TOPIC 

 TOPIC is the older persons improvement collaborative focusing on the Care of the Elderly wards in South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. The aim of TOPIC is to improve patient care, and their experience, also improving the experience of staff working in this area, in particular registered nurses and health care assistants.   

What is an improvement collaborative?

Improvement collaboratives are well established approaches to quality improvement in healthcare. They involve groups of professionals and sometimes patients, families and carers working together on 'problems' to seek improvement. They also maximise staff engagement and shared learning using a structured approach to identify solutions to problems. 

Who is it for?

TOPIC will potentially involve staff on all older people’s wards across the Trust and some staff working in the community. It is anticipated that learning and improvements will be transferrable to other wards/areas where older people are routinely cared for.

Broad Aims of Collaborative

• Improve recruitment and retention
• Improve suppport, development and education  
• Improve patient experience
• Improve patient care

For further information on the TOPIC collaborative, please contact the team on

• Diane Palmer, Deputy Director of Nursing, Patient Safety and Quality - diane.palmer10@nhs.net
• Gail Tunstall, Quality Improvement Facilitator - gail.tunstall@nhs.net
• Robert Common, Head of Quality Improvement - robert.common@nhs.net
• Laura Smith, Lead Nurse for Quality Improvement - laura.smith225@nhs.net

Certicate of Achievement in 'Care of the Older Person' module

https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/short-courses-cpd/care-for-the-older-person/

• Learn how we age and the issues we face.  
• Discover some of the common conditions seen in older people and health promotion to support ‘wellness’. 
• Explore cultural bias and personal values.

This short course is aimed at both Level 6 (top-up or undergraduate degree) and Level 7 (Masters) and is 20 credits. It is assessed via 3,500 word essay for both Level 6 and 7. The course runs over 5 days which are currently held face to face at the University of Sunderland. 

The next programme cohort will begin in June 2023.

Overall Objectives of the course:

• Promote the speciality and specialised knowledge and skills required for working with older people, families and carers
• Support practitioners to be able to critically evaluate and reflect on their practice in delivering care to older people

Learning Outcomes:

• Explain in detail, national and local policy relating to care of the older person and their family/carer
• Discuss health conditions commonly experienced by the older person, from a holistic perspective
• Analyse and articulate the importance of effective healthcare partnership and inter disciplinary/agency working in relation to supporting the older person and their family with person centred and family centred care.

Useful documents

• CPD Learning Development Agreement Form
• Expression of Interest Form 
• ESF Application Form

Please click here to find out more or to download an application form

If you would like to attend the next cohort, please discuss with your line manager and Matron. Once agreed please ensure you complete the application forms and return them to stsft.cpd@nhs.uk and ESF@sunderland.co.uk 

Caring for Older People: A partnership Model

Please click here for more information.

For further information on the TOPIC collaborative, please contact Gail Tunstall, Quality Improvement Facilitator; gail.tunstall@nhs.net.

Knowledge and Education 

Quality Improvement Training for all staff in TOPIC areas

• QI Handbook 
• Please click here for further information on Quality Improvement 
• We encourage all staff to join the library and utilise the services the library has on offer, please click here for more information on the library services 
• Please click here for access to The Silver Book - a useful resource for anyone caring for older people