The new head of the Community Specialist Respiratory team for East Kent, Pauline Treadwell, gave a talk about the work of the team, and the massive extension of its services which she is overseeing. Having taken up her post in April, this was Pauline’s first visit and she has arranged that a member of her clinical staff will be available at our monthly meetings, thus continuing the specialist team’s regular connection with our group.
Pauline has had her work cut out implementing the team’s expansion, and her talk ably illustrated this. Staff have more than doubled, growing from 21 to 52 in a very short time. Plans are in place to ensure patients’ treatment nearer to home, avoiding the problems of hospital admission wherever possible, and specialist nurses will be on hand to give intense support during exacerbations, reassuring information as we go into autumn, with swine flu hovering in the background. COPD and other lung diseases are potentially isolating and depressing and there are now counsellors working to confidential guidelines who are available to help patients experiencing such difficulties.
The seventeen members present put a range of questions to Pauline and her colleagues, Karen and Gemma, who is a newly recruited specialist nurse. Hannah Tucker from the British Lung Foundation was also present and gave a short presentation of the BLF’s guidelines on swine flu. We were also very happy to welcome three new members, all from Canterbury.
Pauline has had her work cut out implementing the team’s expansion, and her talk ably illustrated this. Staff have more than doubled, growing from 21 to 52 in a very short time. Plans are in place to ensure patients’ treatment nearer to home, avoiding the problems of hospital admission wherever possible, and specialist nurses will be on hand to give intense support during exacerbations, reassuring information as we go into autumn, with swine flu hovering in the background. COPD and other lung diseases are potentially isolating and depressing and there are now counsellors working to confidential guidelines who are available to help patients experiencing such difficulties.
The seventeen members present put a range of questions to Pauline and her colleagues, Karen and Gemma, who is a newly recruited specialist nurse. Hannah Tucker from the British Lung Foundation was also present and gave a short presentation of the BLF’s guidelines on swine flu. We were also very happy to welcome three new members, all from Canterbury.
