Empowering community nurses and GP practices across Hywel Dda to improve early recognition and treatment of sepsis | Grymuso nyrsys cymunedol a meddygfeydd ar draws Hywel Dda i adnabod a thrin sepsis yn gynt

To mark World Sepsis Day (which was Friday 13 September 2019), Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) has launched the National Early Warning Score (NEWS) tool for use in the community and GP practices to improve early recognition and treatment of sepsis.

Sepsis is a life threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. It can be caused by something as simple as a cut or an insect bite, or an infection like pneumonia. It is also a risk following surgery, or for women who have just given birth.

NHS Wales became the first healthcare system in the world to implement the NEWS tool as the standard in all hospitals in 2012 but it has not been used by community nurses and GP practices until now.

NEWS enables clinicians and nurses to calculate a patient’s physical condition is at risk of deteriorating in a standardised and universally understood way.

Starting with Tenby Surgery and the Pembrokeshire District Nursing Team, the use of NEWS will be rolled out by Hywel Dda UHB across all district nursing teams and GP practices in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire over the next 18 months.

Mandy Rayani, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience at Hywel Dda UHB said: “In 2015 a Just Say Sepsis report identified that more than 70% of sepsis starts in the community.

“Now our district nursing teams and staff in GP practices across Hywel Dda will be able to use the universally recognised NEWS tool to identify sepsis early, treat it sooner and improve patient outcomes.”

Eve Lightfoot, former district nurse and now Trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care at Ashgrove Surgery in Llanelli, was named Royal College of Nursing in Wales Nurse of the Year 2018 for her tireless work at a local and national level, supported by colleagues and the 1000 Lives RRAILS team, to develop the training and the tools to identify sepsis that are now being used in the community.

Eve said: “This journey started almost seven years ago when I began working as a community nurse. I had previously been employed as a junior sister in A&E, so was used to assessing unwell patients using the NEWS tool.

“It was apparent to me straight away that NEWS observations were not performed in the community and staff did not receive sepsis education training or have the equipment to carry out a full set of observations.

“The role of the district nurse is evolving, with much more complex care now being provided. We must empower nurses with the right tools, equipment and knowledge.

“Sepsis recognition and NEWS have now been added to the community nurse’s annual education update and is delivered by the resus department across the health board which is fantastic.”

This project is a part of the Health Board’s Quality and Improvement Collaborative. For more information about sepsis please visit www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/b/article/sepsis

Grymuso nyrsys cymunedol a meddygfeydd ar draws Hywel Dda i adnabod a thrin sepsis yn gynt

I nodi Diwrnod Sepsis y Byd (Gwener 13 Medi 2019), mae Bwrdd Iechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda (UHB) wedi lansio dull Sgoriau Rhybudd Cynnar Cenedlaethol (NEWS) i’w ddefnyddio yn y gymuned ac mewn meddygfeydd er mwyn adnabod a thrin sepsis yn gynt.

Mae sepsis yn gyflwr sy’n bygwth bywyd sy’n digwydd pan mae ymateb y corff i haint yn niweidio ei feinweoedd ac organnau ei hun. Gall rhywbeth mor syml â mân friw neu frathiad pryfed neu haint fel niwmonia ei achosi. Mae’n risg hefyd yn dilyn llawdriniaeth, neu i fenyw sydd newydd eni babi.

Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol Cymru oedd y system gofal iechyd cyntaf yn y byd i weithredu dull NEWS fel y safon ym mhob ysbyty yn 2012, ond nid yw wedi’i ddefnyddio gan nyrsys cymunedol a meddygfeydd tan nawr.

Mae NEWS yn galluogi clinigwyr a nyrsys i gyfrifo cyflwr corfforol claf sydd mewn perygl o waethygu mewn modd safonol a ddeellir ledled y byd.

Gan ddechrau ym Meddygfa Dinbych-y-pysgod a’r Tîm Nyrsys Ardal, bydd NEWS yn cael ei ledaeni ar draws BIP Hywel Dda i bob tîm nyrsio ardal a meddygfa yn y Sir Gaerfyrddin, Ceredigion a Sir Benfro dros y 18 mis nesaf.

Meddai Mandy Rayani, Cyfarwyddwr Nyrsio, Ansawdd a Phrofiad Y Claf BIP Hywel Dda: “Yn 2015 nodwyd yn adroddiad Just Say Sepsis bod dros 70% o sepsis yn dechrau yn y gymuned.

“Bydd ein timau nyrsys ardal a staff meddygfeydd ar draws Hywel Dda yn medru defnyddio dull NEWS i adnabod sepsis yn gynnar, ei drin yn gynt a gwella canlyniadau cleifion.”

Cafodd Eve Lightfoot, nyrs ardal gynt sydd bellach yn Uwch-ymarferydd Nyrsio dan Hyfforddiant mewn Gofal Sylfaenol ym Meddygfa Ashgrove, Llanelli, ei henwi yn Nyrs y Flwyddyn 2018 y Coleg Nyrsio Brenhinol am ei gwaith ar lefel lleol a chenedlaethol i ddatblygu – gyda chefnogaeth cydweithwyr a thîm BRAILS 1000 o Fywydau – hyfforddiant a dulliau sydd bellach yn cael eu gweithredu yn y gymuned.

Meddai Eve: “Dechreuodd y siwrnai hon bron saith mlynedd yn ôl pan wnes ddechrau gweithio fel nyrs gymunedol. Cyn hynny, roeddwn yn brif-nyrs iau mewn uned frys, felly roeddwn wedi arfer asesu cleifion sâl gan ddefnyddio dull NEWS.

“Roedd yn amlwg i mi yn syth nad oedd arsylwadau NEWS yn cael eu cynnal yn y gymuned, nad oedd staff yn cael hyfforddiant addysgiadol ar sepsis a nad oedd ganddynt yr offer i allu cynnal set cyflawn o arsylwadau.

“Mae rôl y nyrs ardal yn esblygu, gyda gofal llawer mwy cymhleth yn cael ei ddarparu. Rhaid i ni rymuso nyrsys â’r wybodaeth, y dulliau a’r offer cywir.

“Mae adnabod sepsis a NEWS bellach wedi’u hychwanegu at ddiweddariad addysg blynyddol nyrsys cymunedol sy’n cael ei ddarparu gan yr adran dadebru ar draws y bwrdd iechyd. Mae hyn yn wych o beth.”

Mae’r prosiect hwn yn rhan o Grŵp Cydweithredol Ansawdd a Gwella y Bwrdd Iechyd. Am fwy o wybodaeth, trowch at www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/b/article/sepsis