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Public Health and Wellbeing

A collaboration between professionals in Microbiology and Infection Control serving West Wales

Who’s taking the urine?

September 4, 2015 by Dr Mike Simmons Leave a Comment

UrinaryIsolatesOr who is responsible for sending urine samples to the laboratory and why?

I’ve used a variation of that title as part of the title for a number of presentations I’ve been giving across our local health board area, in an attempt to grab my audience attention.

What’s the issue?

Innapropriate use of antibiotics, particularly in our older population, to treat alledged urinary tract infection.  Indeed, this article is prompted by a conversation this morning with one of my biomedical scientists in the lab.  We were discussing the whole issue of interpretation of microbiology results and management of infection.  She … Read the rest

Filed Under: Educational, Empower, Infection, Quality

Care home conference

April 17, 2015 by Dr Mike Simmons Leave a Comment

I always welcome the opportunity to visit the National Botanic Garden of Wales so was delighted to be invited to discuss how the Hywel Dda’s paradigm shift in thinking about the management of healthcare associated will support our local care homes.

The conference, “Working together to promote health, wellbeing and quality of life” was opened by Sarah Rochira, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales where she discussed elements of her care home review, “A place to call home?”

I was struck by her messages around the wellbeing agenda for older people in our community and what “good” looked like in those … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, Infection Tagged With: HCAI, infection, urinary tract infection, UTI, wellbeing

All things must pass

April 6, 2015 by Dr Mike Simmons Leave a Comment

N0, not the standard medical joke but rather reference to the fact that after some time, I have abandoned the rather attractive old site and updated it to what you see now.  Love it or hate it, it had to happen as most people these days are looking at websites on many different platforms and screen sizes.  By finding a responsive theme (courtesy of my daughter, Eleanor and families kindness as a birthday present) what you see should be visible on smart ‘phones, tablets and all manner of screen sizes.

 

Somewhere along the way I have lost a series … Read the rest

Filed Under: General, Social Networks Tagged With: general

A paradigm shift in thinking

September 15, 2014 by Dr Mike Simmons 5 Comments

I’m pleased to see that the Hywel Dda Health Board’s new strategic direction for the management of Healthcare Associated Infections is available to view on their Internet site.  The paper that outlines the proposals is

“Reducing HCAI through a paradigm shift in thinking: The Law of Multiple Small Positive Returns”

I wrote this paper for the board’s Quality and Safety Committee, which considered them in June, following a series of meetings that started in December 2013.  The Quality and Safety Committee is one of the Statutory Committees of the board and the complete suite of documents are available … Read the rest

Filed Under: Educational, Infection, Risks

When transparency is opaque

July 12, 2013 by Dr Mike Simmons 1 Comment

I’m struck by the desire of the Welsh Government Health Department to encourage Health Boards in Wales to increase transparency in relation to Healthcare Associated Infection, which is commendable but as my title suggests, if we are not careful, may confuse our local population and in the worst case scenario, lead to anxiety.

As regular readers will be aware, I have a long abiding concern over the harms we can inflict on our patients and their relatives and said much in this area in my article, “Should I be worried about Healthcare Associated Infections“.   I became very interested … Read the rest

Filed Under: Educational, Infection, Risks

Blood cultures: an important test

March 18, 2013 by Dr Mike Simmons Leave a Comment

One of the most important microbiological investigations we undertake is the blood culture.   This is because blood does not normally have bacteria swimming around in it and therefore unlike from non-sterile sites, we can view any organism from a blood culture as potentially serious.

That said, as with any test we undertake, the opportunity for a sample to become contaminated is ever present.  This is just as true for blood culture because the sample is taken from a vein and access to the vein is via a needle through the skin.  Skin is not sterile but is home to many … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, Educational, Infection Tagged With: culture, HCAI, healthcare associated infection, infection, specimens

Should I worry about Healthcare Associated Infections?

March 14, 2013 by Dr Mike Simmons 1 Comment

This is a healthy question for any potential patient to ask of their medical advisors, particularly if they are about to go into hospital for some form of healthcare intervention, be it surgery or some other form of therapy.  Every potential patient should be advised of all the risks they may face – that’s part of understanding and determining their decision to proceed with the advice of their physician.

The unhealthy question is much more the specific: “Should I be worried about MRSA or C diff?”  It’s understandable that people ask about specific organisms but it is rather a failure … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, General, Infection, Risks Tagged With: anaesthesia, HCAI, healthcare associated infection, infection, surgery

Smile and the world smiles with you

June 15, 2010 by Dr Mike Simmons 9 Comments

I couldn’t help thinking of Eleanor at Give a Brick as well as her personal site at Youier when I got stuck into the book I mentioned I had ordered from Amazon following my day in London last week.  The second chapter is entitled, “When you smile, the world smiles with you.”

Happiness is good for you

The basis of this chapter is that happiness is good for you.  So by spreading happiness and love, you help prolong the lives of those with whom you interact.  Now, ever since the start of the year, Eleanor has been spreading her infectious … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, Educational, Social Networks

Understanding behavioural responses to infections

June 13, 2010 by Dr Mike Simmons 1 Comment

The Infectious Disease Research Network held a fascinating conference on Friday 11th June entitled “Understanding behavioural responses to infectious disease outbreaks”. The programme was still available last time I looked at: www.idrn.org/events/upcoming/behavioural.php. This seemed the ideal opportunity to see if others felt there were opportunities to explore the internet technologies in getting people engaged in discussions around public health issues – something that this whole site is aiming to do.

Communicating an issue is one thing; getting people to change their behaviour is the difficult bit.  But as this web site attests, if we are to get more into … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, Educational, General

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A brief introduction

Public Health and Wellbeing seeks to help individuals understand the way our health and well-being is influenced by internal personal factors and external environmental factors.

The principle focus is with infection but we will also delve into other areas. The site is available to professionals and public alike.

While the owner and other authors are public health professionsals, the site is aimed at our principle population in West Wales. Please see
About This Site for more information.

Articles by Title

  • COVID-19: still testing the wrong people March 14, 2021
  • COVID-19 testing: Wasting money on an industrial scale? December 5, 2020
  • COVID-19: All over by Christmas? November 11, 2020
  • COVID-19: The Missing Middle October 4, 2020
  • Rurality revisited May 31, 2020
  • COVID, complexity and face-masks May 17, 2020
  • COVID-19: Where next? April 26, 2020
  • Creating a new normal April 19, 2020
  • Risk assessment on the fly April 18, 2020
  • A Question of Scale April 10, 2020
  • Wales the wonderful April 11, 2019
  • Demonstrating sepsis detection in Hywel Dda April 16, 2018
  • Catheter urine sampling June 23, 2017
  • Antibiotic suppression reducing August 5, 2016
  • Little things August 1, 2016
  • Urine quality improves July 17, 2016
  • HCAI complexity rules January 27, 2016
  • Urine triggers January 26, 2016
  • Gamekeeper turned Poacher December 17, 2015
  • Following in the footsteps of Bevan? December 9, 2015
  • Who’s taking the urine? September 4, 2015
  • Care home conference April 17, 2015
  • All things must pass April 6, 2015
  • A paradigm shift in thinking September 15, 2014
  • When transparency is opaque July 12, 2013
  • Blood cultures: an important test March 18, 2013
  • Should I worry about Healthcare Associated Infections? March 14, 2013
  • Smile and the world smiles with you June 15, 2010
  • Understanding behavioural responses to infections June 13, 2010

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