Ahead of World Patient Safety Day 2022, Jan Scott, Patient Safety Programme Manager, discusses how the West of England AHSN Polypharmacy Community of Practice (CoP) is tackling the challenge to reduce severe avoidable medication related harm. The AHSN held its first CoP in August 2022 with the second scheduled for November. Polypharmacy simply means many…
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New evaluation shows quality improvement project is improving care for premature babies
News
More mothers and babies born prematurely in South West England are receiving lifechanging care interventions thanks to an ambitious project designed to reduce brain injury and death in vulnerable preterm babies, according to a new evaluation. The project is also demonstrating how effective a quality improvement (QI) approach can be at improving perinatal care. Perinatal Excellence to Reduce…
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