Survey into the management and treatment of glaucoma in line with recent guidance

Transcription

1 Ref no: From: Date: Subject: Commercial 28/09/10 REQUEST FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST Survey into the management and treatment of glaucoma in line with recent guidance September 2010 Please note that the deadline for responses is 7 October 2010 (20 working days) Name: Lee McMenamy Position: Directorate Manager NHS Trust: St. Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Contact Number: Lee.mcmenamy@sthk.nhs.uk An electronic copy of this survey is available on request from sarah@insightpa.com Page 1 of 5

2 Please return the completed survey to: Sarah Lapham Insight PA 52 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0AU Tel: Fax: Is your Trust aware of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) Alert on preventing delay for follow-up appointments for patients with Glaucoma (reference no. 0959) issued in June 2009, with a deadline for compliance of 10 December 2009? The Trust is aware of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) Alert on preventing delay for follow-up appointments for patients with Glaucoma (reference no 0959) issued in June 2009, with a deadline for compliance of 10 December Does your Trust currently comply with all 6 action points (specified below) in the NPSA alert on preventing delay for follow-up appointments for patients with glaucoma (reference no. 0959) issued in June 2009? 1.) Make NICE guidelines on glaucoma available to all relevant staff and develop an action plan to implement the recommendations. 2.) Review levels of hospital initiated cancellation of appointments for patients with established or suspected glaucoma through clinical governance forums. 3.) Review patient did not attend rates in order to identify and audit high risk non-attending patients. 4.) Identify the number of patients currently awaiting follow up and confirm there is sufficient capacity within the local health community to meet this number in terms of outpatient appointments and any specialist investigations e.g. visual field and optic disc imaging. 5.) Develop a system whereby patients can be flagged on the booking/ appointment system to indicate the clinical priority given to the appointment and monitor activity to ensure compliance with NICE follow-up intervals. 6.) Make information on glaucoma available to patients and ensure that there is a straight forward process for patients Page 2 to of reschedule 5 appointments where necessary.

3 The Trust is committed in providing the highest possible care for all patients who attend the organisation. Within the Department of Ophthalmology all patients are seen and treated as quickly and efficiently as possible. All clinicians are fully aware and compliant with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines in treating patients with Glaucoma. The Department of Ophthalmology has an excellent record in patient access times. Within the last year the average waiting time for patients accessing an outpatient appointment is between 2-3 weeks from referral from a GP or optician. Patients who unfortunately have their hospital appointment rearranged are offered a new appointment immediately and a member of the clinical team reviews all patient health care records ensuring that patients are reappointed in a priority order. Patients who do not attend their appointments and fail to inform the hospital are highlighted to the consultant in charge of the patients care. The consultant then makes a clinical decision based on reading the patients health records on whether the patient should be offered a further appointment or if they should be discharged back to their GP. The Trust audits and performance manages patients DNA rates and hospital cancelation rates. When patients access the hospital Trust all patients are offered an appointment on the day the Trust receives the referral. GP priorities are inputted onto the Trust s computer system, ensuring all patients who have been referred as urgent are flagged up on the trusts database. All patients are either given an appointment card or a letter is posted to the patients address. Both the appointment cards and letters contain information for the patient on how to rearrange their appointment. Patients can either contact the Trust s call centre or complete an online form accessed through the Trust s web site and inform the Department if they require a change in their appointment. Patients are normally offered an alternative appointment either at the time or within 24 hours. A week before the patient s outpatient appointment, patients are contacted to check if they are still available to attend their appointment. During this call patients are offered a number of options if they are unavailable to attend the hospital for their outpatient appointment. 3. If you answered no to the previous question please specify why you do not comply with the action point(s) in the NPSA alert on preventing delay for follow-up appointments for patients with glaucoma? 4. What was the number of glaucoma / suspect glaucoma / ocular hypertension follow-up appointments seen in your Trust between? Page 3 of 5

4 a.) June 2008 June 2009 Unfortunately this information was not held b.) June 2009 June patients had a visual field assessment during this time. (This total is 95% of all patients who have had a visual field. It is estimated that 95% of patients who have a visual field are having this procedure because they are suspect or are diagnosed with glaucoma / ocular hypertension.) 5. How many glaucoma / suspect glaucoma / ocular hypertension patients are currently awaiting follow up, as of 04/09/2010? All patients are in receipt of a date for their follow up appointment. 6. How many patients with glaucoma / suspect glaucoma / ocular hypertension were not seen for a follow-up appointment within one month of their due between? a.) June 2008 June 2009 Unfortunately this information was not held b.) June 2009 June 2010 Unfortunately this information was not held 7. Does your Trust have any systems in place to reduce inappropriate glaucoma / suspect glaucoma / ocular hypertension referrals to secondary care (i.e. community optometry, community ophthalmology, GPwSI)? The Trust has recently in conjunction with the Primary Care Trust, set up a community based referral pathway with community opticians. The community opticians are asked to take 2 IOP readings, one of which have to be taken by a Goldman Tonometre, if the patients ocular pressure is above the national recommended limits they optician refers the patient to secondary care. This system was introduced on the 1 st October Future developments may include secondary care referring the patient back to the community optician for stable monitoring of ocular pressure. 8. How many glaucoma / suspect glaucoma / ocular hypertension patients did your Trust refer to a community specialist between? a.) 01/06/ /05/2009 Unfortunately this information was not held b.) 01/06/ /05/ patients discharged back to their GP and/or community optician who have had a visual field performed within the department and has been asked for the GP/optician to follow up with regular IOP s. Page 4 of 5

5 Other Comments 9. Please use the space below for any other comments you wish to make: THANK YOU Page 5 of 5