Resources

Community hospitals bridge the gap between primary and secondary care. They are geographically diverse local assets that offer a range of services, although inpatient services often focus on rehabilitation, most commonly for stroke and older people. Community hospitals are person-centred in their approach, nurse-led and work in a multidisciplinary way to support people to achieve their goals, maintain independence,  and improve health and wellbeing assets. The model of care, including medical support, has evolved over the 150 years they have been in place, in response to local and systems’
needs, including the development of enhanced and advanced roles. Covid-19 demonstrated flexibility, innovation and resilience to support local communities and the wider health and care system. Community hospitals are valued by the people and  communities they serve and have a part to play in the future health and care landscape, improving the care of older people.

A virtual cow’s milk allergy group has been helping families in Kent get faster access to advice and support. As parents and carers can be seen together, rather than waiting for individual appointments, the initiative has reduced waiting times, meaning quicker access to vital feeding and weaning advice during a baby’s first few months. This also means that parents spend less time worrying. As well as increasing capacity in the clinical nutrition and dietetics team at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (KCHFT), the virtual group has won national recognition — winning the sustainability award in the Clinical Nutrition Magazine Awards 2023, as families do not have to travel for appointments and fewer letters need to be sent out, making healthcare more sustainable and reducing its impact on the environment. Here, highly specialist paediatric dietitian and team leader, Elaine Greenman, shares how and why the group was set up, what the group sessions involve, and the challenges the team has found along the way.

s we are nearing the end of 2023, could I please take this opportunity to wish everyone
the very best for 2024. I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed — each year seems to go more quickly than the last. Before we leave 2023 and move into the new year, I would like you all to take some time to reflect on everything you have done this year — the many patients you have seen, the improvements you have made to care and your services, the challenges you may have encountered, the ‘thank you’ messages you have received and the enhancements you have made to so many people’s lives. It is always beneficial to reflect, as all too often we continue in our everyday work without having time to really think about everything we have achieved and the very real difference we have made. Please celebrate your work — you are appreciated so much.

It’s been a tough few years for the NHS in general, and for community nurses in  particular. First came Covid-19 and the trials of trying to maintain patient care in the teeth of an unprecedented pandemic, with lockdowns, cumbersome personal protective equipment (PPE) and endless vaccination programmes adding to the burden on an already stressed and under-resourced workforce.

Wound care in the UK has long been overlooked, often treated as a consequence of underlying health conditions rather than a distinct medical concern. However, as the prevalence of chronic wounds continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly evident that this perspective is unsustainable. Chronic wounds impact around 7% of the UK population, imposing a substantial burden on both patients and the healthcare system, with the NHS spending over £8.3 billion annually to manage the issue (Making wound care work: 9). Despite these alarming figures, wound care services remain understaffed and undervalued, straining to meet the rising demand for their expertise (Making wound care work: 4). 

One of the most prevalent challenges associated with tackling malnutrition is the misunderstanding that surrounds it leading to this condition going unrecognised and untreated. Malnutrition can commonly be incorrectly understood as an inevitable
result of the aging process, or a problem only faced by those living in the most extreme poverty. However, it is acutely important to understand that malnutrition caused by disease
and illness is a widespread problem in the UK, and nurses can and do play an important role in identifying and managing malnutrition in their patients, clients or service users.

Vaping is often seen as a lessharmful alternative to smoking cigarettes, and while this may
be true in some respects, it is not without its dangers. Understanding how this relatively new phenomenon of vaping could develop into a health concern and even an addiction was of real importance to the author’s team at the UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT) Group, hence the launch of an addiction prevalence survey towards the end of 2022.

The Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) held its annual Awards Ceremonies on 8th December in London. Two ceremonies were held, including the presentation of some of the most prestigious awards in nursing, including: 

• The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Award for Outstanding Service
• Fellowship of the Institute
• The Queen’s Nurse title
• The International Community Nurse of the Year Award
• Presentation of the QNI Gold Badge.

This is the third and final article in the Long Covid (LC) series, which presents and discusses the ongoing development of the Leeds Long Covid Community Rehabilitation Service (LLCCRS), highlighting the digital interventions used to assist with symptom management
and barriers to overcome to achieve this, the importance of involving people with LC (PwLC) within service development as well as two of the most recent service evaluations of new digital interventions — virtual group assessments (VGA), and Covid-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19 YRS) mobile application (app).

The purpose of this article is to present a scenario of a typical patient at risk of developing pressure damage and demonstrate how to complete the assessment and implement a prevention plan using the aSSKINg framework (Healthcare Improvement Scotland, 2020).  By following these recommendations, healthcare professionals can demonstrate good preventative care, reduce the risk of patients developing pressure damage, and protect their organisation against any future litigation claims (Downie, 2014).