scholarly journals Community Pharmacy Minor Ailment Service (PMAS): An Untapped Resource for Children and Their Carers

Pharmacy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Tami Benzaken ◽  
Godwin Oligbu ◽  
Michael Levitan ◽  
Subrina Ramdarshan ◽  
Mitch Blair
Keyword(s):  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Paediatric Population ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Minor Ailment ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Minor Ailments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Untapped Resource

Background: The Pharmacy Minor Ailment Service (PMAS) was introduced in the UK over 15 years ago for use in treating minor ailments and has been shown to be effective and acceptable by the public in reducing the burden on high-cost healthcare settings (such as general practice and emergency departments). This paper aims to review the use of a PMAS in the paediatric population. Methods: PMAS was established in a London Borough in 2013. Data were collected from 33 pharmacists and 38 GPs on demographics, service utilization and costs. Results: In total, 6974 face-to-face consultations by 4174 patients were provided by pharmacies as part of the PMAS over a 12-month period. Moreover, 57% of patients were children with fever, hay fever and sore throat, accounting for 58% of consultations. Only 2% were signposted to other services. Sixty-nine percent of patients reported being seen within 5 min and 96% of patients were seen within 10 min with high levels of satisfaction. Cost savings of over GBP 192,000 were made during the scheme. Conclusions: PMAS is a highly cost effective, accessible and acceptable service for children with minor illnesses.

scholarly journals An exploration of the attitudes and perceptions of the UK public towards self-care for minor ailments

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49
Author(s):  
Ashley Scott ◽  
Colin Jones
Keyword(s):  
Self Care ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Minor Illness ◽  
Telephone Advice ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
Minor Ailments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
A Minor

Aims and objectives: the purpose of this pilot study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of members of the UK public towards self-care for minor ailments. Background: with an ageing and increasing population, and an NHS under extreme pressure, methods to reduce demand on health services are vital. Increasing the use of self-care for minor ailments is one way in which this pressure could be alleviated. Design and method: this study used qualitative methods including semi-structured telephone interviews. The data were then evaluated, and key themes drawn out using thematic analysis. Findings: the results showed that the public are aware of the notion of self-care, and some are engaging with it. However, for a number of reasons, patients are still likely to want a face-to-face appointment despite the use of online and telephone advice services. Conclusion: the study highlighted that there are multifactorial aspects impacting on a patient's likelihood of engaging in self-care when faced with a minor illness. The results are not generalisable to every member of the public, but interesting questions are raised with regard to the usefulness of current public health messages in various media when there appears to be a lack of desire from the public to use some recommended services.

scholarly journals Reducing Violence against Health Professionals

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Indranil Chakravorty
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Frontline Staff ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Public ◽  
Annual Survey ◽  
The Media ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Manchester City

There is a rising trend of violence against healthcare professionals across the world, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries report between 43-75% of professionals experiencing at least one incident in any annual survey. The most recent incident of doctors and healthcare staff in a Manchester City General Practice raised alarms. As the healthcare infrastructure and services are severely stretched following the disruption of 2020, there are more reasons for disquiet and frustration from the public. The media and political portrayal of primary care physicians as not caring enough to provide face-to-face appointments in the UK is believed to increase the public angst. There are protests from professional organisations but this is not heard by the public. In any violence prevention strategy, a multi-system approach is critical. While tackling misinformation is essential, so is the tackling the root causes, the waiting lists and a balanced information to the public. Political and organisational leaders need to be visible and vocal in explaining why the healthcare infrastructure is beyond breaking point. This will justify the additional resources needed and reduce the frustrations of the public, in need of care. There is also a vital need to help new doctors and nurses as well as all frontline staff in violence dissipation techniques, self-preservation. The Voluntary community organisations including those that support professional groups have a vital role to play. The NHS People Plan has recommended that VSCEs should join robust and reliable partnerships with Integrated Care Organisations in developing strategies and interventions. There is more work to be done. This article is a call for action and invites all VSCEs interested in the reduction of violence against staff to join with employing organisations to set up collaborative working groups with specific actions to implement. This is essential to reduce harm and reduce the demoralisation of an already burnt-out healthcare workforce.

scholarly journals ‘It’s the soft stuff that’s hard’: Investigating the role played by low carbon small- and medium-sized enterprise advisors in sustainability transitions

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 384-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Hampton
Keyword(s):  
Cost Savings ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Environmental Objectives ◽  
Business Support ◽  
Regional Basis ◽  
Energy Audits ◽  
The Uk

Significant public funds are invested in low carbon advisors to support small- and medium-sized enterprises to reduce carbon emissions on a regional basis. Little research has been conducted on their experiences and practices, nor their place within the context of local business support policy. Findings draw on interviews with 19 advisors in the UK as well as the author’s four years’ experience as an environmentally focused business support practitioner. Establishing and sustaining engagements with small- and medium-sized enterprises on the topic of pro-environmental behaviours is a multifaceted problem. Advisors typically approach businesses with promises of cost savings rather than using environmental messaging and focus their resources on the provision of building energy audits and technical advice. Advisors rarely engage small- and medium-sized enterprises in values-based discussions or by seeking to understand how and why energy is used in the course of everyday business practices. The paper argues that face-to-face meetings could be better utilised if ‘softer’ skills were deployed alongside technical expertise. It discusses the limitations of growth-focused support in the context of environmental objectives and calls for a shift in the culture of advice-giving, supported by social scientifically informed policy.

Benefits of nurse-led continence prescription services for effective stock management and streamlined prescribing

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 424-431
Author(s):  
Cara Kumah ◽  
Dawn McGlashan
Keyword(s):  
Community Setting ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Stock Management ◽  
Catheter Drainage ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Prescription Services ◽  
Multiple Patients

The UK has an ageing population, and with continence-related issues expected to rise, there will be increasing demands for specialist input within nurse-led continence prescription services. Continence nurse specialists can apply expert product knowledge to ensure patients are prescribed bladder and bowel appliances that are of high quality, the most appropriate product for the patient and also cost effective. The management of catheter drainage and fixation supplies can be challenging, particularly for services managing caseloads of multiple patients living with catheters. Ugo 4 Weeks has been created to help streamline the process of ordering continence products and reducing appliance wastage for catheterised patients living in the community setting. Each box provides a 4-week supply of catheter drainage and fixation supplies and can be prescribed on a single prescription. It enables better control over stock levels, reducing the risk of accidental over-ordering and stockpiling, thereby generating significant cost savings.

scholarly journals Project bank accounts: the second wave of security of payment?

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 322-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Griffiths ◽  
Wayne Lord ◽  
Jeremy Coggins
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Bank Accounts ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify building contractors’ views as to the need for, impact of and barriers to the use of project bank accounts (PBAs) in the UK construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional research study was carried out by the use of questionnaires to collect quantitative data. The population for the research was of construction professionals working as full-time employees for either main (Tier 1) or specialist contractors (Tiers 2-4). Findings Contractors consider PBAs as an effective initiative to encourage fair payment. There is uncertainty, however, as to whether PBAs will result in project cost savings. Head contractor resistance is perceived to be the biggest barrier to the use of PBAs. Adoption of PBAs in private-sector construction projects is likely to be slow. Research limitations/implications The relative infancy of PBA usage in the construction industry means that responses are largely based on awareness as opposed to experience. Nevertheless, survey data represent a snapshot of contractors’ perceptions with respect to PBAs, which may be used as a benchmark against which to compare future studies to monitor how contractors’ views and expectations have changed with time. Originality/value The survey results will be of particular interest to those international jurisdictions who are considering, or who have already embarked on, the path of trialling and/or using PBAs in the public sector.

A Comparative Study of Governmental One-Stop Portals for Public Service Delivery

2015 ◽  
pp. 2009-2027
Author(s):  
Thomas Kohlborn ◽  
Axel Korthaus ◽  
Christoph Peters ◽  
Erwin Fielt
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Usability Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Online Portal ◽  
Innovative Solution ◽  
Transformational Government ◽  
One Stop ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Customer Centricity

The continuing need for governments to radically improve the delivery of public services has led to a new, holistic government reform strategy labeled “Transformational Government” that strongly emphasizes customer-centricity. Attention has turned to online portals as a cost effective front-end to deliver services and engage customers as well as to the corresponding organizational approaches for the back-end to decouple the service interface from the departmental structures. The research presented in this paper makes three contributions: Firstly, a systematic literature review of approaches to the evaluation of online portal models in the public sector is presented. Secondly, the findings of a usability study comparing the online presences of the Queensland Government, the UK Government and the South Australian Government are reported and the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different approaches are discussed. And thirdly, the limitations of the usability study in the context of a broader “Transformational Government” approach are identified and service bundling is suggested as an innovative solution to further improve online service delivery.

Yoga and Healthcare in the United Kingdom

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Mason ◽  
Nicole Schnackenberg ◽  
Robin Monro
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Long Term Conditions ◽  
Yoga Therapy ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Regional Hospitals

Abstract The emergence of yoga therapy in the United Kingdom began about 45 years ago with the emergence of yoga therapy organizations that offered both treatment and training. The integration of yoga into the National Health Service (NHS) is gradually happening Because: (a) yoga research supports its efficacy as a cost-effective, preventive and complementary treatment for a host of non-communicable diseases; and (b) the escalating economic burden of long-term conditions is overwhelming the NHS. The NHS is actively developing ‘sustainability and transformation plans’ that include yoga. Chief among these is ‘social prescribing,’ which empowers patients with complex health needs through activities groups. These activities reduce sedentary habits and social isolation, while helping patients to be more self-reliant. The NHS has allocated £450 million in funding to implement a variety of programs for its own staff, in which staff yoga classes were expressly mentioned. The yoga community is mobilizing forces and applying for funding to pilot relevant NHS staff yoga courses that can support the service in achieving its vision. Research shows that integrating yoga therapy for the treatment of low back pain (LBP) into the NHS would result in significant cost savings as compared with usual care. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidelines on LBP and sciatica include yoga as one of the recommended treatments for these conditions. Three groups of yoga teachers, using different yoga practices, have gained traction with the NHS for the application of yoga therapy to LBP. Many regional hospitals in England have yoga classes. The NHS Choices website, which conveys information to the public regarding treatment options, has a page dedicated to the health benefits of yoga. Several institutions offer comprehensive training programs in yoga therapy and yoga therapy is recognized as an official profession. The Yoga in Healthcare Alliance has been established to help integrate yoga therapy into the NHS. This consists of parliamentarians, leaders in the NHS, yoga researchers, health professionals, and representatives from leading yoga organizations.

scholarly journals Web-Face-to-Face Mixed-Mode Design in a Longitudinal Survey: Effects on Participation Rates, Sample Composition, and Costs

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 385-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Bianchi ◽  
Silvia Biffignandi ◽  
Peter Lynn
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Mode Design ◽  
Cumulative Response ◽  
Sample Composition ◽  
The Uk

AbstractSequential mixed-mode designs are increasingly considered as an alternative to interviewer-administered data collection, allowing researchers to take advantage of the benefits of each mode. We assess the effects of the introduction of a sequential web-face-to-face mixed-mode design over three waves of a longitudinal survey in which members were previously interviewed face-to-face. Findings are reported from a large-scale randomised experiment carried out on the UK Household Longitudinal Study. No differences are found between the mixed-mode design and face-to-face design in terms of cumulative response rates and only minimal differences in terms of sample composition. On the other hand, potential cost savings are evident.

scholarly journals Straight to colonoscopy: the ideal patient pathway for the 2-week suspected cancer referrals?

2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D Beggs ◽  
Ravinda D Bhate ◽  
Shashi Irukulla ◽  
Mayen Achiek ◽  
A Muti Abulafi
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Data ◽  
Waiting Times ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Patient Pathway ◽  
Retrospective Audit ◽  
Cost Effective Method ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Ideal

INTRODUCTION The UK has a higher mortality for colon cancer than the European average. The UK Government introduced a 2-week referral target for patients with colorectal symptoms meeting certain criteria and 62-day target for the delivery of treatment from the date of referral for those patients diagnosed with cancer. Hospitals are expected to meet 100% and 95% of these targets, respectively; therefore, an efficient and effective patient pathway is required to deliver diagnosis and treatment within this period. It is suggested that ‘straight-to-test’ will help this process and we have examined our implementation of ‘straight-to-colonoscopy’ as a method of achieving this aim. PATIENTS AND METHODS We carried out a retrospective audit of 317 patients referred under the 2-week rule over a 1-year period between October 2004 and September 2005 and were eligible for ‘straight-to-colonoscopy'. Demographic data, appropriateness of referral and colonoscopy findings were obtained. The cost effectiveness and impact on waiting period were also analysed. RESULTS A total of 317 patients were seen within 2 weeks. Cancer was found in 23 patients and all were treated within 62 days. Forty-four patients were determined by the specialist to have been referred inappropriately because they did not meet NICE referral guidelines. No cancer was found in any of the inappropriate referrals. The use of straight-to-test colonoscopy lead to cost savings of £26,176 (£82.57/patient) in this group compared to standard practice. There was no increase in waiting times. CONCLUSIONS Straight-to-colonoscopy for urgent suspected cancer referrals is a safe, feasible and cost-effective method for delivery of the 62-day target and did not lead to increase in the endoscopy waiting list.

scholarly journals Psych Socs: student-led psychiatry societies, an untapped resource for recruitment and reducing stigma

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haridha Pandian ◽  
Zahra Mohamedali ◽  
George E. Chapman ◽  
Patricia Vinchenzo ◽  
Suhana Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Royal College ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Recruitment And Retention ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Untapped Resource

Medical recruitment and retention are national problems. Psychiatry has been more affected than many specialties, as a result of stigma from the public and other healthcare professionals. The Royal College of Psychiatrists has undertaken several initiatives to redress this, notably the ‘Choose Psychiatry’ campaign. In this editorial we argue that student-led university psychiatry societies are a wonderful but frequently untapped resource to help attract the brightest and best medical students to our profession. We describe the activities of three ‘Psych Socs’ across the UK and propose next steps to continue this work.

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