NEWS

TABLET MADE FOR THE EBOLA ZONE IS SAFE BY DESIGN

NICK FORTESCUE/MSF

A tablet computer that can be sterilised in chlorine will enable nurses fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone to record patients’ notes quickly and accurately. Médecins Sans Frontières began a collaboration with Google last year because clinicians had been forced to shout patients’ notes over a fence from inside the protected zone. The tablet has no sharp edges that could pierce protective clothing, and can be used while staff are wearing gloves.

‘Only legislation can ensure safe staffing levels in Welsh hospitals’ By Alistair Kleebauer

@alistairbauer

Safe nurse staffing levels in Welsh hospitals can only be achieved through legislation, not by health boards being directed to use an acuity tool. That was the message from Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams, whose Safe Nurse Staffing Levels (Wales) Bill is being debated by the health and social care committee of the Welsh assembly. If the bill becomes law, it would require health boards to ensure they satisfy minimum nurse-to-patient ratios on adult acute wards. In her evidence to the committee last week, Ms Williams fought off attempts to knock the bill of course by Welsh health minister Mark Drakeford.

Opposing ‘rigidity’

Mr Drakeford, who opposes the bill in its current form, has said he could enforce the use of an acuity tool developed by the Welsh Government and the country’s health service. The Safer Nursing Care Toolkit was developed by the Association of UK University Hospitals and has been used in NHS organisations across the UK.

He believes this will achieve the same safe staffing aims as the bill, preventing the need for legislation. The acuity tool, which is still under development, would be used by health boards to determine staffing numbers required to meet patient needs. Mr Drakeford said he could intervene where health boards do not use it and even sack board members. He told the committee that ratios would be inflexible and rigid.

‘WE KNOW THAT SAFE STAFFING LEVELS REDUCE MORTALITY RATES’ Giving evidence to the committee Ms Williams said Mr Drakeford is a ‘principled man’ and if he gave his word to direct boards to use the tool, he would. But she added: ‘This is not about the commitment by an individual minister – they come and go. ‘The history of health policy and legislation in Wales is littered with ministerial intentions, commitments,

targets and all these things we see not delivered on a daily basis.’ She said direction from the health minister would not create the ‘overarching legislation’ that her bill would provide, adding that an acuity tool would be used on a ward by ward basis for workforce planning, not for long-term safe staffing planning.

Overarching legislation

She added: ‘We know that safe staffing levels reduce mortality rates. If there is one thing we should legislate for in our health service, it is that the service is delivered with safe staffing levels.’ Assembly member Jenny Rathbone said if the bill was passed, primary care services would inevitably face nurse staffing challenges because of the spotlight being placed on acute hospitals. Ms Williams said evidence from other countries that have introduced nurse ratios did not suggest that would happen, but instead more nurses would be attracted back to the profession. The committee will prepare a report with its views on the general principles of the bill by May 8. See letters page 34

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Tablet made for the Ebola zone is safe by design.

A tablet computer that can be sterilised in chlorine will enable nurses fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone to record patients' notes quickly and accuratel...
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