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Enhanced obs should not be for long periods of time

Posted By Sopqd39

"Enhanced obs should not be for long periods of time"

About: St Andrew's Healthcare - Women's Pathway

(as a staff member posting for a patient/service user),

I don't agree with prolonged period of enhanced obs. I think yes, it is needed for a short time, perhaps up to two weeks on enhanced obs, but any longer than that time, can make a patient rely on staff and when you come off the obs, you are still looking around for the staff member. On enhanced obs you can't do anything. You can't have visits, which are really important when you are unwell. I couldn't have my own faith pastor visit, only the hospital Chaplain. I just don't think they work and short-term it should be used to get people out of danger but to have it go on and on, it makes the person too reliant on the staff. When I was on it, I wasn't doing anything for myself at all. You just sit and eat comfort food all day and put on a lot of weight. Why can't you go out when you are on enhanced obs? They could still observe you and you would at least get some fresh air.

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Responses

Response from Sanjith Kamath, Clinical Director, St Andrew's Healthcare 7 years ago
Sanjith Kamath
Clinical Director,
St Andrew's Healthcare

Submitted on 27/01/2017 at 15:14
Published on Care Opinion at 15:32

picture of Sanjith Kamath

Thank you for these comments which we will use to focus our thinking on improving this aspect of patient care.

This post raises a number of valid concerns about Enhanced Observation/Support. I agree that this should be used for as short a period as possible to manage certain types of risk. The point about developing reliance on observation levels is well made and we do our best to encourage our patients towards greater independence and self management. Over the last year all staff in the Women's Pathway have worked very hard in bringing down levels of Enhanced Support to reduce the restrictions that this it entails but also to allow staff to have opportunities to engage with patients in different ways.

A patient who is on Enhanced Support should receive a lot of therapeutic input from nurses, medics, psychologists, Social Workers and Occupational Therapists and this should be focused on the patient’s needs while considering the risks involved. We monitor the amount of therapeutic activity offered to patients on Enhanced Support to ensure they do get their therapy needs met.

Some wards do allow leave in the grounds on an escorted basis even when a patient is on Enhanced Support but this has to be planned and implemented carefully with the team being mindful of safety of the patient and others. Similarly, we do our best to allow planned visits from family and carers and our wards do facilitate these even when patient is on Enhanced Support. In my experience these visits can be helpful.

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