Health, Care or Voluntary Sector Role: Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Supporting Organisation: Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
I am a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist working within the Adult Acute Medicine team at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge. I have a specialist interest in Care of the Elderly and Dementia, as well as progressive neurological disorders.
Influencing change in practice and attitudes can be challenging within larger NHS Trusts, and it is my hope that with the help of the ARC facilitators and speakers and with the sharing of their experience I can be empowered to begin to action change within CUH.
About Molly's fellowship project
Title: Improving Oral Care for Adult Inpatients in Addenbrookes Hospital: exploring existing practices & areas for improvement, and implementing policy and procedures for standardizing oral care
Poor oral hygiene can have a negative impact on patients' health outcomes, as well as their quality of life. Throughout my career as a Speech and Language Therapist, and as a healthcare assistant (HCA) prior to this, I have found that poor oral hygiene and inconsistencies in delivery of oral care within inpatient settings is an issue that is widely recognised but often overlooked as a priority to address, with limited knowledge, training and resources for nursing staff and other professions. This project, based on previous work carried out within the Mouthcare Matters programme (HEE), will explore current oral care practices within CUH, with aim to identify and tackle existing barriers and implement Trust-wide policy and procedure change.
Molly's Supervisor:
Contact Molly: Molly.garfoot2@nhs.net