New tool helps ambulance crews better support patients with additional needs
THE Welsh Ambulance Service has introduced a new tool to identify and better support people with additional needs.
The digital system that crews use to capture a patient’s medical information now has a ‘Needs’ tab which prompts them to ask whether the patient has a learning disability, is autistic or neurodivergent.
The new feature also offers hints about how staff and volunteers can adapt their communication style and complete their observations more effectively.
Since its introduction in October, an average 288 patients a month with a learning disability or who are autistic or neurodivergent have been identified.
Matt James, Patient Experience and Community Involvement Coordinator, said: “The ‘Needs’ tab on our electronic Patient Clinical Record (ePCR) has been a revelation in understanding how we respond to people with a learning disability.
“The data collected will not only enhance our ability to deliver inclusive care but also contribute to a broader national understanding of population health needs.
“We’ve been working with the learning disability community for 15 years, not only to help them understand and feel confident about accessing our services, but also to aid our own understanding about how best to engage with members of the community.
“This piece of work is a great example of how learning from experiences can come full circle in influencing service delivery and design.”
The initiative was funded by Learning Disability Improvement Cymru and gained international recognition at last month’s International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare in the Netherlands, hosted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
Rachel Jones, National Lead for Improvement Cymru's Learning Disability Programme, said: “As part of our broader work to improve patient safety for people with a learning disability in Wales, it was a pleasure to collaborate with WAST on this innovative improvement project.
“We know that people with a learning disability all too often experience avoidable harm in our healthcare settings, which extends to ambulance services.
“Maximising the use of reasonable adjustments in delivery of services is one key approach to improving outcomes and delivering person centred care.
“Through using quality improvement methodology, this novel project has highlighted the ease with which these service delivery adaptations can be offered once a person is identified as having a learning disability.
“I am confident that we will continue to learn from this work for some time, and that it will benefit people with a learning disability in Wales when accessing emergency care.“
Editor’s Notes
For more information, please email Communications Officer Beth.Eales@wales.nhs.uk