BRI receives boost of over £1 million in hospital equipment
Staff from Bradford Teaching Hospitals will celebrate Acute Medicine Awareness Day (AMAD) on Tuesday by highlighting the innovative changes that have taken place over the past year.
The creation of a new £750,000 Ambulatory Care Unit and a second £600,000 Acute Medical Unit (AMU) has meant that Bradford Royal Infirmary is now amongst the most cutting edge hospitals in the country.
Acute Medicine Consultant, Dr Jonathan Walker, said “AMAD aims to raise awareness of the work that goes on in our department and how it relates to the rest of the hospital.
“A new emergency and urgent care patient pathway was put into place last year with a complete service overhaul and revolutionary improvements to ensure people receive the right treatment as quickly as possible.
“The creation of our ambulatory care unit and our AMUs has seen big changes in the last 12 months in the way we work, and our patients are now seeing the benefits, for example those patients in our ambulatory care unit can now return home each evening with the option of returning the next day for further investigations if necessary. The average patient spends – at the most – around 72 hours on the unit.”
He continued: “Acute care sits right at the heart of our hospital and how it functions and cares for its patients. Through AMAD, we are aiming to raise awareness of what we do as well as encourage the right professionals into our speciality as it is an incredibly important and rewarding job.”
The co-located ambulatory care and acute medical units on Wards 1 and 4 have ensured that the Foundation Trust’s provision for acutely unwell patients is one of the largest in the country, both in size and patient numbers.
Together, the units act as the first port of call for many people following their admission from the hospital’s Emergency Department or via urgent GP referral, and it is here that the acute medical team diagnoses and manages complex medical and social issues, as well as providing on-going care.
Tomorrow, staff will host an all-day stand in the Bradford Royal infirmary’s main reception, where patients and visitors will get the opportunity to find out more about the work of the many different professions who contribute to the patient’s journey across the department.
Specialist Registrar in Acute Medicine and AMAD organiser, Adrian Kennedy, added: “Acute Medicine helps put the spotlight on the multi-disciplinary teamwork which goes on in the department as doctors, nurses, health care assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, porters, medical students, social workers and psychiatric liaison workers all play a vital role in the care and treatment of our patients.
“These fantastic partnerships aim to ensure people visiting the Bradford Royal Infirmary receive the best possible patient experience despite their circumstances, while allowing us to run an effective and efficient acute medical service.”
