RDUH partners with CorrMed to improve efficiencies for community nursing

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHSFT (RDUH) has hailed the success of a project aimed at improving organisational efficiency and infection control for nurses and patients in the community.

Following the completion of a prototype developed with medical bag manufacturers CorrMed, the launch of a new community nurse bag will help support community teams in their challenges around storage and transportation of clinical equipment, also ensuring patient safety through adherence with infection control protocols.  

A network of community nurses, clinical matrons and infection control professionals came together from the RDUH, to assist CorrMed in creating the new bag.

Previously, community nurses have carried multiple bags, sometimes carrier bags, as one bag alone was unable to safely store everything that was required, but none of which have been fit for purpose from either a community nurse or infection control perspective.

Feedback from the initial prototype trialled across nationwide Trusts evidenced the improvements for staff and patients with 80% of users stating that the new bag design ensured they had the correct level of equipment with them (44% previously) and 100% stating quick access to equipment (39% previously). This will result in patient assessments and care being handled more efficiently.

90% felt that the new bag was easy to wipe down between visits compared to their original bag (25%), with 10% neutral. Using the feedback from these studies, changes were made to the production bag, including ensuring 100% of surfaces were completely wipeable. This is imperative in order to adhere to good infection control protocols and will ensure the delivery of consistent high-quality care.

Sam Charlton, Community Clinical Matron at RDUH, said: “Community nursing is an unpredictable and ever-changing service. With the drive to reduce hospital admissions, improve lives and deliver care needs closer to home, it is imperative that the CNs have the support and tools that they need.  Transporting equipment safely, in an organised manner has long been a challenge.

“The new community nursing bag enables CN teams to practice under infection control guidelines, whilst reducing costs and saving precious time as they visit our patients.

“We are thrilled to have met the CorrMed team who offer such a professional and quality design service.​ The new way of working will undoubtedly enhance the quality of our service, patient care and will even improve staff morale.

“The team will be able to spend more time with patients, negating the need to return to base to collect the required equipment or product for a patient, saving staff time but also reducing unnecessary mileage. This will reduce the amount of stock required to be held at the central base, reducing wastage from expired equipment and stock.”

Katie Houghton, Managing Director of CorrMed commented: “This has been a hugely successful collaboration between many teams, both infection prevention and also the community nurses themselves. We hope many other teams will now benefit from our bag and we are delighted that we are making a difference, not just in an everyday practical sense for CNs who are using it and also the patients, but from a wider NHS perspective in helping to tackle hospital admissions, improve lives and facilitate access to care in the community.”

Following the development of the new bag design initiative, 17 NHS Trusts have adopted the new community nursing bags and 25 NHS Trusts are in conversations with the team at CorrMed.