Elderly spending last days "lost in the system"
Monday 18 March 2019
TOO many people get stuck in healthcare settings instead of living their lives, one of the most influential thinkers in UK healthcare is to tell an audience in Salford.
Brian Dolan OBE, says precious days are being needlessly “lost in the system” at a time when people can least afford it.
And he will call on patients, their loved ones and clinicians to make a stand for what he calls “the most valuable currency in healthcare” – patients’ time.
Dolan, who is a nurse and founder of two campaigns to reduce unnecessary stays in hospital - the #EndPJparalysis Movement and #Last1000Days, was recently named in a public vote by the NHS Confederation among the biggest influencers in the past 70 years of the NHS Health And Care.
And he will talk publicly about his campaigning at a talk on Wednesday 10 April at the University of Salford.
Make a stand
“Many people who go into hospital for any length of time are in their last years of life – but how much of that would they honestly choose to spend in hospital?” asserts Dolan.
“It’s very easy to think you can’t make a difference to a system but big changes – cultural shifts – all start somewhere, usually by one person, and then the next, making a stand of a small change to something they have influence over. All it takes is for each of us to be brave enough to make a stand about the things that matter to us.”
Brian will talk about the origins of #EndPJparalysis and its impact in hospitals, particularly Salford Royal and the wider Northern Care Alliance.
Research shows the impact of bed rest in older people is such that after a week it can lead to a loss of 1.5kg muscle mass, up to 20% of blood volume, 10% of general (aerobic) fitness. For some, this can be the difference between going home and going into a home.
Prevents recovery
Professor Dolan, Honorary Professor of Leadership in Healthcare at the University of Salford, said: “The campaign was based on the idea that wearing pyjamas or hospital gowns reinforces patients feeling unwell, can prevent a speedy recovery and encourages people to spend more time in hospital than is clinically necessary.”
Among those backing the campaign are the four Chief Nursing Officers of the United Kingdom.
To book your place and for more information click here. Registration will commence at 5.30pm in Chapman Building, University of Salford with the lecture following at 6pm.
If you have any questions or access requirements, please get in touch at events@salford.ac.uk or on 0161 295 5241.
Find out more
Gareth Hollyman, Senior Press & PR Officer (Science)
0161 295 6895 g.b.hollyman@salford.ac.uk
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