Requests in relation to inpatient care at the Veterinary School Small Animal Teaching Hospital

Dear Mr. Brown,

Thank you for your email of 29th July 2016 requesting information about inpatient care at the Veterinary School Small Animal Teaching Hospital. I am writing to let you know that we have received your request and will process it as soon as possible, and in any case within 20 working days of the day we received the request. You will hear back from us by 30th August 2016 at the latest.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Lesley Jackson| FOI Co-ordinator | University of Liverpool
The Foundation Building | 765 Brownlow Hill | Liverpool | L69 7ZX
F: +44 (0) 151 794 3272

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[1]Mrs Lesley Jackson Freedom of Information Co-ordinator The Foundation
Building 765 Brownlow Hill Liverpool L69 7ZX F 0151 794 3272 E
[University of Liverpool request email] www.liverpool.ac.uk

 

 

 

FOI/LJ

11^th August 2016

 

Mr. Andrew Brown

via email: [2][FOI #348804 email]

 

 

Dear Mr. Brown,

 

Thank you for your email of 29^th July 2016 requesting information
relating to inpatient care at the Veterinary School Small Animal Teaching
Hospital.  I am pleased to provide the requested information as set out
below:-

 

1. When you have cats as inpatients  at  your    Veterinary School Small
Animal Teaching Hospital  what are the policies, protocols and practices
as regards machinery use in the inpatient vicinity in so far as machinery
not essential to patient care is concerned. I am specifically intrigued
with regards to autoclaves and laundry equipment.

 

All equipment or machinery used within the hospital, including inpatient
areas is maintained via service maintenance contracts with the
manufacturer or supplier of the equipment.  Staff required to use any
equipment are given the appropriate training and this includes health and
safety and biosecurity training for the entire hospital with specific
reference to clinical or treatment areas as required.  PPI equipment is
also provided for all staff in line with health and safety
recommendations.  With reference to Cats as inpatients, we have two
separate cat wards and no equipment or machinery which is not required for
patient care is used in these areas, with the exception of cleaning
equipment such as vacuum cleaners or floor washers.  When cleaning
equipment is used all consideration is given to the inpatients condition
and temperament and if required patients will be moved to an alternative
location in the other ward area while cleaning is completed. The Hospital
has a dedicated laundry room which is separate to the inpatient wards and
does not impact on any inpatient areas.  We also have a dedicated
autoclave room which is in a separate area of the hospital and is not
connected to any inpatient or treatment areas and this also does not have
any impact on inpatient care.

 

2. As regards feline inpatients what are the policies, protocols and
practices as regards night time nursing observations and recording of the
same

 

The hospital has staff for 24 hours with no breaks in cover for shift
changes, dedicated night nurses are employed to cover the period from
7.00pm through to 7.00am with these nurses providing support to duty
clinical staff throughout the night.  Routine patient checks are performed
every 4 hours throughout the day, evening and overnight and details
recorded include the patient temperature, pulse and respiratory rate, any
medications administered with dosages. Details of food and water taken by
the patient and any toilet episodes are also recorded on the patient’s
hospitalisation sheet.  We record the colour, consistency and quantity of
urine and faeces passed when possible.  The regularity of these checks
does depend on the patient’s condition with more regular monitoring by
clinical and nursing staff taking place as required but the minimum period
between checks is 4 hours. Some patient will be monitored much more
regularly and for specific observations but this is patient specific with
each being monitored in line with their particular needs.

 

 

3. In cases of cats undergoing IV fluid therapy in decompensated renal
failure is there a protocol for frequency of veterinary examination (by
day or night) and night time observations. The requester appreciates
individual cases will perhaps vary in their requirements but presumes
there may be a minimum,

 

As with all patient monitoring this will be specific to each patients
needs with some requiring more regular monitoring and other, more stable
patients being ok with less frequent checks.  As we have 24 hour dedicated
patient care nurse cover, all patients are continually monitored with
nurses keeping a constant check on all inpatients throughout the day and
night and this relates to all inpatients with a variety of conditions. 
There isn’t a minimum time between checks as such but standard 4 hour
patient checks are performed with every patient but this is in addition to
any periodic checks made and any observations recorded during the day or
night.

 

Rounds are held each evening and morning by each clinical discipline with
every case being discussed in detail by each member of the appropriate
service.  All information relative to each patient is discussed with
day/night time observations being taken into account when agreeing
diagnostic or treatment plans for each patient.

 

 

4.  Generally   (or specifically in such cases as described in (3) above)
is it  your  protocol / practice to keep a record of urinary output with
any degree of precision and also oral fluid intake?

 

It is Hospital practice to record urinary output when possible, if the
patient has a fluid bag attached we will measure the quantity passed in
each period between checks and record the details on the patient’s
hospitalisation record, this detail will include the colour, quantity and
any other observations such as the presence of blood or any other
abnormalities.  With cats if we have concerns regarding the passing of
urine we will measure the weight of the litter and tray and re-measure
following checks to determine the quantity of urine passed. With regards
to fluid intake this will also be recorded when it is required but this is
not always a consideration for the wellbeing or treatment of some
inpatients so the decision will be made on recording fluid intake by the
clinical service.  The use of drip pumps does allow accurate motoring of
fluid intake and with all patients were it is deemed necessary to monitor
and record fluid intake this will be done by the clinician or the nurse.

 

5. In terms of the veterinary education you provide does your curriculum
deal with the issue of noise within and machinery use within in patient
accommodation and of so is there a possibility of summarizing that ?

 

We do not include reference to noise or machinery use in patient
accommodation as part of our teaching curriculum.  All students will be
given health and safety guidance with regards to general safety in the
hospital or other areas of work and also with regards to lifting and
handling of patients.  All staff and students have free access to PPI
equipment including ear protection when noise may be a concern.

 

If you are not satisfied with the University’s response to your request,
you may ask the University to review it.  If you wish to do this, please
write to Freedom of Information Reviewer, Legal, Risk & Compliance, The
University of Liverpool, The Foundation Building, 765 Brownlow Hill,
Liverpool, L69 7ZX (email [3][University of Liverpool request email]), enclosing a copy of
your original request and explaining your complaint.  Please include an
address for correspondence.

 

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:-

 

The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45

Website: [4]www.ico.gov.uk

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Lesley Jackson

 

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator

 

 

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