Welcome to Ward A31!
A31 is based on the top floor of the A block; a 32 bedded unit specialising in infectious diseases and general medicine.
Key Contacts
- Consultants – Dr Amy Baggott, Dr Heather Black, Dr Manjul Medhi
- Senior Charge Nurse – Rosario Walshe
- Nurse Practitioner – Steph McPherson
Day to Day
Each morning starts with a board round in the MDT room, with nursing staff, junior doctors, NP/ANPs and consultants. This is an opportunity to highlight sick patients or outstanding jobs to facilitate discharge.
Ward rounds take place there after with either a middle grade or ANP leading a geographical section of the ward. Consultant ward rounds take place regularly and depend upon the consultant in charge each week.
There is usually opportunity for attendance at clinics, scopes or QI work for at least one member of the team in the afternoon.
Staffing
The ward is usually staffed with 1 NP, 1 FY1 and 2 middle grade doctors (minimum).
FY1 Role
The ward FY1 and NP facilitate ward round support most mornings, splitting the ward in half and working with middle grades, consultants or ANP to do ward round tasks. With time you may independently carry out ward round reviews and present back to senior colleagues.
Tasks include:
- Updating and printing the handover
- Prepare discharge medications for any patients going home
- Go on the ward round with consultants/MG
- FY1s chase the bloods and order them for the next day
- Completing IDLs – including ordering any follow up investigations
- Reviewing sick patients
- Updating families & working with AHP colleagues to plan discharges
Middle Grade Role
Patients are divided depending on number of middle grades and reviewed each day. They also review any boarders or do specialty review with support from the ID physicians. There is also clinic rota organised by the ID clinical fellow.
Education
Each week there is a teaching session delivered by a member of the A31 team, as well as clinical governance and M&M meetings every 2nd month. The infectious diseases team are in the process of setting up a teaching clinic to provide more meaningful clinic experience for A31 trainees, this runs up to three times a week with capacity for 1 trainee per clinic.
The ID team MDT takes place in seminar room 3 at 13.30 on Wednesdays. Trainees with an interest in ID are welcome to join.