Acute / Hospital Care

Over a ten year period the trust has developed and embedded a systematic way of assessing surgical patients (across all specialties)who are at risk of developing VTE. Intervetions are evidence based and include the use of sequential compression devices in theatre and post operatively, until the patient is mobilised. In orthopaedic care the use of extended prophylaxis post discharge is established and more recently the use of oral therapy instead of low molecular weight injections has now been introduced.

Capturing the the enthusiasm & drive of the team, led by a theatre sister to do the right thing for the patient in terms of VTE prophylaxis.
Ensuring the team was multi disciplinary and had clinician buy in.
Board level support

We have now adopted a trust wide VTE policy, and have recently been awarded VTE exemplar status - the only trust in the North East SHA patch. This demonstrates that VTE risk assessment, care and treatment has been developed and evaluated through audit. We have recently hosted a regional conference.

- Nursing staff in surgery take VTE risk assessment seriously - compliance with risk assessment & treatment is good. This has been recognised through Exemplar status recognition
- Patients are made aware of VTE prophylaxis, as part of their care
- Extended prophylaxis in orthopaedics - injections no longer necessary!

- Through audit we can demonstrate over a 10 year period the reduction in the number of VTE episodes post operatively, alongside a reduction in mortality for the surgical specialties.
- Reduction in district nursing time - oral medication for extended VTE prophylaxis instead of LMWH injections daily

VTE prophylaxis