| Paediatric Gastroenterology Project |
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| Aim of Project: |
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| Lead
Person: |
| Dr Colin Campbell (Consultant Paediatrician) |
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University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust |
| Dr Shomik Ghosal (Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist) |
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Mid Staffordshire Hospitals NHS Trust |
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| Team
Members: |
| Sue Jones (Paediatric Dietician) |
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Wolverhampton City PCT |
| Janis Maginnis (Clinical Nurse Specialist) |
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University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust |
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| About
the Project: |
| Paediatric Gastroenterology was identified as one of the six services most in need of improvement by the founder members of PiP on the basis of quality and access.
A project was set up with the aim of developing a business case for a paediatric gastro-enterology service that would meet the requirements for specialist service status.
The business case demonstrated that a case for development could be advanced on the basis of the PiP population and caseload, and identified the resources that would be required for both a core team and for local teams in each of the participating hospitals. The funding took into consideration the requirements for the multiple professionals that are required to input into the management of this group of children. A phased approach to funding was suggested.
Unfortunately it proved impossible to advance the business case, because at the time there were no unified commissioning arrangements that could deal with a case spanning so many Trusts and Districts. Consequently the only way to make progress was to seize an opportunity to re-cycle existing resources within two host Trusts in order to appoint two consultant paediatric gastroenterologists to lead the service forward.
The network arrangements were set up following a workshop funded by the Department of Health, with a core team based in Stoke and Stafford and outreach clinics linking into local teams in most of the Trust partnership hospitals.
Initially the network concept proved successful and a forum (GastroNet) was established to ensure a high level of communication between the teams and to permit cross network education to take place. A research project looking at the problem and management of constipation was set up to involve Walsal and Wolverhampton.
However, the core team experienced a large and unexpected influx of patients leading to an overload of the core facilities. In part this was due to inadequate resources supporting the local teams, so that patients who had received specialist investigation had an ongoing requirement for specialist nursing and dietetic resources which was only available through the core team.
Currently many of the outreach clinics have been suspended and a business case is now under development to identify the resources needed to re-establish the network on a fully funded basis.
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| Project News: |
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Next Steps |
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Following a presentation concerning PiP experience of developing a managed clinical network, at the annual open meeting a meeting has been arranged on July 4th. The purpose is for PiP representatives to meet with PCT representatives to determine the next steps in developing a business case to support this service. |
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| Forthcoming Meetings: |
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| Achievements: |
| 11 December 2001 |
First GastroNet Meeting |
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The first network meeting takes place in order to establish the network. The meeting also meets educational objectives. |
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| 04 October 2001 |
Department of Health Funded Workshop |
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Stakeholders came together in a facilitated workshop to agree on the formation of a network for paediatric gastroenterology across the partnership area. |
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| 01 July 2001 |
Appointment of Two Paediatric Gastroenterologists |
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Following a recent appointments committee, Dr Sue Bunn and Dr Shomik Ghosal have been appointed to provide specialist gastro services to the PiP partnership. They will be based at North Staffordshire and Mid-Staffordshire Hospitals. |
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| 01 December 1999 |
Publication of Business Case |
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A business case to develop a specialist service for paediatric gastro-enterology across the partnership area is published. |
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| Related
Papers and Reports (including Meeting Minutes): |
| Meeting Minutes |
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| Related Papers and Reports |
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| Information for Parents: |
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