Over the past year, the programme has seen fantastic engagement and results in its work to reduce stroke across Wessex through the use of anticoagulants in treating Atrial Fibrillation. Two stakeholder and 30 further education and training events have resulted in the development of a network; and the programme has delivered a 67% increase in anticoagulant prescribing across Wessex, with 60% of providers showing a reduction in stroke plus a 17% reduction in the variation in exception reporting.
In West Hampshire CCG’s area, supported by the AHSN, 51 practices were supported to use PRIMIS audit tools to identify at-risk patients and, as a consequence, demonstrated a reduction of 47 strokes in eight months, saving the NHS (an estimated) £2m.
This work has been shortlisted for a HSJ Value in Healthcare award, and it won a Quality in Anticoagulation award for the development of nurse-led anticoagulation services with Salisbury NHS Trust. In addition, 67% of patients reviewed by the specialist outreach service report a positive influence on their care. The team has also built strong links with pharma and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for future projects.
Take a look at our film which shows how we're working together to improve anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation in the community:
Working together to improve anti-coagulation in Atrial Fibrillation from Wessex AHSN Limited on Vimeo.