Quality Awards
In memory of Sarah Brookfield (previous Network Director), each year, the Network offers an annual quality award to celebrate and reward success related to local critical care quality improvement activity. All our stakeholders are invited to submit their improvement projects and these are reviewed and a shortlist selected to present to a panel in early January. The winner is presented with their award at the annual quality improvement event held in February. Our previous winners have presented projects relating to;
• Rolling programme of multi professional education sessions • Improving the ICU patient’s ability to communicate • Lessons learned from incidents –improving medication safety • Improving antibiotic dosing and delivery within Critical Care |
Current Improvement Projects
Reducing the risk of delirium for critical care patients
This project is referred to as the DREAMS (not nightmares) delirium prevention bundle, and was developed through a multi professional collaborative workshop held early this year. Our care bundle incorporates elements of best practice in relation to pain management and sedation protocols, early mobility promotion, protecting sleep time, personal communication and orientation strategies as well as consistent application of delirium screening tools. Delirium prevention bundle can be found here;
Reducing the risk of delirium for critical care patients
This project is referred to as the DREAMS (not nightmares) delirium prevention bundle, and was developed through a multi professional collaborative workshop held early this year. Our care bundle incorporates elements of best practice in relation to pain management and sedation protocols, early mobility promotion, protecting sleep time, personal communication and orientation strategies as well as consistent application of delirium screening tools. Delirium prevention bundle can be found here;

Delirium Prevention Bundle.pdf |
Improving lung protective ventilation
Our QuILs are promoting the ‘Blow-Low’ campaign and regularly audit ventilation practice to check whether appropriate patients are being ventilated according to the 6-7ml/kg ideal body weight. This is a particularly challenging area of work as it requires a multi professional approach and needs regular discussion and feedback to teams in order to affect change in practice.
Our QuILs are promoting the ‘Blow-Low’ campaign and regularly audit ventilation practice to check whether appropriate patients are being ventilated according to the 6-7ml/kg ideal body weight. This is a particularly challenging area of work as it requires a multi professional approach and needs regular discussion and feedback to teams in order to affect change in practice.
Ensuring accurate fluid balance records
Ensuring accurate fluid balance records is crucial for appropriate and timely fluid management and often we assume additions and subtractions are correct, but this has not always been the case. Our QuILs are performing regular spot checks and highlighting issues within their teams in order to raise awareness and support improvements for the benefit of patients.
Ensuring accurate fluid balance records is crucial for appropriate and timely fluid management and often we assume additions and subtractions are correct, but this has not always been the case. Our QuILs are performing regular spot checks and highlighting issues within their teams in order to raise awareness and support improvements for the benefit of patients.
Benchmarking Professional Guidance
This year has seen the publication of the eagerly awaited second edition of the Guidelines for the Provision of Intensive Care Services (2019) and we expect to benchmark all our units against the required standards in the near future.
This year has seen the publication of the eagerly awaited second edition of the Guidelines for the Provision of Intensive Care Services (2019) and we expect to benchmark all our units against the required standards in the near future.
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