Issue Number 5Summer 2010

GP

One of the great strengths of the city of Norwich is the high level ofscientific expertise available on the Research Park. Over the past18 months we have been developing a joint strategy with the

University of East Anglia to work collaboratively with theInstitute of Food Research, the John Innes Centre andthe new Genome Centre to attract high-quality clinicalacademics. So far we have appointed two outstandingleaders for this research initiative.Andrew Coats, former Dean of Sydney Medical Schooland an internationally known cardiologist and scientist,will develop the overall clinical research agenda. He will work closely withAlastair Watson, who joins us from Liverpool as Professor of TranslationalMedicine. Andrew’s expertise in gastroenterology should enable us to build upone of the premier gut and nutrition research facilities in the world.

We are now looking to make more appointments, especially in the fields ofmicrobiology, and to promote the locally and nationally important goals ofhealthy ageing.

Complementing this scientific activity – and hugely important to ongoingclinical research projects – we have spent nine months improving the ClinicalTrials Unit and we have now appointed a new Director of theUnit, Laurence Skillern, who is both medically-qualified and hasextensive experience of the pharmaceutical industry. The TrialsUnit is available for primary and secondary care clinicians whowish to engage in research involving patients and we hope thatit will now flourish.

Krishna Sethia, Medical Director,Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals

NHS Foundation Trust

AS YOU MAY be aware, the Microbiology

laboratory is moving to the Norwich

Research Park in August.

There will be no facility for patients or

individuals to drop off specimens or mail at

the new site. Instead, from9 August these

will need to be delivered to Pathology

Reception at NNUH for onward

transportation to Microbiology.

Time-sensitive fertility tests will be

available Monday to Thursday inclusive, with

samples being picked up and transported to

the new Microbiology Laboratory at around

2pm. It is therefore essential that seminal

fluids required for tests are produced

between 12 noon and 2pm to meet the

necessary two-hour window for testing.

Please note, it is vital that patients record

the date and time on the sample container and

request form to allow accurate interpretation

of the results.

Our User Manual will be updated with

these revised arrangements ready for the

move on 9 August.

The laboratory fax number, 01603 620190,

remains unchanged.

If you have any questions or queries

regarding the move please contact the

Laboratory Manager on 01603 611816 or

email peter.coe@nnuh.nhs.uk.

Laboratorymedicine underthe spotlight

NEWS FROM

UpdateSTEPPING UP OUR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

THERE WAS a great deal of interest in our

laboratory open day in April, when GPs and

their colleagues were invited to come and

see recent developments in laboratory

medicine.

Pathology services are widely recognised

as being central to modern medicine, with

over 70 per cent of patient diagnoses based

on laboratory test results. The service plays

a key role in meeting waiting time targets,

including A&E turnaround times, oncology

services, clinics, theatres and requests

from GPs.

We have introduced a number of changes

to manage our ever increasing workload,

including automation to help speed up our

service. In the vast majority of cases, reports

are now returned electronically to requesters

before the start of the next working day,

allowing early decisions on patient

treatment and follow up.

For anyone who missed the open day and

would like another opportunity to see the

lab, please contact service manager Dianne

Gibson on 01603 286936 (email

Dianne.gibson@nnuh.nhs.uk) to arrange a

convenient date.

Microbiology move will affect patients delivering samples

FOLLOWING the introduction of stroke

thrombolysis 24/7 last year we are

continuing to redesign our stroke and TIA

services to achieve a better service for

patients.

On weekdays high-risk TIA patients can

now be seen in clinic within a day of referral

– a new referral form designed to guide GPs

through the risk rating is available on

Knowledge Norfolk (http://nww.knowledge

norfolk.nhs.uk/cardiology.htm).

The new referral form should be faxed

immediately for all stroke patients as we aim

to see all high risk patients within 24 hours of

their contact with a GP, and all low risk

patients within seven days.

From mid July the ‘front door’ for stroke

will be A&E All suspected stroke patients

will be diverted to A&E, including GP

referrals, to ensure a direct pathway of care

to the stroke unit. For any suspected stroke

patient call 999.

If you would like to discuss a case with a

stroke specialist nurse we have a stroke alert

nurse available 24/7. They can be contacted

through hospital switchboard on ext: 6588.

THE WOMEN’S Health Physiotherapy

Team runs a telephone helpline for women

suffering pelvic girdle or lower back pain

during pregnancy.

Women can call the helpline direct for

advice or a prompt appointment, if

appropriate. Leaflets can be found on the

NNUH website and details of the service

can also be found on the Heron website.

The helpline number is 01603 287130

GP UPDATE SUMMER 2010KEY CONTACTS

Patients go walkabout on day of opNorfolk and Norwich UniversityHospitalColney LaneNorfolk NR4 7UYWebsite: www.nnuh.nhs.uk

On-call:For emergencies tel: 01603 286286 andask to be transferred to the appropriateon-call teams:• Surgical: SpR. (bleep 0080)• Medical: via the Emergency Assessment

Unit (EAU) on bleep 0002• Medicine for the Elderly: ext. 6509

There is also an on-call general (GI) andvascular consultant available via theswitchboard.

Norwich Community HospitalBowthorpe RoadNorwichNR2 3TUTel: 01603 776776(Also Breast Screening, Pain Management)

Norwich Central Family PlanningClinicGrove RoadNorwichNR1 3RHTel: 01603 287345

PharmacyMedicines information line: 01603287139

Pathology

Clinical Biochemistry andHaematology01603 286929 / 286932 / 286959

Microbiology01603 288587 / 288588

Knowledge Norfolk website:

http://nww.eastern.nhs.uk/scripts/index.a

sp?pid=73450&id=95975

GP UPDATEGP Update is edited by RebeccaPerry and produced by the NNUHCommunications teamRebecca will be on maternity leavefrom mid-August until March 2011.In her absence please contactkrishna.sethia @nnuh.nhs.uk withclinical issues or anne.osborn@nnuh.nhs.uk with Trust matters.

HELPLINE IS A HITTHE CROMER Aural Care Service

(COTEX) is now up and running, offering

patients who have problems with ear wax,

foreign bodies in the ear canal or acute otitis

externa the chance to have their ears cleaned

by one of our trained nurses under clinician

supervision.

The service can be accessed via Choose

and Book or by fax using the proforma

available on the Knowledge website.

NEW TECHNIQUES in

pain relief, coupled with a

team approach, are helping

to get patients back on

their feet faster than ever

before.

“We decided to run a

pilot ‘enhanced recovery’

programme at NNUH and

the results from a study of 30 patients have

been very impressive,” says orthopaedic

surgeon Jim Wimhurst. “It seems that

targeted pain relief, plus early intervention

from physiotherapists and occupational

therapists, can have a very positive impact

on patients both physically and mentally.”

Of the first 30 patients surveyed, 100 per

cent agreed that their pain had been well

managed and 93 per cent were happy with

the speed of their recovery.

Although currently limited to hip and

knee replacements, the enhanced recovery

programme could potentially be extended to

shoulder surgery and bowel surgery.

The new techniques involve an injection

of local anaesthetic straight into the joint,

followed by a

“cocktail” of painkillers

taken orally. Previously, patients were

injected with an epidural into the spine

which meant they were numb from the waist

down.

Consultant anaesthetist Dr Lindsay

Barker says a series of small changes, rather

than one big change, have made the

difference for patients.

Denton ward sister Kay Marrison

commented: “With this new technique

patients are far less dependent and anxious

and it’s very clear that ‘mind over matter’

plays a very big part in their recovery.”

The average length of stay for a traditional

hip replacement was 7.5 days, compared to

3.6 days for the first 30 patients surveyed as

part of the pilot project.

Annie Bennet, from

Postwick, was

“delighted” to be up

and about within hours

of having a hip

replacement at NNUH

A WORD IN YOUR EAR

A&E will be ‘front door’ for suspected stroke