Pages
Two major health and care recruitment events in March
https://dchs.nhs.uk/news/two-major-health-and-care-recruitment-events-march
National Inclusion Week 2022
https://dchs.nhs.uk/my_dchs/show-me/staff-news-my-download/national-inclusion-week-2022
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
https://dchs.nhs.uk/news/op-courage-veterans-mental-health-and-wellbeing-service
Early Christmas present arrives at Walton Hospital
https://dchs.nhs.uk/news/early-christmas-present-arrives-walton-hospital
Breastfeeding events hosted to support families in Derbyshire
https://dchs.nhs.uk/news/breastfeeding-events-hosted-support-families-derbyshire
Files
Disclosure Ref 2025234 - Equality impact assessment for vegans .doc
Freedom of information disclosure relating to equality impact assessment for vegans
Hybrid Working and Mobile Devices Policy
DCHS Hybrid Working and Mobile Devices Policy The aim of this policy is to protect DCHS information that is processed remotely or is stored on mobile devices from loss or unwanted exposure, and to minimise the risk of theft of mobile working devices.
Uniform and Dress Code Policy (P3)
Staff working within Derbyshire Community Health Services (DCHS) NHS Foundation Trust are required to adhere to a safe, hygienic and appropriate uniform and dress code policy. Therefore the purpose of this policy is to clarify the standards that staff are required to comply with. DCHS recognises the importance of appearance and attire in providing a professional image when working with clients and representing the Trust. All staff working clinically or visiting a clinical area have a responsibility for safeguarding patients in respect of reducing hospital acquired infections, therefore all clinical staff should adhere to the best practice guidelines as set by the Department of Health’s Best Practice Guidelines found in Uniforms and Work Wear DOH March 2010, An Evidence Base for Developing a Local Policy (DH)
SOP for the supply or issue of Steroid Emergency Cards (S87)
Identify / supply to patients who require a Steroid Emergency card in the Community Hospitals setting, Urgent Treatment Centres, Podiatric Surgery, Integrated Community teams and specialist services such as Respiratory teams and Physiotherapy if a new Steroid Emergency card is needed or a Steroid Emergency Card has been lost
Medicine Code (S2)
This Code defines the roles and responsibilities of all health care professionals and ancillary staff involved in the ordering, storage, distribution, prescribing, dispensing and administration of medicines within DCHS. This Medicines Code extends the previous Medicines Codes and reviews them in light of current legislation and guidelines.
Safe Use of Bed Rails and Bed Area Equipment Within Inpatient Areas Policy (P22)
Some people in hospital may be at risk of falling from bed for many reasons including poor mobility, cognitive impairment, e.g. dementia, brain damage, visual impairment, and the effects of their treatment or medication. The National Audit of Inpatient Falls 2015 reported that twenty two per cent of patients who fall in hospital do so from their bed. The use of bed rails can be challenging. This is because bed rails are not appropriate for all patients and can create a barrier to independence that can create a greater risk of falls to mobile but confused patients who may attempt to climb over the rails. However a review of literature indicates that falls from beds with bed rails are usually associated with lower rates of injury (NRSL 2015). Bed rails and other pieces of bed equipment are not appropriate for all people, and using bedrails, bed levers etc. involves risks. National data suggests around 1,250 people injure themselves on bed rails each year. This is usually scrapes and bruises to their lower legs. Based on reports to the MHRA and the HSE, deaths from bed rail entrapment could probably have been avoided if MHRA advice had been followed. Staff should continue to take great care to avoid bed rail entrapment, but need to be aware that in hospital settings there is a greater risk of harm to people falling from beds.
Learning from Death’s Policy (P72)
This policy confirms the process to ensure a multi-disciplinary, consistent and coordinated approach for the review of deaths that occur in all DCHS in-patient and community team caseloads. The aim of the learning from deaths process is to identify any areas of practice both specific to the individual case and beyond that could potentially be improved, based upon peer group review. Areas of good practice are also identified and supported. To describe in detail the three-stage mortality review process within the Trust, detailing how reviews should be completed, by whom and when to ensure that learning from deaths is made a Trust priority and leads to developments and improvements in patient care.
DCHS_Supervision online record system User Guide V2
DCHS Clinical supervision (reflection on practice) online system guide; includes information on how to access the site, navigate, and record supervision sessions.
Recognition of the Deteriorating Child Policy (P93)
The aim of this policy is to set the minimum standard and frequency for monitoring and recording Child patients’ vital signs in their own home, Urgent Treatment Centres and Outpatient Podiatric Surgery. The mismanagement of deterioration is a common area of systemic failure in avoidable patient death across the NHS and poor communication is a leading cause of adverse events in healthcare. The Paediatric Observation Priority Score (POPS) offers a common language to describe and communicate a child’s acute illness severity by all healthcare professionals in all settings and is central to establishing a national pathway for improving the management of deterioration and sepsis.
Requesting and Managing Pathology Results within DCHS Community Hospital Wards SOP (S98)
The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to outline the steps required to effectively manage the requesting, receiving, filing and actioning of all pathology results by either an electronic process or by a relevant paper-based system. Utilising an electronic system (such as ICE) enables pathology requests to be requested, reviewed and actioned electronically via the electronic patient record within TPP SystmOne. There are an estimated 1.12 billion pathology tests undertaken each year in England (NHS England, 2020) It is imperative a record of all pathology samples is accurately maintained to avoid patient harm and improve patient outcomes (WHO, 2021). The Care Quality Commission (2021) inspects the management of test results to ensure processes are robust, practice is safe and care is effective.