Performance
Our clinical outcomes
The Paediatric CF clinic submits data to the National Cystic Fibrosis Database. Publication of individual CF clinics outcome data is available on the Internet via the CF Trust website
Barts and The London’s hospitals are one of the top-rated teaching hospitals in the country, according to the independent Healthcare Commission’s national annual health check for 2006/07. The commission’s assessment, which examines how organisations are performing against various measures, including how long patients wait for treatment, patient safety and how the organisation is run, confirmed that the services provided by our three hospitals – Barts in the City, The Royal London in Whitechapel and The London Chest in Bethnal Green – are of excellent quality.
Following a peer review led by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in April 2007 the specialist cystic fibrosis team at Barts and The London was praised for their excellent team working in partnership with children and their families.
Fast and easy access
All patients requiring an appointment at Barts and The London Cystic Fibrosis Centre are generally seen within a week of referral. Patients are given a choice as to the time and date of their appointment. Cystic fibrosis patients who require urgent referral can be admitted to hospital immediately. There is specialist advice available to all families seven days a week.
Number of patients treated
Barts and The London Cystic Fibrosis Centre looks after about 115 children and adolescents with cystic fibrosis aged between 0-17 years of age. Approximately one third of our patient population are part of the shared care programme with designated teams based in local paediatric services.
Protecting patients against infection
We take infection control seriously for children and young people with cystic fibrosis. We follow the UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust guidelines on infection and prevention of cross infection. General hygiene measures are mandatory, as are our protocols for monitoring and eradicating Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and managing MRSA. In addition we strongly discourage patients meeting together in communal hospital facilities (clinic, schoolroom and playroom) or sharing any equipment or personal items. Our inpatient respiratory ward has single rooms which are always used for children with cystic fibrosis, some of which have ensuite facilities Our cystic fibrosis outpatient clinics are segregated, with each family remaining in a room for the duration of their clinic appointment.
The MRSA infection rates at Barts and The London Hospitals compare well with most other specialist hospitals in London and we are implementing several measures to improve this further.
Patient satisfaction
We view our patient satisfaction as integral to our service planning and have involved patients when making changes to our service i.e. segregating clinics. Children and their families are always involved in the planning of the child’s care and recieve copies of our clinic correspondance. This has been well received in practice and helps families feel more in control of the child’s care.
