Empowering patients and upskilling clinicians to tackle overprescribing
News
As the Health Innovation Network’s Polypharmacy: Getting the Balance Right programme – which we have led on behalf of the Network – draws to a close, a suite of new reports highlights its transformative impact on patient safety and clinical practice across England. The programme has successfully engaged with over 12,000 healthcare professionals to support…
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New resources to support Structured Medication Reviews with care home residents
News
The Health Innovation Network has launched a new suite of resources specifically designed to support residents, their families, and care home staff in preparing for and participating in Structured Medication Reviews (SMRs). Developed by the NIHR Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Research Collaboration, the resources were co-designed with care home residents, relatives and staff. These…
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New insights on improving access to Structured Medication Reviews for seldom-heard communities
News
The Health Innovation Network has published a new report sharing insights and lessons from its initiative to improve access to Structured Medication Reviews for patients in seldom-heard communities, particularly those living in areas of high deprivation and from ethnic minority groups. The report, based on pilots delivered in 27 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across England, demonstrates how…
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Launch of new “game changing” guide to tackle overprescribing and support Government’s shifts to prevention and community
News
A new guide aimed at helping primary care organisations and integrated care boards understand and address problematic polypharmacy has been launched by the Health Innovation Network as part of its national Polypharmacy Programme, coordinated by Health Innovation West of England. Developed in response to a clear need identified by primary care and prescribing colleagues, this…
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New resources launched to support patients preparing for a Structured Medication Review
News
A range of new evidence-based resources has been developed as part of the AHSN Network’s national Polypharmacy programme, which is led by Health Innovation West of England. These have been designed to support and help prepare people who have been invited for a Structured Medication Review with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional. The…
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Creating shared learning spaces to help clinicians address problematic polypharmacy
Blog article
Chris Learoyd is Senior Project Manager at the West of England AHSN, overseeing our medicines optimisation programmes. In this blog, Chris explores some of the work we are currently involved in to help reduce harm from medicines. Medicines safety and improvement work is complex: patients are prescribed medicines in different settings across the entire healthcare…
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Transforming asthma care across the South West of England
News
The West of England and South West AHSNs, alongside the South West Severe Asthma Network (SWSAN), have been working with 10 hospital trusts across the South West of England to improve asthma pathways and enhance access to innovative treatments for adult patients. A new evaluation shows the collaborative project, which was awarded Pathway Transformation Funding…
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Guide launched to help primary care reduce harm from opioids
News
The West of England AHSN have launched a new easy to follow guide for healthcare professionals working in primary care. The guide will support clinicians to identify patients at risk from opioid prescribing, includes templates and ideas as well as providing information on training and examples of best practice initiatives. The free guide has been produced…
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Looking ahead to World Patient Safety Day 2022 focussed on medicines safety
Blog article
Ahead of World Patient Safety Day 2022, Jan Scott, Patient Safety Programme Manager, discusses how the West of England AHSN Polypharmacy Community of Practice (CoP) is tackling the challenge to reduce severe avoidable medication related harm. The AHSN held its first CoP in August 2022 with the second scheduled for November. Polypharmacy simply means many…
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Getting the balance right on polypharmacy
Blog article
The AHSN Network recently launched the new national polypharmacy programme: getting the balance right. Here national Programme Manager, Amy Semple and Clinical Lead, Clare Howard discuss why we need to take action to address problematic polypharmacy and how the AHSN Network is supporting this important area of work. “As we live longer with more long-term…
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