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We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Voluntary Services team can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
Our Strategy – Working Together, Improving Together
Our strategy sets out our vision, values, strategic aims and most importantly, how we will deliver against these ambitions for our patients, communities, and people in the future.
It is not just a document, it is for and about everyone at PHU, building on what we have achieved with a renewed focus on continuous improvement and the need to continue to work together and improve together to achieve our goals.
A full copy of the strategy can be downloaded here.
For more information, please visit our strategy webpage.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Date: 09 September 2021
Established in 2018, a nurse-led clinic at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU), which supports patients discharged from hospital with advanced liver disease, has been successfully linked with a significant reduction in emergency readmissions to hospital and, an improvement in survival.
Dr Richard Aspinall, clinical lead for hepatology, said: “Patients admitted to hospital with liver disease are known to have high rates of emergency readmission after discharge. These readmissions are most commonly due to factors such as a build-up of abdominal fluid, confusion due to an increase in excess toxins, or through ongoing alcohol dependency.
“Although these problems can be effectively treated, patients are often readmitted to hospital while awaiting clinic appointments with consultants. To combat this, we designed and set up a dedicated early post-discharge clinic led by specialist nurses. To ensure patients are receiving effective treatment for their cirrhosis, they attend the clinic within the first two weeks of going home after being discharged.”
Dr Ben Giles, hepatology research fellow, studied the outcomes for patients attending the nurse-led clinic. Prior to the implementation of the clinic, around 30% to 40% of patients with liver disease could be readmitted to hospital, however, following the set-up of the clinic, findings have shown that patient readmissions have been reduced to 12%. The nurse led clinic works with patients to provide clinical and emotional support to improve their health and manage the symptoms of liver disease, including nutritional advice, overcoming alcohol misuse, and optimising their medications.
Karen Gamble, hepatology clinical nurse specialist, said: “It is a real privilege to work alongside patients with liver disease in this dedicated nurse led clinic, empowering individuals to make changes that will improve their overall wellbeing, while helping to manage the symptoms of liver disease that can make life uncomfortable at times.”
Stephen Peacock from Portsmouth, has been receiving treatment for decompensated liver cirrhosis at Queen Alexandra Hospital and was once a frequent inpatient. After referral to the dedicated early post-discharge clinic, Stephen has not required any further inpatient care. More recently, Stephen was referred to consultant radiologist Dr Christopher Ball for a new radiology procedure known as TIPS (Transjugular Intra Hepatic Shunt), a specialist radiology procedure to reduce high liver blood pressure, due to chronic liver disease.
Christopher, said: “Prior to the TIPS procedure being undertaken at PHU, patients would have been required to travel to Southampton or as far as London for the treatment. Being able to perform this procedure here at PHU means we can provide complete care for both acutely and chronically unwell patients with liver disease and help reduce the number of hospital visits.
Stephen added: “I used to work for a food and drink wholesaler where unfortunately alcohol was really cheap, and I paid the price. With the help of the amazing nurses in the liver clinic I have been able to stay out of hospital, but also due to the shunt, I have reduced the number of times I have to attend the clinic. I cannot thank the nurses and team at QA enough – they have been an amazing support to me.”
ENDS
