Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust serves the population of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire. The hospital has around 550 beds and provides a full range of acute services.

The Trust has a long history of developing VTE prevention strategies. Trust-wide guidelines for both VTE thromboprophylaxis and treatment using a single low molecular weight heparin were first introduced in 1998 and have been regularly audited ever since (see Other Resources). Audits of the orthopaedic and general surgery thromboprophylaxis guidelines consistently show compliance of 90% plus. Following the audits guidelines are revised with a view to improving compliance, as a result every prescription and administration chart now includes a printed prompt to prescribe low molecular weight heparin and more recently the VTE risk assessment proforma was also incorporated onto the drug chart (see Risk Assessment).

The Trust's multidisciplinary anticoagulation committee meets regularly to review local and national guidelines, safety alerts, clinical incidents, organise audits and education programmes and to raise the profile of VTE prevention and treatment.  The group delivered a joint presentation as part of the assessment for VTE exemplar status, which was awarded to the Trust in December 2009.The award of VTE exemplar status is a privilege and recognises the high standard of VTE prevention at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, it is a foundation stone for continued development and delivery of excellent patient care in VTE prevention and treatment.

For further information, please contact Anna Braithwaite Principal Pharmacist.

Anna.braithwaite@chesterfieldroyal.nhs.uk