Drivers for improvement

These case studies illustrate how health libraries across the capital are addressing the key issues identified by the Darzi London review.

Commissioning

Decision Support Service
A virtual, multi-disciplinary team brings together the Information and Resource Unit with Health Intelligence and specialists in health inequalities, diversity and clinical governance, to support commissioning and service development in Westminster PCT.

Partnerships
 

PCT Clinical Exceptions Reviews
Several PCTs have agreed to share the evidence they compile for their respective Clinical Exceptions Panels using a common template. Coordinated by the London Health Observatory Knowledge Management service.

Public library staff
Front line staff at Barnet Public Libraries have benefited from training by HealthInform. Participants report new skills and confidence in finding reliable health information and evaluating health resources on the internet.

Public Engagement
 

Patient Information Service - Guy’s and St Thomas’
A user group includes current and former patients, local people, carers and volunteers. It meets each quarter to feed back on the service and suggest improvements. The group also helped develop the tools to evaluate the impact of the patient information service.

Clinical leadership

NICE Guidance compliance
Allowing more efficient management of compliance, the Library at West Middlesex University Hospital Trust has developed linked databases. The new system provides automated notifications, reminders and reports on compliance.

Training and the workforce

Information Literacy           
Promoting, developing and delivering information skills training to primary care and mental health NHS staff working in South-East London to support evidence-based practice and life-long learning. The impact of training is systematically evaluated.

Evidence based journal club
Led by Archway Healthcare Library, the club meets monthly to improving understanding and awareness of research evidence and to promote research activity. Developed in collaboration with the Lead Research Nurse (now the Assistant Director of Nursing).

Knowledge @lerts e-mail alerting service
Aiming to take the stress out of keeping up-to-date in the many fields of health knowledge and information, the Knowledge & Library Service runs an Email Alerting Service for Newham NHS staff.

Open Learning Centre
Installation of a computer suite at Barnet Hospital Library service, supported by part-time education and training staff, opens up access to existing mandatory and statutory e-learning packages as well as personal development opportunities.

Well @ work
Close to a soft seating area, and visible from the doorway, this collection promotes healthy lifestyles to staff and widens access to Newham University Hospital NHS Trust Library. Comprises books, DVDs, pedometers and brochures about adult learning.

Patient choice and information

Cancer information on the internet 
Working with public library colleagues and a patient representative, Archway Healthcare Library prepared a basic guide to finding good quality information on the web. Written for cancer patients, family and friends; requested by the North London Cancer Network.

Crack cocaine: information for parents
Using HealthInform was a turning point for parents worried about their son because a neighbour had told them that he was using crack cocaine. The Health Information Officer at Barnet PCT gave practical information and signposted them to specialized services.

Health information for disadvantaged groups 
An elderly Gujerati speaking woman with arthritis is in pain. Hosted by Edgware Library and Resource Centre HealthInform is a unique service offering acess to reliable health and patient information for hard to reach, and disadvantaged, individuals and groups.

Information support for paediatic patients
The West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust Library provides high quality information requested by inpatients, their families and carers, as well as clinicians. The service is requested via nurses and clinicians.