Our Stroke Unit at CRH have managed to hugely improve their dementia and delirium screening compliance, jumping from 40% to 100%.

Laura Doyle, Lead Matron for Dementia and Delirium, who worked with the team, shares how they have done it.

At the start of each shift the team use the KP+ programme to identify patients who require a screening. These screenings then get completed throughout the shift. The screenings have also been incorporated into the admission process to help early identification of who needs to be screened.

100% compliance means early detection for delirium, which allows for further assessments of the cause, and better outcomes for our patients. 1 in 3 patients do not have a formal diagnosis, but by completing the screenings we are able to identify patients with suspected dementia, and refer them to memory services upon discharge for a formal diagnosis. This means that they are then able to access support services after being discharged.

Laura said: "If you would like to improve compliance in your area, going to see areas with 100% compliance, like the Stroke Unit can be really beneficial. Please get in touch if you would like my help working on an action plan to help improve your department's compliance. Areas may also get support from the information analyst to ensure they're using KP+ to its full potential."

You can book training via ESR or by emailing laura.doyle@cht.nhs.uk