Research Matters - an update on NERVE
Approximately 4.7 million people in the UK live with diabetes. These people are at higher risk of foot care problems, if not treated properly this can lead to ulceration. Some of these may progress to amputation. Diabetes-related ulceration and amputation cost the NHS up to £1bn a year.
The NERVE project is a collaboration between UHD and BU that was awarded a large NIHR i4i Innovation grant.
The project team developed the NERVE app (NEuRopathy evaluation using the Vibration function of a mobile phonE) and a probe to allow for regular testing either within a clinical setting or at home by either the patients or their carers.
The next stage of the project was to conduct the clinical trial to find out if the app and probe is as accurate and reliable as the current standard of care test for detecting loss of sensation in the feet.
Within the trial participants attended a single visit where a healthcare professional tested the NERVE device and the current standard of care device. Participants were also provided with the chance to test the NERVE device for themselves.
The recruitment target was 300 participants with diabetes, 20 An update on NERVE and the research team recruited 314 participants with diabetes across RBH and Poole.
Charlotte Humphrey is one of the research nurses who worked on the study. She said: “NERVE was a great way to get out on the wards and meet patients. I really enjoyed being able to offer them the opportunity to be part of research in an easy and accessible way.”
Pasco's project; a united front to fight infections
From Africa to Dorset, see how Team UHD is working with international colleagues to tackle antimicrobial resistance...
In November 2023, Dr Pasco Hearn, consultant microbiologist and head of microbiology at UHD, obtained £65,000 for a project called The Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS2) - from a fund aimed at healthcare partnerships. Funding came from Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) and the Commonwealth Pharmacists’ Association (CPA).
Pasco’s project, lasting 21 months, covers three key topics; microbiology, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention control activities.
In May 2024, the team that was assembled by Pasco travelled to Dorset, and spent two weeks working alongside him and UHD’s microbiology, pharmacy Pasco’s project; a united front to fight infections and infection prevention and control teams to gain a better understanding of how NHS processes compare to those in the Ugandan healthcare system.
Here are their reflections...
Pasco: “I went out to Lira with Poole Africa Link, and after making some great connections I applied for funding for this project. The lead in Uganda is Dr Francis Kiweewa and he and I formed a team to address the issue of antimicrobial resistance.
“The approach starts in the laboratory to bolster microbiology services, so that we can make sure we find resistant organisms when they’re there. The next step is AMS, linking up pharmacy, the lab and the clinical teams, with the third prong being IPC.
“It’s great to welcome Maria, a microbiology scientist who runs the micro lab in Lira; Dr Frednald, a doctor who chairs the IPC committee; and Harriet, a senior pharmacist in Lira. They are all spending time here shadowing their counterparts in the NHS to see how a completely different healthcare system manages the same problems.”
Harriet Tino: “The hospital’s active involvement and role in patient care and management is great and something that has really stood out for me throughout my time here... ”
Dr Frednald: “In our system we don’t have someone assigned to IPC work the way you do. But I have seen that the connections between IPC and the other streams in the hospital is key for patient safety and care...”
Maria Apaki: “Since being here I’m learning a lot about what I can do in terms of treating patients. Patient safety is very key and there is proper screening of the prescription at every level. There are so many steps I’ve seen in the dispensing pharmacy that I want to implement slowly when I go back...”
Pasco: “I’m really happy that it all came together. Everyone has been very welcoming and these guys are putting in the time and effort in coming far away from home to a far and distant place. They have a different perspective with what they have seen from staff here at UHD; seeing how elements of our system will never really fit in their healthcare setting at the moment, but some of it definitely will be transferable. I think this partnership will go from strength to strength, and it’s been of huge benefit to myself and our team...”
On Saturday 25 May 2024, 50-Year-old John McDermott laced up his trainers to tackle a 100km trail run from London to Brighton.
As he raced towards the finish line, it wasn’t just the sweat and blisters at the front of John’s mind. He was running in tribute to his son Alfie who sadly passed away in June 2018.
Alfie was just seven-years old when he was taken into Poole Hospital and treated for severe anxiety induced asthma but tragically, his airways did not open, and he unexpectedly died that day.
John and Jen McDermott and their wider family were supported by Gully’s Place – a service that has been developed to support children and young people with life-limiting conditions.
Funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity, Gully’s Place offers families a private place within a hospital setting, with the reassurance and comfort of having expert care at hand. Located on the children’s ward, the suite also provides home-from-home accommodation and a place of privacy and dignity for end-of-life care and newly bereaved families.
Jen said: “The time, the space, the amazing care and the privacy we were given through Gully’s Place is something so special to us. I can’t tell you how much that meant to us during those unbearable moments.”
“The facilities and set-up at Gully’s Place meant our youngest son, Harry who was only six at the time, could choose where he wanted to be that day but still be with his family. While we could say goodbye to Alfie, Harry had the time to process what was going on and was not forced to see Alfie until he was ready. All of this was made possible with Gully’s Place.”
And almost six years on, Alfie’s memory shines bright in the McDermott household with the warmest of memories and photos of Alfie’s unforgettable smile. While Alfie will remain in their hearts forever and the devastation doesn’t go, this loving family are hoping to help other parents who experience a similar tragedy or need this type of support.
John said: “I took on this crazy challenge to help raise awareness of Gully’s Place – a place we couldn’t have been without that day. I channel my energy into challenges like this as part of the forever grieving process - but this was by far, my biggest challenge yet!”
“I did it for Alfie and every parent out there whoever experiences the same tragedy as us and needs the support of services like Gully’s Place. People simply need to know it’s there.”
On Saturday 25 May, John was cheered on every step of the way by his wife Jennifer and their son, Harry (11 years) and daughter Maebha (4 years) as he approached the end of this epic race in Brighton.
Running by his side for the first half of this epic challenge was close friend, Jessica Richens who wanted to support Gully’s Place and the McDermott family.
New enhanced stroke unit opens with expanded capacity
Colleagues gathered earlier this month (4 June) to celebrate the official opening of our newly enhanced stroke unit, which now features a 20% increase in capacity, bringing the total number of beds to 43. The unit is based at Royal Bournemouth Hospital and is set to welcome its first patients on June 10, consolidating the stroke services team into one central location. 
This state-of-the-art facility not only provides additional beds but also boasts improved patient amenities and expanded office space. Centralising the stroke services enhances flexibility and resilience among staff, streamlines patient care pathways, and improves continuity of care by minimising mid-treatment hospital transfers, ultimately reducing the length of hospital stays.
Dr. Suzanne Ragab, consultant stroke physician and UHD’s clinical lead for stroke, expressed her enthusiasm about the new unit:
"Having the stroke service consolidated on one site is already enhancing patient care, particularly in reducing the average length of stay for our patients.
“Congratulations to everyone involved – this development marks a significant advancement in the care we can offer stroke patients."
Dr. Ragab highlighted the benefits of the new unit:
“Combining services in one location allows for greater staff flexibility and resilience, more efficient patient pathways, and access to our innovative Walkerbot technology.
“We have already observed notable improvements, with recent data showing a significant reduction in treatment times since the consolidation.
“For instance, patients from the Poole and Purbeck areas are now receiving life-saving treatment in about one-third of the time it took before these changes.”
This £1m enhancement aligns with the recommendations of the Dorset Clinical Services Review and are part of broader regional healthcare plans. These include establishing the Royal Bournemouth Hospital as the major emergency hospital and Poole Hospital as the planned care hospital by 2026. Both developments promise significant benefits for patients, delivering the latest advancements in healthcare.
Understanding pathology: health under the microscope
On 4 June, expert speakers Nathan Bourne, Biomedical Scientist and Pathology Governance and Quality Manager at University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Anna Mantzouratou, Principal Academic in Human Genetics at Bournemouth University (BU) discussed the role pathology plays in healthcare.
Nathan Bourne spoke about the new Dorset Pathology Hub, the different laboratories and their purpose. He shared a video of Steve Hior’s patient experience which highlights how the hub provides a more personalised approach to healthcare.
In addition to this, he spoke about the digitalisation of pathology and the advances of artificial neural networks and machine learning (using artificial intelligence) for early detection and diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, helping shorten waiting times for diagnosis. Further advancements include using heat mapping (thermography) in Breast Cancer Screening to detect tumour tissue. He said, “We’re here to save lives, every sample there is a patient on the end of it, we’re here to support their journey through healthcare.”
Dr Anna Mantzouratou followed with her presentation ‘There is no one like you’. Her main area of research is looking at the genetics of early human embryos and gametes, and the genetics of antimicrobial resistance. She spoke about media coverage of artificial human cloning and genetic engineering (the modification of an organism’s genes using technology).
Additionally, she spoke about modern-day access to a wealth of information about our genes and ancestry through direct-to-consumer genetic testing and how genetic information can be used for health prognosis and treatment. Furthermore, she spoke about preimplantation genetic testing and how our genes as well as environmental factors can impact fertility.
She said, “The collaboration between University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust and Bournemouth University is of mutual benefit. We need patients to conduct our research and find out what is needed. It also equips us with knowledge and understanding to train students to work in hospitals and healthcare environments. Education, training, and research will support developments in pathology.”
You can watch the recording of this event and previous Understanding Health talks which discussed ‘Understanding Menopause’ and ‘Understanding Concussion in Sport and Practice’ on the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust website.
