Ground breaking nurse-led lung cancer project.
A recent independent evaluation of Liverpool’s Healthy Lung programme, undertaken by Queen Mary University of London and the University of Liverpool, found that this nurse-led programme is improving early detection of lung cancer and undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Liverpool’s healthy lung programme was launched in April 2016 by NHS Liverpool clinical commissioning group (CCG), working in partnership with local hospitals, NHS England, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support as part of the national ACE programme, with the aim of finding and treating as many cases of lung cancer and COPD as possible, and as early as possible.
Raising awareness to reduce the burden of COPD.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of death in the UK and worldwide. Although public awareness has increased over the last 20 years, many people have still not heard of it or know about the symptoms and disability it causes. World COPD day was established by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to raise awareness of the condition.
Why reading can support patients' health and wellbeing.
The number of people in the UK living with long-term health conditions is rising, increasing the pressure on primary care services and staff as well as impacting on the quality of life of those affected. Primary care professionals, such as general practice nurses (GPNs), are responsible for a huge amount of the day-to-day care and management planning for these patients. Providing quality-assured information and support is an important part of this role, as is helping people to develop the right skills and knowledge to support self-care and self-management.
National charity, The Reading Agency, works in partnership with public libraries to provide Reading Well Books on Prescription, i.e. carefully curated book lists of qualityassured health information and support, to help people to understand and manage a range of health conditions. This includes a new strand, launched in July 2017, which supports those living with long-term conditions, such as arthritis, bowel conditions, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Why NICE quality standards should be applied in practice.
Here, Nick Baillie, describes what quality standards are and who they are for, as well as how to get involved in their development.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) was established in 1999 and initially produced guidance, including technology appraisals and clinical guidelines for the NHS. Since this time, NICE has been asked to develop a range of other types of guidance, run different programmes of work, and support the implementation and use of its products. The scope of NICE has also been extended to cover the public health and social care sectors. Among all these developments, the NICE quality standards programme was established in 2009.
Product snapshot: NEW TWO-TONE COMPRESSION GARMENTS
medi’s World of Compression is now launching three fashion elements for mediven 550 flat-knit leg garments and toe caps in the UK. The new colours and patterns offer patients with oedema nine possible combinations. The fashion elements have already been distinguished with the iF Award in the 'Product Design' category, as well as the 2017 Red Dot Design Award.
Continuous maintenance therapy with medical compression garments can increase patients' quality of life. medi’s World of Compression healthcare concepts stand for product quality, reliable indication-adapted patient management solutions and a stylish look. These fashion elements in the treatment of oedema are now available for the first time ever. This helps to motivate patients even more to persevere with their maintenance therapy and thus achieve success.
With wound and skin care taking up a considerable part of general practice nursing time, the GPN 'nurse consultation' series follows the therapy chain for the management of patients with venous leg ulcers and looks at the skills needed to ensure safe, competent and professional consultations with patients.
Here, Helen Butterfield, leg ulcer/dermatology specialist nurse, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, looks at the third link, i.e. preventing the recurrence of venous leg ulcers and the importance of lifelong compression therapy to prevent wound breakdown, and the role that patient choice and self-care can play.
Long-term conditions: compression therapy and venous leg ulceration.
Compression therapy is the recommended treatment for the prevention and management of venous leg ulceration and lymphatic insufficiency (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network [SIGN], 2010; Harding et al, 2015; Wounds UK, 2016). Various methods of delivering compression are used in the UK, including bandaging, hosiery and Velcro® wraps. Selecting the correct device can be challenging for clinicians. This article explores the different compression systems available to help general practice nurses (GPNs) make appropriate choices for their patients, i.e. an option which is acceptable to the patient and can be applied safely and proficiently.
Long-term conditions: skin care
Skin conditions are commonly seen by nurses in primary care. Not only do they have a significant impact on patient health and quality of life, they also have implications for healthcare resources, requiring long-term regular treatment. This article provides an overview of the anatomy and physiology of healthy skin, as well as outlining its primary functions. Managing common skin conditions such as psoriasis and atopic eczema is also discussed, alongside the various preparations that can help general practice nurses (GPNs) to maintain the patient’s skin integrity. A guide to the use of skin care treatments such as emollients, with particular emphasis on quantities and application technique, is also given.
Health promotion: influenza vaccination
Seasonal influenza places a substantial burden on the elderly population, with approximately 90% of UK influenzarelated deaths occurring in adults aged 65 years and over. Vaccination remains the best way of preventing influenza disease and it is particularly important for this age group. However, the seasonal influenza vaccines currently available in the UK confer suboptimal levels of immunogenicity and efficacy in adults aged 65 years and above, primarily due to immunosenescence, i.e. weakening of the immune system, which occurs with age. There is a clear need for more effective vaccines that induce stronger immune responses and provide higher rates of protection in the elderly. This paper addresses the issues around seasonal influenza vaccination in older adults, and provides best practice points for the general practice nursing community in managing the unique needs of elderly individuals.
Welcome to GPN’s ‘insight’ learning zone feature. By reading the article in each issue, you can learn about key principles of subjects that are vital to your role as a general practice nurse. Having read the article, evaluate your knowledge on this topic by answering the 10 questions in the e-learning unit; all answers can be found in the article. If you answer the questions correctly, you can download your certificate which can be used in your continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio as evidence of continued learning and contribute to your revalidation portfolio.
