PDU Standard 2
Evidence Based Practice.
Click here for Edge Hill University 'Practice Development Unit' accreditation standards.
Click here for Standard 2 Plan
2.1 All professional groups are encouraged and supported to question ritualistic practice.
(a) (i) The Trust has held a number of training sessions for staff on changing practice and finding more effective ways of working. Click on the link for
(i)Training day programme
(ii) Training day outcomes
2.2 The quality and effectiveness of care are audited and evaluated.
The Head and Neck PDU is highly actiive in audit and service evaluation: To access information regarding the overall audit activity and its outcomes:
Click here for MFU audit activity and outcomes from 2006 to present
Click here for ENT / Audiology audit activity and outcomes from 2006 to present
The Head and Neck Practice Developement Unit has a number of regular Audit Meetings where patient care and service is discussed. Click on the links below for evidence of such meetings.
2010 Audit Day Planner
2011 Audit Day Planner
2012 Audit Day Planner
Click here for an MFU audit day Agenda and previous meeting minutes from January 2012 - This document also has information relating to audits carried out against National NICE guidelines on Wisdom Teetth.
Click here for an MFU audit day Agenda and previous meeting minutes from September 2011 - This document also has information relating to audits carried out against National NICE guidelines on Wisdom Teetth.
Following the development of the Trusts 'Tracheostomy Guidelines' the PDU Airways group carried out a pilot audit on compliance:
Click here for the Tracheostomy guideline | Click here for first tracheostomy audit 2011
The Head and Neck PDU published through the Clinical Governance department a guideline for microvascular flap monitoring.
Click here for the Aintree Microvascular Flap Monitoring Guideline
In order to assess the possible effects associated with changes in flap monitoring practice, the change has been audited twice
Click here for flap monitoring re-audit presentation.
Infection control issues are always an area of high concern and monitored extremely closely at Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The Infection Control team, Nursing management and all health care professionals in the Trust are commited to ensuring best infection control practice. This commitment is reflected in the level of weekly and monthly clinically based audits:
Another example is this power point presentation on MRSA in the clinical area by Zoe Greenwood in 2011. This presentation looks at previous studies into MRSA prevalence in MFU at Aintree and how we are performing following changes in practice.
2.3 National and local guidelines are in use, regularly evaluated and updated.
The H&N PDU adheres to and is instrumental in developing a number of local and national guidelines. The National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence have set out two main guidelines that are used in the Head and Neck field:
Click here for NICE guidelines on Wisdom Tooth removal
The NICE guidelines for Wisdom Tooth removal are reviewed and audited regularly - Click here for an example of this from November 2011 and its discussion at the MFU monthly audit meeting - Click here for the Audit presentation by MFU SHO Nosa Uwadiae:
Click here for an audit meeting agenda highlighting Mr G McElligot's audit on NICE compliance with regard to wisdom teeth from July 2011
Click here for Mr McElligot's Presentation:
Click here for NICE guidelines on Tonsillectomy procedure.
Click here for a poster put together by Mr Eslam Osman ENT Consultant Surgeon:The aim of this audit is to assess the Day Case Surgery tonsillectomy procedures provided at University Hospital Aintree (UHA) in line with the National Prospective Tonsillectomy Audit by the Royal College of Surgeons, England 2007.
The British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists, the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, The British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons, The British Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons and ENT UK - have collaborated on a large document on the management of head and neck cancer. This consensus guideline is very much a national approach, however a large number of H&NPDU professionals have been involved in its development and realisation.
Click here for the ENT UK BAOMS Head and Neck Cancer Consensus Guideline.
On a more local level the H&N PDU is involved in the development and realisation of a number of clinical guidelines
Click here for Post Tonsillectomy TOLR Haemorrhage guideline.
Click here for Airway Emergencies guideline
The majority of the locally produced guidelines used in the H&N PDU are available on the Trust's internal 'Intranet'. Click here for a table highlighting the locally produced guidelines - the lead / responsible clinician and their dates for review.
Mr Michael Ho has done a great deal of work on microvascular flap monitoring and salvage with links to local and national guidelines and best practice. He presented a seminar on the subject in 2011.
Click here for Mr Ho's Lunchtime Seminar on flap monitoring.
2.4 Collaborative health care records, which adhere to legal and professional guidelines, are utilised within the Unit.
This standard and its criteria wil be assessed on the day of the PDU accreditation visit by representatives from Edge Hill University.
2.5 Clinical standards benchmarked against other local, regional or national comparable units.
(a)
(i) The Dr Foster software has given us these results of how Aintree Head and Neck Unit performs statistically in a number of areas against other national units Click Herefor the benchmarking document.
(ii) THe H&N PDU recently had a planned visit from health professionals at Tayside in Scotland Click here for information on the visit from the All About Aintree magazine. Click here for the visit plan.
As a part of their visit a benchmarking document was discussed and subsequently formulated identifying key areas of best practice: Click here to see the benchmarking tool.
(iii) The 6th annual head and neck cancer audit report by the NHS Information centre in conjunction with the British Association of Head and Neck Oncologists can be accessed by clicking here: This document highlights how the Head and Neck unit at Aintree performs compared to all units nationally with regard to referral, MDT planning, treatment etc.
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