Spinal Injuries Nurses Share Good Practice

The first 48 hours after an accident are crucially important for patients with spinal cord injuries. And tomorrow, at a conference to be held at the UEA's Sportspark, frontline healthworkers from NNUH will have the chance to promote their expertise in caring for patients who have suffered this type of injury.

Among the speakers will be paralympic athlete John Robinson, who will talk about his own car accident and how he has adjusted to life in a wheelchair.

Staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have been working with Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Unit at Sheffield for several years now and have prepared guidelines and protocols for staff who come into contact with these patients.

“We do not have a spinal injuries unit of our own at NNUH but we have a strong multidisciplinary team who can care for these patients until they can be transferred to Sheffield,” says Mary Collins, a sister in Trauma and Orthopaedics. “We increasingly get referrals from other hospitals and we have nine liaison nurses who are trained to offer advice and support.”

The conference will bring together nurses and health professionals from NNUH, the James Paget and West Suffolk Hospitals to learn more about spinal injuries and to share good practice.

There will be demonstrations of specialist equipment and a chance to discuss new techniques?

“Patients at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital are lucky to have such a dedicated team working at NNUH,” says Paul Harrison, clinical development officer for the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Unit. “They have looked at the whole patient journey and developed An impressive, joined-up approach to the care of patients with spinal cord injuries.”

Photo Opportunity
You are invited to meet the NNUH liaison nurses and talk to John Robinson at the UEA Sportspark from 12.30am to 1.30pm.

Media Contact: Sue Jones 01603 289944