Swansea Bay team named best in Wales for work within primary care

A Swansea Bay team has been named the best in Wales for its multidisciplinary working throughout primary care.

The medicines management team is involved in a variety of projects and services across the health board.

But it was its role within the virtual wards and their work to improve the lives of patients experiencing long-term pain in conjunction with the persistent pain service which helped it receive national recognition.

This year, the team was named Primary Care Team of the Year at the Wales Pharmacy Awards.

Pictured: Senior primary care pharmacist Matthew Lawson, chief pharmacy technician Marianna Handzusova-Howley, head of prescribing and medicines management Rhian Newton and senior primary care pharmacists Kirsty Speakman and Rhys Howell.

Rhian Newton, lead pharmacist within the medicines management team, said: “We highlighted these two areas of work as examples of the diverse and innovative work undertaken by our team.

“Our work within the virtual wards is patient-facing, offering specialist clinical interventions, such as medication reviews and carrying out home visits.

“Whereas our work with the persistent pain service involves population health interventions to help improve patients’ health and wellbeing.”

Virtual wards provide wraparound support in the community to people with complex health and social needs.

Rather than a ward being made up of hospital beds, the patients’ own beds become part of a virtual ward, meaning they still receive the same level of care but in the comfort of their homes instead of a hospital.

Pharmacists have been present within virtual wards since they were launched in Swansea Bay in 2021.

Now, following their expansion into all eight Local Cluster Collaboratives, a dedicated pharmacist is based within each virtual ward.

“Our pharmacists provide highly specialised support to the virtual wards with the overall aim of helping to reduce hospital admissions and prevent prolonged admissions,” Rhian added.

“With the number of patients taking multiple medications increasing, the team provide a focus on medicine optimisation and support evidence-based prescribing, as well as making sure de-prescribing is considered.

“The virtual ward pharmacists can triage patients, carry out home visit assessments and use their clinical skills to carry out patient observations, along with the polypharmacy medication reviews.

“As a result, patients’ medication regimes have been simplified, while they and their families have also been educated on the use of their medication.

“Our team’s involvement in the virtual wards has also enhanced patients’ access to specialist advice and support, particularly for housebound patients who may not be able to access a GP surgery or pharmacy.

“Our data shows that where pharmacists have worked with patients and the wider multi-professional team to make changes to medication, 10.2 per cent of all medications reviewed were identified as no longer required and subsequently stopped.”

The other project the medicines management team was awarded for is its work alongside the persistent pain team and GPs in supporting patients experiencing long-term pain.

Rhian said: “We worked with the persistent pain team and substance misuse service to set up a multidisciplinary team meeting where we could support the care of complex patients who are prescribed large amounts of pain-relieving medication.

“We also worked with the persistent pain and the communications teams to set up a patient-facing internet page called Improving Life with Long Term Pain.

“It provides key messages to better inform patients about how they can help themselves improve their experience of living with pain.”

As a result of their work, the medicines management team members were recently presented with their Primary Care Team of the Year at the ceremony held in The Vale Resort.

Rhian added: “As a team we are supported to work creatively, in partnership with others to ensure the highest standards of patient care.

“So receiving this national award for our team is fantastic.”

Judith Vincent, Swansea Bay’s Clinical Director of Pharmacy, said: “I am really proud to congratulate our incredible primary care team on winning the Primary Care Team of the Year.

“Their dedication, compassion and innovation set the highest standards for patient care and support and the award is testament to their hard work and commitment to excellence.

“I would like to thank the team for everything they do to make a difference to the lives of our patients and the community. They have truly earned this recognition.”