Chris Burrows and Jo Mort from the COPD Team came to report on progress over the last year. Fiona Reynolds talked earlier in the year about including new members into the team and, after a few setbacks and illnesses, getting the service back up to what it was a couple of years ago.
Chris and Jo were able to report that two more respiratory nurses have joined the team and that a Health Care Support Worker will be added too. Dr Martin Ebejer is now the clinical lead.
Our physiotherapist is leaving and now all we need is to appoint someone else into her post in order to keep the excellent pulmonary rehab courses running.
We also talked about hospital visiting. Many close relatives don't realise that they can visit in the afternoons. Notices in ABMU hospitals state that visiting hours are in the evenings in some wards, which include the ones we use. It should be made clear to relatives when people are admitted that they can visit in the afternoons. People in hospital with respiratory conditions are often worn out and asleep by 6.30, so an evening visit is pretty pointless and distressing too.
