Month: September 2011

Cash for cancer care with coffee and cake

Don’t forget the the Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning at East Cheshire Trust

On 30 September healthcare staff from the Cancer Resource Centre and the Orthopaedic Department at Macclesfield District General’s Hospital will be supporting Macmillan Cancer Support by hosting a cake sale in the Cancer Resource Centre and the Orthopadeic Department from 10.00am, in aid of the world’s biggest coffee morning.

News from NHS Networks: 23 Sept

The September edition of the National End of Life Care Programme newsletter is now available.    Read more »
 
Carrying out NICE recommended risk assessments among the elderly could limit the numbers who have falls, a review in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) suggests.              Read more »
 

Information Governance Toolkit training

Info Governance banner
If you want a quiet place to complete the IG Toolkit online training, you can book one of the Library computers.  The link to the toolkit is located in Favourites and staff will be on hand to assist if you have any queries with logging on.

If you completed the training last year, you would have been given a username and password – it will be advantageous but not essential if you can bring this information with you. For username or password queries please contact the IG Team on 01625 663813/ 661625 or email them on ecn-tr.InfoGov@nhs.net

Pre-booking is advised: Telephone 01625 66 1362 to book a space and avoid disappointment.

Cancer tumours change hormonal status throughout disease

New research has found that breast cancer tumours change their hormonal status throughout the course of disease, whereas the decision about the most effective treatment for the patient is usually only based on one biopsy of the primary tumour.

For some patients, biopsy verifications of any relapse will be very important because it may completely change their clinical management, a Swedish researcher will tell the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress today (Monday 26 September).

Continue reading →

Loughran, CF and Keeling, CA : British Journal of Radiology (2011)

This review article was published in British Journal of Radiology (2011) 84, 869-874

Seeding of tumour cells following breast biopsy: a literature review

Needle biopsy of the breast is widely practised. Image guidance ensures a high degree of accuracy. However, sporadic cases of disease recurrence suggest that in some cases the procedure itself may contribute to this complication. This article reviews evidence relating to needle biopsy of the breast and the potential for tumour cell migration into adjacent tissues following the procedure. A literature search was undertaken using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library.

Full text available at: http://bjr.birjournals.org/cgi/reprint/84/1006/869

Updated chemotherapy standards will inform new transferable roles

Courtesy of Skills for Health

Following joint working with the National Cancer Action Team (England) and input from UK practitioners, the revised National Occupational Standards (NOS) for chemotherapy and chemotherapy-related pharmacy have been approved by UKCES and the UK NOS Panel. The new standards will shape the development of new transferable roles for chemotherapy practitioners. For guidance on how NOS can be used to enhance service provision, please visit the Skills for Health website.

Setting standards for infection prevention and control

Courtesy of  Skills for Health

Staff involved in infection prevention and control (IPC) are encouraged to share their views on the current National Occupational Standards (NOS) throughout September and October. The associated knowledge and skills are vital to ensure high quality patient care and safety for all within the health sector. The updated NOS will inform future education and training development. Find out more about the consultation from our website.

Selvan D., Harle D., Fischer J: Acta Orthopaedica Belgica February 2011

Title: Beware of finger tourniquets: a case report and update by the National Patient Safety Agency

Citation: Acta Orthopaedica Belgica, February 2011, vol./is. 77/1(15-17), 0001-6462 (Feb 2011)

Abstract: Finger tourniquets have been used in finger surgery for a long time to provide a bloodless field while operating on digits. Many different techniques have been described for a ‘safe and reliable’ finger tourniquet including Penrose drains, coloured rubber gloves and gloves with haemostat. The potential injury that can be caused by leaving the tourniquet in situ for longer than is necessary is devastating to the patient. Although there have been many articles describing a safe tourniquet technique, vigilance needs to be maintained by the operating surgeon to remove the tourniquet. We are presenting a case of retained finger tourniquet to highlight this problem and highlight the rapid response report published by the National Patient Safety Agency in December 2009.

Source: EMBASE

Recommended elearning resource: The Open Dementia Programme

Created in 2009, the Open Dementia e-Learning Programme is for anyone who comes into contact with someone with dementia and provides a general introduction to the disease and the experience of living with dementia. This programme is suitable for a wide audience and to make learning as enjoyable as possible and so allows users to fully interact with the content and includes video, audio and graphics to make the content come alive. In particular the programme includes a considerable amount of new video footage shot by both the Alzheimer’s Society and SCIE where people with dementia and their carers share their views and feelings on camera.

Sections include:

  • What it is and what it isn’t
  • Living with dementia
  • What causes dementia
  • Diagnosis and who can help
  • Common difficulties and how to help
  • The emotional impact
  • Positive communication

PLUS there is a wealth of useful information available at The Dementia Gateway

NHS Evidence resources: Bone Cancer Research Trust

NHS Evidence logoExtract from NHS Evidence: Sept 2011

Users of NHS Evidence can now gain access to patient information from the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT), a national organisation which aims to improve outcomes for people with primary bone cancer through research, awareness, information and support. 

BCRT has produced information guides on two bone cancers, osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma. The comprehensive guides include overviews of the conditions, causes, symptoms, survival rates and diagnosis techniques.

All of BCRT’s information is reviewed annually to ensure it is still current and accurate. The organisation monitors scientific and medical literature and revises and amends information immediately if there are changes in national guidelines, treatments or other significant changes in evidence.

All patient information available through NHS Evidence has been accredited under the Department of Health’s Information Standard.