Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Dear Colleagues
Welcome to our first NoECCN newsletter, for all staff working in critical care and outreach services.
The aim of the newsletter is to share information about what is happening across the different services
within Network and also to provide you with news on national and regional issues in Critical Care. We
are very happy to publish information about best practice or other interesting developments that are
happening within your unit / teams. Please get in touch if you have anything you would like us to include
in future issues.
So, for our first issue we thought we would tell you about us. For those of you not familiar with the
NoECCN, we were established in July 2009 as a result of the merger of two previously successful and
well established clinical networks; North East & Cumbria and Tees Valley & South Durham. Paediatric
Critical Care was incorporated in July 2012. NoECCN is now an established high performing Operational
Delivery Network (ODN).
So what is an Operational Delivery Network (ODN)? ODNs are NHS England sponsored, regionally
funded advisory bodies, focussed on coordinating patient pathways between providers over a wide
area, to ensure equity of access to specialist resources and expertise. Provider clinicians dominate their
membership, working closely with patients and other key stakeholders. NoECCN facilitates critical care
service delivery across the Cumbria and North East (CNE) region, promoting collaborative working to
achieve high quality critical care services. This is accomplished through the commitment of the clinical
and management teams from all the CNE constituent critical care services. There is a small Network core
team employed full-time to enable and guide this work. Mr Alan Foster MBE, Lead for the CNE
Integrated Care System (ICS) provides Chairmanship and Northumbria Healthcare hosts the Network.
There is importantly funded sessional commitment from three Medical Leads; two from Adult Critical
Care representing the North East and Cumbria and Tees Valley and South Durham Localities and a third
representing Paediatric Critical Care, providing clinical guidance and expertise.
The Paediatric arm of the ODN also includes NECTAR (North East Children’s Transport and Retrieval)
service which is hosted at Newcastle Hospitals NHS FT. NECTAR ensures that critically ill children (from
birth to 18 years of age) are transported rapidly by an expert team to the appropriate Paediatric Critical
Care environment. The Lead Nurse for NECTAR also works one day a week for the Network.
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Alan Foster MBE Lesley Durham Julie Platten
Chair. Lead of Integrated Care System (ICS)
Director and Lead Nurse
(NE & C Locality)
Manager & Lead Nurse
Adult (TV & SD Locality)
David Cressey Isabel Gonzalez Susan Jackson
Medical Lead Adult
(NE & C Locality)
Medical Lead
Adult (TV & SD Locality)
Medical Lead (Paediatrics)
Lynda Pittilla Sarah Gray Jan Malone
Lead Nurse (Paediatrics)
Administrator (TV & SD Locality)
Administrator (NE & C Locality)
The Network is made up of 10 Acute Foundation Trusts, including NEAS; 13 Hospitals and 17 adult
critical care units which include specialised units for neuro-trauma and cardiothoracic along with three
paediatric critical care units.
Cumberland Infirmary West Cumberland Hospital Freeman Hospital Wards 21 (Cardio), 37 & Paediatric (Cardio) Royal Victoria Infirmary Wards 18 (Neuro), 38 & Paediatric (GNCH) Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital South Tyneside District Hospital Sunderland Royal Hospital Queen Elizabeth Hospital University Hospital North Durham Darlington Memorial Hospital University of North Tees James Cook University Hospital GICU, Cardio & Paediatric Northallerton Friarage Hospital
Adult critical care beds = 259 (50:50) L2 & 3 Paediatric critical care beds = 29
Royal Victoria Infirmary and James Cook University Hospital are Major Trauma Centres.
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
The Adult Critical Care Service specification (D05) states that “all units should be engaged with their local Adult Critical Care ODN”.
To enable engagement the Network has a number of clinical forums and working groups and all units are invited
to have representation at each of these meetings.
Details can be found on the website www.noeccn.org.uk
Provides overall strategic direction for the development of Adult and Paediatric Critical Care services across the Network in line with current
National guidance.
Executive members who have authority to make decisions for on behalf of their organisation.
The Networks forum for senior Nurses, Doctors and AHPs. Agrees guidance, working practices and projects across the Network. Promotes and shares best practice
Clinical Leads, Consultants, Lead Nurses, Matrons,
AHPs, Pharmacists, Trainees, Managers
Development and implementation of a rehabilitation pathway. Shares best practice. Development of patient
and relative support groups (ICU Steps)
Consultants, Matrons, Staff Nurses, Physiotherapists, HCA’s
Provides support to enable accurate data collection. Monitors quality indicators using Network ICNARC
report.
Staff involved in data collection, Admin Staff, Research Nurses, Data Collection Clerks, Consultants
A forum to discuss pharmaceutical issues in critical care, promoting standardisation of infusions.
Provides an opportunity for group clinical supervision
Critical Care Pharmacists
Implementation of National Competency framework
for Registered Nurses in Adult Critical Care, shares resources and best practice. Provides educational
mentorship support
Nurse Educators, Senior Nurses, Staff Nurses, University Lecturers
To facilitate cross organisational communication and sharing of experiences and clinical approaches in the
management of the deteriorating and recovering patient.
Outreach Staff, Consultants, Physiotherapists
To support the development of end of life guidance in
critical care using the best available evidence, facilitating the sharing of best practice across
organisations.
Anyone interested in improving end of life care for patients and their relatives
Promotes and maintains Network standards to ensure safe and efficient patient transfer. Standardisation of
transfer processes and equipment. Shares best practice.
Consultants, Trainees, Senior Nurses, Staff Nurses
Comparing clinical practice across the Network, sharing best practice and developing guidelines to promote
standardisation
Anyone interested in improving standards of care
Joint Clinical Forum (JCF)
Benchmarking Group
Rehabilitation after Critical Illness (RaCI)
Critical Care Information Group (CCIG)
Pharmacy Group
Outreach Group
End of Life
Stakeholder Board
Education Group
Transfer Group
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Facilitates the development and delivery of high quality, evidence based, clinically effective services and
coordinated patient pathways based on local and national guidance and needs within paediatric critical
care and transport services.
Paediatric Medical Leads, Nurse Leads, NECTAR and Specialised Commissioners.
Stand-alone projects to improve the service and improve quality of care for patients and staff.
Reduce the incidence of Pressure Damage
Improve quality of Mouthcare
Procurement Group
Develop an Adult Transfer & Retrieval Service
For further information on any of these groups please contact a member of the team
or via the website
www.noeccn.org.uk
Lesley Durham – [email protected]
Julie Platten - [email protected]
Sarah Gray – [email protected]
Jan Malone – [email protected]
Sarah Gray Network Administrator North of England Critical Care Network Adult & Paediatric ODN Hosted: University Hospital of North Tees 2nd Floor, Everley House Hardwick Road, Stockton, TS19 8PE Tel: 01642 624328 Mobile: 07765253098
Jan Malone Network Administrator North of England Critical Care Network Adult & Paediatric ODN Hosted: Emergency Care Centre Room G318 North Tyneside General Hospital Rake Lane, North Shields, Tyne & Wear NE29 8NH Tel: 0191 2934189 Mobile: 07827978559
Paediatric Critical Care Clinical Advisory Group
Service Improvement Projects
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Training Events
Dates and registration are available on the website www.noeccn.org.uk
Patient Transfer
Personal Development
Train the Trainers (TtT)
A one day training course
delivering theoretical
knowledge and practical
aspects of delivering the T4T in
NoECCN. Standardising course
delivery and creation of a pool
of trained clinicians able to set
up and run the T4T course
NECTAR Stabilisation
Days
MDT training in stabilisation of the sick child before transfer.
Further information and
registration is via Lyn Scott. [email protected]
Training for Transfer (T4T)
An interactive one day training
course comprising of lectures,
workshops and scenario based
teaching. Aimed at ACCS Year
2 and ST1 Anaesthesia
Trainees plus ICCU/A&E
Nurses
Senior Staff Nurse
Development Programme
The aim of the programme is to
develop leadership and
managerial skills and awareness
as part of a career progression.
The programme is an interactive
fun filled day followed by a half
day poster presentation where
participants present their service
improvement project
National Adult Critical
Care Nurse Competencies
Supervisor Update
This half day study event
concentrates on the navigation of
the National Adult Critical Care
Competency Framework, providing
standardisation of assessment
across the Network.
Critical Care Outreach
Course
The Critical Care Outreach
Course© (CCOrC© ) is a part
time practice-focused, work-
based educational framework
and competency package
designed to equip Critical Care
Outreach practitioners to meet
the needs of acutely and
critically ill patients outside of
designated critical care areas
and is designed to be
transferrable across the NoECCN.
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Quality Assurance
Peer Review
Strategic Resilience & Capacity Management
The following NoECCN documents can be found at www.noeccn.org.uk
Adult Critical Care Escalation Framework
Paediatric Critical Care Escalation Framework
Ethical Framework for Utilisation of Critical Care in response to Exceptional Demand
Guidelines for Escalation of Ebola Virus Disease
Directory of Services (DoS)
NoECCN offers ALL units and providers of Adult Critical Care within the
Network the opportunity to participate in the ‘Peer Review’ cycle.
These occur approximately once every 3 – 5 years; the review itself is
usually conducted within a single day and has the full support of all
CEO’s. They are conducted with the aim of providing quality assurance
across the Network, but more importantly to provide help and support
for critical care units to achieve their aspirations and improve patient
care. The reviews are undertaken by the Network Director, Manager
and a Network medical lead or a senior critical care clinician. They
follow a structured format that review unit data and address a number
of issues including clinical care, organisational factors and staffing
considerations and the units undertake a self-assessment against a
coalesce of evidence based published standards
NEAS ring every Adult unit 4 times a day for an update on bed
availability and transfers (this used to be Norman from NICBIS
for those of you who can remember that far back).
It is important that information given to NEAS is correct as
NoECCN monitor bed pressures and increases in transfers
which are early indicators of pressures within the system.
Units can also update their bed information on DoS after
every admission/discharge. If you have not accessed the
system within 3 months your account is automatically
deleted. In the (draft) D05 Service Specification units will be
expected to update DoS twice daily. NECTAR provide the
same service for Paediatric Critical Care.
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
Annual Network Conference
Due to the success and growing attendance to the conference we had to find an alternative venue for
the conference so this year we held our conference at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland.
2018 WINNERS!!! - The Innovation Award
This was awarded to
Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital (NSECH) for their
“Critical Care Team Away Days”
Please submit your great work and join us next year
Tuesday 15th October, 2019.
Following the amalgamation and relocation of critical care services to NSECH,
there was an increase in staff leaving critical care and morale was noted as being
low. Dr Karen Connelly, Matron Debbie Whiteman and other members of the
senior team recognised this and wanted to provide staff with a team building
opportunity and take staff out of their usual working environment. To enable all
staff to attend two days were organised, both attended by the senior clinical
team. A motivational speaker was booked for the morning which helped staff
understand more about each other and in particular, provided insight into real
or perceived behaviours. In the afternoon team games were played on the
beach which served as a great mechanism to get to know each other and work
together as smaller teams in different ways.
The ‘away days’ were deemed as a great success by all who attended and has
helped to bring the wider team together. They achieved the aim of gaining a
greater understanding of each and every team member and their characteristics
and strengths. All agree that this has undoubtedly improved morale, with the net
effect of continuing to deliver great care to patients, relatives and each other.
WINNERS!! - Special Recognition Award
This was awarded to Malcolm Woods and Team at
NEASUS. This was for their continued support in the
maintenance of the critical care transfer trolleys.
WINNERS!!! – Poster Award
This was awarded to “Acute Intervention Team Reduces Cardiac Arrests.”
Lisa Ward and Team
Early Detection & Resuscitation Lead Nurse CCD&D FT
Visit our website (free to join) www.noeccn.org.uk NoECCN December 2018 No: 1
ICU Steps Support Groups
ICUsteps (www.icusteps.org) is a registered charity and was founded by former intensive care patients,
relatives and health professionals. The North of England Critical Care Network has been working
alongside the Critical Care Units within the region to set up ex-patient/relative satellite support groups
of which we currently have five within our region.
Dates on the website www.noeccn.org.uk
National Links
CC3N – Critical Care National Network Nurse Leads www.cc3n.org.uk
NOrF – National Outreach Forum www.norf.org.uk
ICS - Intensive Care Society www.ics.ac.uk
NEICS – North East Intensive Care Society www.neics.org.uk
FICM – Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine www.ficm.ac.uk
BACCN –British Association of Critical Care Nurses www.baccn.org
If you would like to contribute to our next Newsletter please email one of the team
Follow us on Twitter
@noeccn
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very
Happy Christmas
and
Peaceful New Year
Thank you for your continued support and hard work in all our
Network groups - we have achieved so much!