KGH respiratory team shortlisted for care award

KGH's respiratory service is shortlisted in the 2020 Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Excellence in Patient Care Awards.

They have been nominated with three other teams for the Innovation Award.

KGH's respiratory team has been recognised for a service which helps to reduce the need for patients with lung conditions to spend time in hospital when they have an air leak from the lung, which can cause lung collapse and breathlessness.

Usually, patients with this condition need to be admitted, but a service called ambulatory management of spontaneous pneumothorax work means they can be treated and discharged on the same day.

Dr George Tsaknis, a consultant on the team, said: "The respiratory department established the ambulatory pneumothorax in 2013 and we have further developed the service since then to treat not only primary cases (mainly young), but also mild secondary pneumothorax cases (usually older, smokers, with underlying lung disease), significantly increasing the number of patients who can safely benefit from this approach."

Normally the patients would need to be admitted and have a chest drain inserted and stay until it healed, sometimes up to two weeks.

Dr Tsaknis said: "What is innovative about our service is that many patients can be discharged home directly from A&E after chest drain insertion.

"They can then come in and see the consultant or the specialist nurse as an outpatient in our Ambulatory Care Unit.

"Many pneumothorax patients are quite young and really don't want to spend unnecessary time in hospital so this flexible approach really suits their lifestyle.

"Additionally, many older patients with underlying lung conditions may also be fit enough to follow safely the same management."

Dr Tsaknis said patient feedback has been fantastic.

The service is run by Dr Tsaknis and consultants Dr Raja Reddy, Dr George Tsaknis, Dr Muhammad Naeem and pleural nurse specialists Samantha Rawson and Lesley Holland.

Dr Tsaknis added: "I want to thank the whole team for the work they put into the service which is much quicker and more convenient for patients and also saves the public health service a lot of money because it reduces the need for expensive stays in hospital."

The service is still operating during the pandemic, but slightly differently.

X-rays are being performed in off-site outpatient locations and consultations are happening over the phone, with hospital visits where necessary.

The awards will be judged in May. The winning team will get £1,000, a commemorative plaque and promotion of their project by the RCP.