University Vice-Chancellor Visits Poole Hospital To Witness Ground-breaking Pain Service
Bournemouth University Vice-Chancellor Paul Curran meets Lecturer Practitioner Mandy Layzell to find out more about the femoral nerve block service
Bournemouth University Vice-Chancellor Paul Curran paid a visit to Poole Hospital recently to find out about a pioneering service for reducing pain in patients waiting for surgery for a hip fracture.
The ‘femoral nerve block’ service is entirely led by specialist nurses, and is the first of its kind in the UK. It was set up by Mandy Layzell, a Lecturer Practitioner at Bournemouth University and Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Consultant Anaesthetist Dr Barry Newman, and has helped to ease the busy workload of anaesthetists and Emergency Department doctors, who usually undertake the procedure in most UK hospitals.
The service has already helped over 300 patients since it was launched eighteen months ago. The femoral nerve block procedure significantly reduces the need for pain killers, and improves movement in bed whilst waiting for surgery. Local anaesthetic is injected close to the femoral nerve, which carries pain from the fracture. The block usually lasts for six to twelve hours.
Mandy Layzell said: “With a large elderly population, East Dorset has the second highest rate of hip fractures within the UK but we’ve witnessed a transformation in many patients with a fractured neck of femur since launching this service. On admission to hospital the majority of patients experience severe pain; two hours after receiving a block they are able to sit up in bed, eat, drink and in some cases be virtually pain free. To see this is tremendously satisfying.”
Professor Paul Curran also met with other members of Poole Hospital’s acute pain team to find out how their role in pain management has expanded, and to learn more how this new service has helped other health professionals within the Hospital.
Date: 11 April 2008