HOSPITAL TEAM HAS STATESIDE SUCCESS (From Warrington Guardian)

HOSPITAL TEAM HAS STATESIDE SUCCESS

A HALTON health success story took to the international stage when two members of an intervention and treatment team went to California to lecture on their work.

Barbara Furnival and Jo Meek visited San Diego to talk to the American Thoracic Society about the work of Halton Hospital's Rapid Response Respiratory Team, which cares for people with respiratory conditions.

The team was set up in December 1997 because a significant percentage of Halton Hospital's beds were being occupied by people with breathing problems.

The idea was to treat such people in their own homes, thereby freeing up resources over the winter.

"One of the reasons it was set up was because in the Winter all the beds were full, so the Government gave money to free up the beds," explained Jo.

Since its inception the team, under consultant Dr John Williams, has treated 375 people with respiratory problems.

A team of four nurses with clerical support and back-up from district nurses visit patients in their homes to treat problems, cutting back on the need for more expensive hospitalisation.

. "The team is there to prevent hospital admissions but if people have been admitted we can get them released more quickly.

Although an invitation like this is indicative of the success the RRRT has had, it creates other problems for Jo, who said: "I don't like flying."

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