Education for Health Logo

The Athenaeum
10 Church Street
Warwick
CV34 4AB
Email


Charity Reg No: 1048816
Company Reg No: 3090774

Chairman: Dr Jonathan Shapiro
MA (Cantab), MB, ChB, MRCGP

Press Releases & News

Press Releases & News at a glance:

Education with a Future - film now showing - 22 January 2007

This short film, Education with a future, was created because the NHS Alliance wanted to highlight how an innovative attitude and pioneering approach can be harnessed to meet the challenges of caring for 18 million people who have long term conditions.

Our mission and achievement is to be at the forefront of professional clinical excellence in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory and allergic disease. To continue to set and promote standards of best practice and to continue to establish practice nursing as the profession and recognised career choice for providing front line care which makes a real difference to patients’ lives.

At a time when the NHS is facing challenge and crisis, our story and reputation seems to consistently cut through and offer real and relevant ways for health professionals and managers to move forward. Last year alone more than 4200 health professionals across thousands of practices, wards and communities chose distance learning with Education for Health to help them deliver their part of the long term conditions agenda.

This year we celebrate 20 years of pioneering education in primary care. We were proud to be asked to showcase our story, and are delighted to be able to share it with you here.

View film now showing...

Please note to avoid downloading time we have streamed the film so there is a good balance between download speed and quality. The minimum connection that you need to view the video is 512kb (slowest broadband connection). 

Special highlights from the film…..

 

Fiona Shally - Practice Nurse
"Having four children and having to work full time, it’s important to be able to get the work-life balance right by being able to do distance learning which allows me to do that.”

Bryan Stoten - PCT Chairman
"I think Education for Health is going to deliver the White Paper.
If we’re serious on getting domiciliary care and community nursing care right, we’ll have to invest in training.  I think the future for this sort of training particularly distance learning training is very strong indeed.”

David Colin Thome - Director of Primary Care, Department of Health
"Education and training is fundamental to developing better care for  patients and since primary care is taking on a  whole range of new responsibilities and extending services we need to have the skills and competencies in place amongst all primary care professionals."

Sue Cross - Working in Partnership Programme (WiPP)
“The nurses very much work alongside the GPs and have their own caseloads and can prescribe and so they need this high level of education and training to improve their competencies."

For further information:

Education for Health achieves Employer of Choice Award - December 2006

 

The organisation which received a "highly recommended" commendation in 2004, has grown from 30 to 50 staff and the award was granted in December 2006.

Education for Health achieved the Warwickshire Employer of Choice Award 2006 for a medium sized employer. This award was granted following a visit by the selection panel to interview 6 members of staff from across the organisation.

 employer_of_choice_logo

Gill Parks, Director of Operations, said "We are delighted that the work we have done to support our employees with work-life balance issues has been recognised locally. We believe that fostering sound working relationships with our staff is key to our success and this can be measured through our sickness levels, staff retention and staff motivation. Everyone who comes to work has a sense of purpose and takes a personal pride that the work we do here really makes a difference to patients with long term conditions".

The selection panel summarised as follows:
The winner in this group offers flexibility and choice to encourage people, with the right skills, to stay with the organisation, regardless of job role. This is clearly demonstrated at director level and, on the company visit, gave the judging panel the single best example of work-life balance in a senior role. An employee at director level who decided to put family first and only works a few hours per week, on annualised hours, while still feeling part of the organisation and being involved in directors meetings and decision making. This is a win win situation for the organisation which has retained a skilled, committed, member of staff and the employee who feels privileged to have a challenging job and still look after her children. Clearly this demonstrates that with creative thinking it is possible to offer flexibility and choice at any level!

employer_of_choice_awards2006

For current opportunities within Education for Health view our Job Vacancies page.

For further information contact us directly by tel: +44 (0) 1926 493313 or email: enquiries@educationforhealth.org.uk

Optimal healthcare threatened by cuts in NHS training budgets - 13 December 2006

The Department of Health is accused of prioritising cuts in training for NHS staff simply because they are the easiest to make “for structural reasons” in a report published today by the Health Select Committee.

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of Education for Health, a national charity providing education for healthcare professionals, said “This is extremely worrying.  We had over 4,000 students attend one of our nationally recognised training courses in respiratory and cardiovascular disease during 2005/6 but we, like other training providers, have seen a downturn in the number of nurses coming through our programmes in the first three months of this academic year.  Nurses in primary care fulfil an important role in delivering high quality care to patients and patient care and safety could suffer as a result of the cuts in training budgets”.

Professor Tom Quinn, Trustee of Education for Health and Professor of Cardiac Nursing at Coventry University, said “It is essential to ensure that healthcare professionals continue to receive specialist education to support them in caring for patients with long term conditions.  Evidence from the literature shows that improving knowledge improves care.  Furthermore, research undertaken has shown that health professional education significantly improves the confidence and competence of healthcare professionals(1) and patients’ quality of life(2).

The Government has highlighted management of long term conditions as a high priority and the Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children issued today by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence is therefore particularly welcome.  Primary Health Care professionals are in the front line of dealing with this rising epidemic and need the support of high quality education to help them in this role.

Education for Health is located at: The Athenaeum, 10 Church Street, Warwick, CV34 4AB. Switchboard Tel: +44(0)1926 493313

- Ends –

References:

Coomber J, Yeatts K, Lester M, Fletcher M and Walker S.  Improving Asthma Diagnosis through health Practitioner Education.  Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society 2006: B23: A292

Standardised training for healthcare professionals and its impact on perennial rhinitis: multi-centre randomised controlled trial.  Sheikh A, Khan-Wasti S, Price D, Smeeth L, Fletcher M, Walker SM.  Clin Exp allergy 2006 (in press)

For more information please contact:

Sue Weston, Director of Cardiovascular Development at Education for Health,

Tel: +44 (0)1926 836834 or Mobile: +44 (0)7860 946808

Facts about Education for Health:

Education for Health is a dynamic merger that took place in August 2005 between two of the UK’s leading organisations for health professionals: Heartsave – national Cardiovascular Training Programme, and the National Respiratory Training Centre.

The two partner organisations have each earned a reputation for excellence in education in their respective areas of expertise and have trained in excess of 40,000 students both nationally and internationally.  Prior to the establishment of Education for Health, The National Respiratory Training Centre had been at the frontline of the battle to achieve recognition for people with lung disease since 1986. 

Education for Health aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health education across the fields of cardiovascular disease, allergy, and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide.

All education is evidence based and grounded in practice; fully up to date with the General Medical Services Contract; based on key national guidelines; directly linked with the competency frameworks and Knowledge and Skills Framework; and is subject to frequent, rigorous clinical and academic review.  In addition, in these days of Health Service change and uncertainty, all students are fully supported throughout their studies by a team of clinical experts.

 

National Knowledge Week for COPD - 13-17 November 2006

The National Knowledge Week for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is being produced by the National Library for Health (NLH) Respiratory Specialist Library. It has been launched to coincide with Wold COPD Day on 15 November 2006. It will provide health professionals working in respiratory healthcare and medicine with the latest evidence and information on a number of topics within the field of COPD.

Working with a wide range of stakeholders, a series of articles have been written by experts from all fields of respiratory healthcare. The topics include:

  • The burden of COPD in the UK
  • Living with COPD
  • Setting Standards for the Delivery of Integrated Respiratory Care (S-DIRC)
  • Organisational change in primary care - impact on COPD
  • Performing good quality spirometry
  • Evidence based drug therapy
  • The management of acute exacerbation in COPD
  • Non-invasive ventilation
  • The role of physical therapies in preventing exacerbation in COPD
  • Role of the pharmacist in the management of COPD
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation in COPD
  • COPD and palliative and supportive care

To support these articles links have been provided to recently published guidelines and systematic reviews relating to them, and quality patient information materials.

Dr Mark Everard, Clinical Lead for the Respiratory Specialist Library said “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the leading causes of mortality both within the UK and world wide.  The associated morbidity is enormous and places a heavy burden on healthcare systems.  For this year’s Respiratory Specialist Library’s COPD National Knowledge Week (NKW) we have 12 contributions covering a range of issues relating to topics such as organisation of care, long term management and prevention or minimisation of the impact of exacerbations.  These have been produced by individuals from a variety of backgrounds all of whom are experts in their field and who have reviewed the latest evidence that might be used to inform healthcare in this particular field.  This NKW is part of an on going strategy to keep our users abreast of new evidence in a range of health care issues as they become available and to help support them in their aim of providing the best possible care to their patients.”

The national knowledge week for COPD is available online at the Respiratory Specialist Library: http://www.library.nhs.uk/respiratory

For more information please contact Rob Duffin, Project Manager:
Tel: +44 (0) 114 261 7261
Email: r.duffin@sheffield.ac.uk

Join the fight to eradicate TB - 2 November 2006

The latest TB figures are shocking.  Last year TB killed more people than did all the wars, earthquakes, plane crashes and other disasters.  Two million people die from TB each year including 73,000 people in Europe. In 2005 there were 8,113 cases of TB reported in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This was a 10.8% increase from the previous year.

The effect of contracting TB on individual patients, their families and potentially the wider community, can be distressing.  Complete recovery is possible, but this involves a lengthy course of treatment with numerous drugs for a minimum of six months.  Adherence to therapy is often difficult; particularly since TB in the UK often affects marginalized and immigrant groups.  Poor adherence can lead to multi drug resistance, with serious consequences.

WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO RECOGNISE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS?

Your delay in diagnosis can lead to even more people being infected and further deterioration in the patients’ condition.  The warning bells should ring if an individual presents with a persistent cough, night sweats or unexplained weight loss.  Although these symptoms can be due to other conditions, TB training at Education for Health alerts you to the possibility of tuberculosis infection to enable early diagnosis and appropriate management to be delivered.  Our distance learning programme is ideal for the busy health professional because study can be undertaken to fit in with your lifestyle and requires no attendance at a study day.  For more information please access the Education for Health website.

Alternatively, if you would like to discuss any aspect of our TB education please feel free to e-mail me directly e.pearson@educationforhealth.org.uk or phone: +44 (0)1926 836848

Education for Health is located at: The Athenaeum, 10 Church Street, Warwick, CV34 4AB. Switchboard Tel: +44(0)1926 493313

- ENDS -

For more information please contact:

Eileen Pearson, Module Leader, at Education for Health, Tel: +44 (0)1926 836848
or Sue Weston, Director of Cardiovascular Development at Education for Health. Tel: mobile +44 (0)7860 946808

Notes to Editors

TB is an important and often neglected respiratory disease. One third of the world’s population is currently infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis with someone being infected every second. TB is a major health problem in developing countries and of increasing importance in developed countries. The production of the DoH action plan “Stopping Tuberculosis in England” alongside the recently published NICE guideline for TB has raised the profile of TB in the UK. There is however still a lack of understanding and stigma attached to TB amongst both the general public and health professionals

Facts about Education for Health:

Education for Health is a dynamic merger that took place in August 2005 between two of the UK’s leading organisations for health professionals: Heartsave – national Cardiovascular Training Programme, and the National Respiratory Training Centre.

The two partner organisations have each earned a reputation for excellence in education in their respective areas of expertise and have trained in excess of 40,000 students both nationally and internationally

Education for Health aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health education across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide.

The Global Burden of COPD: An International Call to Action - 18 October 2006

View the final International Call to Action Statement (PDF) for further details.

Rosie Winterton, Health Minister visits Education for Health, the largest UK based charity training health professionals – 17 October 2006

[Published in Practice Nurse; 27th October 2006]

rosie_winterton_and_monica_fletcherSpecialist respiratory nurses, who provide invaluable support and advice to practice nurses, are being axed across the country by cash-strapped PCTs.

The concerns of this group were raised with health minister Rosie Winterton during a visit on 17th October to the headquarters of Education for Health, the centre for cardiovascular and respiratory disease education and research based in Warwick.

A recent survey by the Association of Respiratory Nurses (ARNS) found that 40% of these specialists have been asked to work away from their specialist area or fear they will lose their jobs.

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive for Education for Health, told Ms Winterton that specialist respiratory nurses will be key players in helping to raise standards when the new COPD national service framework is introduced in 2009. ‘We stressed to the minister the importance of training and warned her that the profession would not be able to deliver on the COPD NSF if specialist nurses were being moved out of their posts or being made redundant.  These expert lead nurses are vital in supporting practice nurses in their roles.’

Alyson Anderton, respiratory nurse specialist (TB) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said that in her area, at least four of the 12 specialist nursing posts are currently under threat.  She said: ‘We are an easy target because we are an expensive option for the new PCT, which has to save £60m by the end of the year. ‘We work across the boundaries of primary and secondary care and we provide advice and expertise to practice nurses and to GPs and help to prevent hospital admissions.’

Rachel Booker, a primary care respiratory nurse and module leader for COPD at Education for Health, highlighted the training needs of practice nurses with Ms Winterton.  She said: ‘We told the minister that there are still practice nurses being recruited from secondary care with none of the skills needed in primary care.  This is where nurses who are clinical nurse specialists and nurses in primary care with a specialist interest in respiratory disease are helping bridge the gap so patient care does not fall down between primary and secondary care. We need to get the primary care nursing workforce skilled up in respiratory disease if we are going to help keep patients out of hospital’.

Education for Health and the Arrhythmia Alliance collaborate to raise awareness of heart rhythm problems - 19 September 2006

View our Press Release (PDF) for further details of our exciting collaboration to raise awareness of heart rhythm problems.

Good management of hypertension today will save lives tomorrow: The latest evidence in the fight to combat the ‘silent killer’ - 29 June 2006

Education for Health wholeheartedly welcomes the updated NICE guidelines on tackling hypertension in England and Wales and stresses the important role of education in their implementation.

Some 40% of adults in England and Wales have hypertension and this proportion increases with age.  In 2001, the NHS funded 90 million prescriptions for drugs that lower blood pressure, accounting for nearly 15 per cent of the total annual cost of all primary care drugs.  However national surveys continue to show substantial under-diagnosis, under-treatment and poor rates of blood pressure control in the United Kingdom(1).

Professor Tom Quinn, Professor of Cardiology at Coventry University and Trustee of the medical education charity Education for Health (formerly Heartsave and the National Respiratory Training Centre) says:  “These new guidelines, based on the very best available evidence, will help health professionals and patients to work together to agree the appropriate treatment for high blood pressure on an individual basis. The guidelines will help improve the care of many thousands of patients with high blood pressure.

It is vital that patients currently taking a beta blocker continue to do so until they have discussed treatment options with their doctor or practice nurse. The guidelines should not provoke a great 'rush' to GP surgeries to have treatment reviewed, but should form the basis for informed dialogue at the next treatment review.”

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of Education for Health says: “The updated NICE clinical guidelines on hypertension containing the latest evidence on pharmacological treatment will support GPs and Practice Nurses in providing optimum care for patients”

Education for Health has been providing cardiovascular disease education, for health professionals since 1997.  Education opportunities include courses on identification, assessment and management of essential hypertension.  All education is evidence based and relevant to practice, fully up to date with the General Medical Services Contract, based on key national guidelines, including this latest NICE guideline, directly linked to the competency frameworks and Knowledge and Skills Framework and is subject to frequent rigorous clinical and academic review.  In addition, all students are supported throughout their studies by a team of clinical experts.”

For more information please contact:

Sue Weston, Director of Cardiovascular Development at Education for Health.
Tel: mobile +44 (0)7860 946808.

Facts about Education for Health:

Education for Health is a dynamic merger that took place in August 2005 between two of the UK’s leading organisations for health professionals: Heartsave – national Cardiovascular Training Programme, and the National Respiratory Training Centre.

The two partner organisations have each earned a reputation for excellence in education in their respective areas of expertise and have trained in excess of 40,000 students both nationally and internationally

Education for Health aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health education across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide

Reference:

1.   Primatesta P, Brookes M, Poulter NR.  Improved hypertension management and control: results from the health survey for England 1998. Hypertension 2001;38:827-32

Education for health today will achieve the new National Service Framework tomorrow: How nurses are key to solving the NHS burden of lung disease - 28 June 2006

The 3 million people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)(1) and their carers will be delighted and comforted by today’s announcement of a new National Service Framework (NSF) to improve service and care – both in and out of hospital.

COPD kills 30,000 people a year in England and Wales.  It is the 5th biggest killer in the UK(2) and the 5th biggest killer worldwide(3).

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of the medical education charity Education for Health (formerly National Respiratory Training Centre and Heartsave) says: “This is great news for people with respiratory disease who are set to get the care they need.

Delivering on an NSF is a priority for NHS managers, commissioners and clinicians across Primary and Secondary Care and has been shown to radically improve services at patients’ level, right where they are needed most.   However education must be at the heart of effective delivery of high quality service.

We at Education for Health design and deliver education which changes practice by promoting evidence based care.   Well informed and clinical up-to-date health professionals are then able to apply and integrate best practice and are ambassadors for the idea that interdisciplinary education is the fastest, most effective way to implement this new NSF”.

Education for Health has been at the frontline of the battle to achieve recognition for people with lung disease since 1986.  All education is evidence based and grounded in practice; fully up to date with the General Medical Services Contract; based on key national guidelines; directly linked with the competency frameworks and Knowledge and Skills Framework; and is subject to frequent, rigorous clinical and academic review.  What’s more, in these days of Health Service change and uncertainty, all students are fully supported throughout their studies by a team of clinical experts.

For more information please contact:
Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive at Education for Health, Mobile Tel: +44 (0)7855 941240
Rachel Booker, COPD Module Leader at Education for Health, Mobile Tel: +44 (0)7715 128055.

Supplementary Information:
Education to achieve NSFs (PDF)

Facts about Education for Health:
Education for Health is a dynamic merger in August 2005 between two of the UK’s leading education institutions for health professionals: the National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) and Heartsave

The two partner organisations have each earned a reputation for excellence in education in their respective areas of expertise and have trained in excess of 40,000 students both nationally and internationally

Education for Health aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health training across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide.

References:

  1. Stang P, Lydick E, Silberman C et al.  The Prevalence of COPD: Using smoking rates to estimate disease frequency in the general population.  Chest 2000; 117: 354S-359S
  2. National Statistics (2006) Health Statistics Quarterly 30 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/HSQ30.pdf
  3. A Practice Nurse Supplement: Nov 2003.

Congratulations to our first UK and International Graduates - 24 June 2006

On Saturday 24 June 2006 Education for Health held its first graduation ceremony since obtaining Open University accreditation in 2002.  The awards were presented by Monica Fletcher, CEO of Education for Health.

We are delighted by the achievements of our pioneering graduates and wish them every success.  Many more students will graduate in June 2007 and we will be holding an annual graduation ceremony for all four of our programmes.

  • Awarded BSc (Honours) in Respiratory Care:  Fiona Shally
  • Awarded Diploma of Higher Education in Respiratory Care:  Dr Ahmed Mohammed Sulaiman and Dr Alistair Jackson
  • Awarded Postgraduate Certificate in Respiratory Care:  Dr Sue Anderson

Fiona Shally, a Respiratory Nurse from Coventry, attended the ceremony with her mother and daughter and graduated with a BSc (Honours) in Respiratory Care achieving upper second class honours (Class 2.1). Fiona studied with Education for Health from July 2003 and completed her final module in March 2006.  As part of her degree, she completed modules in Asthma, COPD, Hospital Managed Respiratory Disease, Smoking Cessation, Evidence Based Practice, Allergy, Breathlessness and a project.

Dr Ahmed Mohammed Sulaiman, who was also present at the ceremony, received a Diploma of Higher Education in Respiratory Care.  Ahmed was based in Glasgow but has since returned to Libya where he works as a Registrar in a Chest Clinic.  He studied with Education for Health between June 2004 and November 2005, successfully completing modules in Asthma, COPD, Paediatric Asthma and Hospital Managed Respiratory Disease.

Graduates_photo

From left to right: Sue Rivers - Director of Education, Fiona Shally, Monica Fletcher - CEO and Dr Ahmed Mohammed Sulaiman

Two students were unable to attend and graduated in absentia: Dr Sue Anderson, a Practice Nurse from West Sussex and Dr Alistair Jackson, a GP based in the West Midlands.

To find out more about our programmes:

BSc/Diploma of Higher Education in Respiratory Care, Amy Eagles: a.eagles@educationforhealth.org.uk
MSc in Respiratory Care, Rosie Stone: r.stone@educationforhealth.org.uk
Diploma in Chronic Disease Management, Liz Bryant: l.bryant@educationforhealth.org.uk

NRTC USA to Collaborate with Eastern Virginia Medical School; under the direction of Judith Taylor-Fishwick - Press Release - 7 June 2006

Since the National Respiratory Training Center (NRTC) was established in the United States in 2002, our organization has had much to celebrate.  Through the efforts of a dedicated staff, friends within the industry, and the strength of our parent organization in the United Kingdom, the NRTC has built a solid reputation for training health professionals in respiratory disease across the country. Building on this success, the NRTC has made a strategic decision to collaborate with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk, Virginia under the leadership of Judith Taylor-Fishwick, MSc, AE-C, our newly appointed Director of Strategic Development. While our decision to relocate the national office was difficult, we are confident that our relationship with EVMS will bring new opportunities to our organization. The transition of leadership will be made in July and has been designed to be as seamless as possible. (Read more about Judith below.)

Tracy Stewart, the NRTC’s Chief Operating Officer, was brought into the organization in 2004 to direct operations and lead strategic development, a job which she has done with dedication and foresight. During this time, she has guided the organization through the changing tides within the industry and helped to set a new course for the future. To lead the organization through this next phase of the NRTC’s development, Tracy recruited Judith Taylor-Fishwick, an Assistant Professor within the Center for Pediatric Research in the Department of Pediatrics at EVMS. Judith is a nationally known expert within the asthma community who brings a unique skill mix in program development, research, training, and public health.

With the future of the organization in good hands, Tracy has accepted a position with Scienta Healthcare Education, a medical education company in Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. She will be taking on an exciting new opportunity with this company and will be greatly missed. Tracy will stay with the organization through July working closely with Judith to make a smooth transition.

The NRTC’s decision to move the national office to Virginia was difficult. We have fostered personal relationships in North Carolina that we have valued for many years and a dedicated staff who are unable to relocate.  Many people have come to personally know the wonderful members of the NRTC team including Donna Dayer, Tracie Jones, and Carolyn Kimes. This team has made tremendous contributions to the organization and will be greatly missed.

We recognize that these changes are significant. However, we have given careful consideration to the needs of our organization at this time and are confident that our relationship with EVMS will enhance the NRTC’s future. We are grateful for the partnerships we have developed over the years with individuals and organizations and will continue to support them through this transition and into the future. We greatly appreciate your welcoming Judith into the organization with the confidence that we have in her potential to take the NRTC to new heights.

Currently scheduled programs will continue as planned. New contact information will be announced shortly and posted on our USA website at www.nrtc-usa.org.

Welcome, Judith Taylor-Fishwick

The NRTC is excited to announce the appointment of Judith Taylor-Fishwick, MSc, AE-C as the Director of Strategic Development for the NRTC in the United States. Judith holds a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition from Bath University in England, as well as graduate degrees within the field of education. An NRTC Asthma Course graduate, Judith brings over 18 years of healthcare-related experience to the organization, including program development, research, training, and public health.

Since 2000, Judith has held positions with Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia. As an Assistant Professor within the Center for Pediatric Research in the Department of Pediatrics, Judith designed and managed asthma programs in the clinical and community setting. Over the past 4 years, she has authored and co-authored successful applications for over $3 million in private and government funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Virginia Department of Health. Prior to her appointment in Pediatrics, Judith supported resident research within the Department of Medicine.

Judith is a member of the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program based at the National Health Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health and serves on the Asthma Guidelines Implementation Committee. She is also a faculty member on the Physician Asthma Care and Education program.

Before coming to the United States, Judith worked in public health with the Nottingham Health Authority in England. She has held various other positions throughout her career involving health programs and education. Judith will begin with the NRTC in July 2006. Please help us welcome her to the organization.

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive

Raise your capability, your value and your career prospects…with the Education for Health 2006 Summer Programme

This year’s Summer Programme focuses on “Building sustainable improvements to the service quality, management and care of people with long term conditions - strategies for success”.

As a visitor to our Education for Health website it will provide you with, and expose you to a variety of key skills required to further and develop a deeper understanding of the issues facing patients and managers and reflects local and Government priorities.

Healthcare has traditionally been an industry where, to a great extent, your experience and confidence determines how highly you are valued and how far you can go. The KSF, GMS Contract and national pressure for the workforce to mobilise behind the long term conditions agenda means however, that employers across the NHS are increasingly looking for something more tangible - that’s when Education for Health accredited courses at diploma, degree or Masters level - and validated one day certificate courses, can set you head and shoulders above the crowd.

The 2006 Summer Programme covers such topics as:

  • Spirometry**, Smoking Cessation**, COPD and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
  • Weight management**, Hypertension**, Heart Failure** and Cardiovascular Disease**
  • Allergies in your practice
  • Evidence based Practice

View our full 2006 Summer Programme PDF for further details.

Did you know……?
Education for Health education enables true integration of learning into your clinical practice; excellence in the quality of your care AND a fast track to career advancement:-

  • Directly links to the competency frameworks in the Knowledge and Skills Framework
  • Enables achievement of the 2006 QOF
  • Delivers on key national guidelines
  • Written by nationally recognised clinicians and delivered by expert Lecturer Practitioners

Register now for a place on the 2006 Summer Programme
These popular courses start in June and July and applications are already being processed. To reserve your place you need to contact me at v.golding@educationforhealth.org.uk quoting Reference No: Q4/3 Website, or speak to one of our Education Coordinators on 01926 493313.

PS - You might like to subscribe to our new, free electronic magazine - its packed full of respiratory, cardiovascular and allergy information, announcements and news.  You can subscribe by emailing me at news@educationforhealth.org.uk

*  Education for Health is a powerful merger between two of the UK’s leading education institutions for health professionals: the National Respiratory Training Centre and Heartsave
** New courses

A summary of recommendations of pulmonary rehabilition in the community - sharing best practice - March 2006

This document was produced following widespread consultation with experts in the field of pulmonary rehabilitation (at the GPIAG National Conference on 8 July 2005). Whilst it is not a set of guidelines, it does provide recommendations for consideration when setting up or developing a community based rehabilitation programme.

Five themes were discussed in detail:
1. Assessing patients
2. The exercise component
3. The education component
4. Safety & venues
5. Follow up & maintenance.

View Summary Document (PDF) for further information.

Have you heard the one about itchy lips, cherries and hayfever?
Allergies in your practice: exciting new initiative for NRTC current and past students - February 2006

Why do people with springtime hayfever get itchy lips when they eat apples or cherries? What relationship do kiwi fruit have to bananas? Or bananas to latex? When is it a true allergy? And where does diagnostic testing fit into your patient consultation time?

Watching out for hayfever symptoms?

Do you have hayfever? (PDF) is another bright and eye-catching postcard. As many as 76% of people with asthma also have hayfever. As the hayfever season is nearly with us, are you doing enough for your asthma patients? The very latest evidence points to treatments which are really making noticeable differences in the lives of patients - something we care passionately about achieving.

We are delighted to invite you to attend one of three important limited attendance events. They have been designed exclusively for you to continue your allergy professional education and bring you right up to date with current thinking and international evidence. As well as examining new advances in primary care allergy services, national speakers will discuss the fascinating area of allergen cross reactivity - including the link between itchy lips, cherries and hayfever.

London Cambridge Manchester
April 4 May 10 May 15

 

For more information or to reserve your place simply email Kim Esslemont at k.esslemont@educationforhealth.org.uk and programme details and a priority booking form will be sent to you. Alternatively call Kim on tel: +44 (0)1926 838962.

Forward this page to interested colleagues. Numbers at these events are very limited.
NRTC current and past students and their guests are invited to enjoy:

  • Priority booking
  • A delegate fee of just £40 (thanks to an educationla grant from Schering Plough)
  • Complimentary copies of the new Education for Health Hayfever Patient Consultation Resource, 'Practical Allergy Management' book by Dr Samantha Walker.

In association with the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunotherapy

Education for Health is a powerful merger between two of the UK's leading health education institutions, the NRTC and Heartsave. Success is based on market leading product innovation in the fields of respiratory and cardiovascular education, and an absolute passion to make a difference to the lives of people living with long term conditions.

For a copy of Do you have hayfever? in A5 or A3 format contact campaign supervisor Carrie Robbins on 01926 836836 or email c.robbins@educationforhealth.org.uk

True integration of evidence-based practice into patient care is the only way we will achieve excellence in quality of care - Journal of Cardiology article - February 2006

View the Education for Health article (PDF) as printed in the Journal of Cardiology in February 2006.

Stop Smoking Here Postcard - Overwhelming response from General Practice - January 2006

A new resource designed to inspire and trigger an attempt to stop smoking by focussing explicitly on immediate health gains was launched by Education for Health in January.  Timed to coincide with the annual New years quit attempt of thousands of smokers, 10,400 copies were mailed to General Practices across the country. Response has been overwhelming.

Stop Smoking Here (PDF) is bright, eye-catching, accessible, and designed to pre-empt the smoking status questions which are routinely asked of patients as part of the QOF and nGMS.

For Education for Health, whose mission is to improve the care of patients with both respiratory and cardiovascular disease, smoking cessation forms a vital link. Yvonne Henderson is Education for Health’s clinical and academic Smoking Cessation Lead. She said “The key is to deliver opportunistic smoking cessation information just before a patient consultation, hopefully making them more receptive and helping to trigger an attempt to stop. At this point our close analysis of the evidence indicates that behavioural support must be reasonably extensive and delivered by a professional trained for the task.”

“It’s an essential skill to be able to engrain smoking cessation support into the structure and process of consultations, which is why all health care professionals need to learn to really understand the issues facing smokers trying to quit. It’s only then that we can build a partnership which initiates and supports long-term behavioral changes. By identifying and overcoming barriers to these changes we can enable smokers to be proactive in managing their quit attempt.”

The only accredited smoking cessation education in the UK - New for April 2006

Enabling you to apply your learning to your consultations from the outset using a combination of study schedules and support from experts, this module will enable you to motivate and inspire behavioral change within patients to improve their quality of life.  It also includes setting up and improving service provision in the light of the current Government agenda: reducing smoking in teenagers, and achieving the Smoke free Workplace.

Smoking Cessation @ Level 2. A new 4 month distance learning module with optional study day - Achieving behavioral change.
Study day also stands alone as a Short Course and is relevant to support all other Education for Health modules.
Price per student £345 diploma module and £95 per student on the study day / short course.

For a copy of Stop Smoking Here in A5 or A3 format contact campaign supervisor Carrie Robbins on 01926 836836 or email c.robbins@educationforhealth.org.uk quoting reference Web 2/06.

BTS/SIGN British Guidelines on Asthma Management - Revised Edition November 2005

2005 Update to the British Guideline on the Management of Asthma originally published in February 2003

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of Education for Health is part of the Steering Group for development of the Asthma Guideline.  She says “Education for Health is delighted to be involved with the production and dissemination of the Guideline.  We recognise that it is essential for guidelines to remain up to date if patients are to fully benefit. ”

The revised guideline reflects a recent review of the sections on pharmacological management, inhaler devices, occupational asthma and audit and outcomes.

Key changes include:

  • Children and adults with mild and moderate exacerbations of asthma should be treated by bronchodilators given from a pMDI+ spacer with doses titrated according to clinical response
  • Adult onset asthma or reappearance of childhood asthma in adult life should always prompt consideration of an occupational cause (work-related asthma is the UK’s fastest growing occupational disease and is estimated to cost £1.1 billion a year)
  • Patient education and self management is advantageous even in those with milder asthma, with the only exception being those aged under 5 years
  • Sodium cromoglicate is effective in children aged 5-12 although the evidence is less clear in children under 5.

The updated recommendations will continue to assist health professionals in providing high quality care and treatment for people living with asthma and are available from:

British Thoracic Society  www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network www.sign.ac.uk/

Education for Health - a dynamic new force in professional health training - 26th September 2005

Education for Health logo

Education for Health is a powerful merger of two of the UK 's leading education institutions for health professionals: the National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) and Heartsave. It aims to provide a consistent, comprehensive and innovative approach to professional health training across the fields of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health, with the ultimate objective of transforming lives worldwide.

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of the NRTC, explains the rationale behind the merger: "There is a natural fit between the NRTC and Heartsave. We both have a strong track record of providing quality professional training for healthcare professionals in the different but related areas of respiratory and cardiovascular disease and we share a common approach in terms of our ethos and core values. Being part of this dynamic partnership will add a new dimension to the way in which we operate, allowing us to offer a more comprehensive, cohesive and innovative approach to professional health training."

The partners in Education for Health have each earned a reputation for excellence in their respective areas of expertise. They will continue to provide its current range of professional education services, but increasingly, the two partners in Education for Health will collaborate to provide a comprehensive service encompassing both respiratory health and CVD.

The integration has been rapid and seamless. The two organisations now share administrative offices in Warwick and have established a new training centre, Westgate House Conference and Training Venue, allowing students from both organisations to benefit from excellent facilities and a superb learning environment. Jo int collaboration has already proved to be highly successful: in 2004, NRTC and Heartsave worked closely together alongside Diabetes Care as members of the Education Alliance to launch the popular new Diploma in Chronic Disease Management Programme.

Sue Weston , Director of Heartsave, looks to the future with relish: "We have ambitious plans for Education for Health and we believe that the organisation will make a significant impact. By pooling our resources and sharing best practice, we will be able to further improve the quality and breadth of our services. Healthcare customers will now be able to commission training in two key areas from one source, allowing greater consistency and more efficient use of resources."

In the UK there are more than 17 million people with long-term conditions such as asthma, COPD or cardiovascular disease and the numbers are rising. (1)

The foundation of Education for Health has been welcomed by David Colin-Thome, National Clinical Director for Primary Care and clinical lead for long-term conditions management at the Department of Health, who comments: "We welcome any initiative which helps to improve the standard of training for primary care health professionals working in the two key areas of cardiovascular disease and respiratory health. This approach complements the Department of Health's strategic direction with regard to the management of Long-Term Conditions and has the potential to contribute to better standards of care and improved outcomes for patients."

Heartsave is an independent charity established in 1998 to improve the care and health of patients with Cardiovascular Disease by supporting the professional development of practice nurses and other healthcare professionals through provision of high quality evidence-based training. More than 5,000 health professionals from a range of disciplines have participated in the National CVD Training Programme, which includes short courses and validated modules.

The NRTC is an independent education and research institution for health professionals, which aims to improve the care of patients with respiratory disease. Since 1987, it has trained more than 32,000 health professionals. It currently offers 16 Open University validated modules and five respiratory programmes including diploma, degree, postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma and MSc in Respiratory Care, as well as a range of one day short courses.

Education for Health is located at: The Athenaeum, 10 Church Street, Warwick, CV34 4AB.

Tel: +44 (0)1926 493313
E-mail: enquiries@educationforhealth.org.uk
Web: www.educationforhealth.org.uk

- Ends -

For more press information or an interview with a representative of Education for Health, please contact:

Helen Gough at Packer Forbes Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 8772 1551
Email: helen@packerforbes.com

Reference:

  1. http://www.17millionreasons.org/Viewed on 1 September 2005.


It Takes Your Breath Away – following the Chief Medical Officers Annual Report - July 21st 2005

“More primary care staff should be provided with training in the use of spirometry as a tool to detect COPD”

Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer Liam Donaldson recognized COPD as a ‘disabling lung disease which not only affects the lives of sufferers and their families but also has a high socio economic impact’.

Today, Monica Fletcher CEO of the National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) said “It is time this government stood up and took notice of this largely preventable disease which inflicts misery on thousands of people and accounts for over 30,000 deaths per year. The NRTC wholeheartedly supports the recommended actions in the Chief Medical Officers' Annual Report 1 published yesterday”.

“Firstly, we: national and local government, public health departments, teachers and health professionals, have a duty to work together to actively discourage young people from starting to smoke and helping smokers of any age to quit. This is not just a ‘good thing to do’ it is a ‘must do. Secondly, we need to ensure that people with the disease are identified at an early stage in order to minimize the damage to their lungs. To achieve this it is essential that the primary care workforce is equipped with the skills based competencies in the use of spirometry and the interpretation of the results.”

Working to improve the care of patients with respiratory disease the NRTC provides a wide range of respiratory education, training over 4000 healthcare practitioners each year.

For more information about the NRTC or COPD, smoking cessation and spirometry courses visit our website.

1. It takes your breath away: the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/AnnualReports/CMOAnnual
ReportsArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4115776&chk=4cbJGT

For further press information, please call:
Tel: +44 (0)1926 838966.


NRTC Launch the new Masters Degree in Respiratory Care - Friday 10 June 2005

This weekend sees the launch of the new Masters Degree in Respiratory Care by the National Respiratory Training Centre

The National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) has become the first academic institution to develop and run a Masters programme in respiratory care, with doctors and nurses attending their first study days this weekend in Warwick. The NRTC has launched the course in response to increasing demands for practitioners to take up specialist posts and the National Guidelines requirement for the development of skills based competencies.

The programme is a three year, flexible, distance learning programme, validated by the Open University and includes compulsory modules in respiratory disease and research methodology. Students are given the choice to study for either the full MSc in respiratory care, Post Graduate Certificate or Post Graduate Diploma.

Steve Holmes, Chairman of the General Practice in Airways Group states that "The new NRTC masters level programme provides an exciting opportunity for the many GPs and health professionals with an interest in respiratory care to develop their practice. It covers the competencies set by the GPIAG to gain recognition as a General Practitioner with Specialist Interest - and I am sure will enhance respiratory care for patients served by those able to undertake this course. I am delighted that a number of GPIAG members have already signed up - and am sure there will be more in the future."

The OU Validation Services report describes the Masters programmes on offer as “reflecting current thinking from both a clinical and academic perspective, providing a rewarding educational experience.”

Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of the NRTC comments; “The Masters programme in respiratory care is a natural evolution for the NRTC. The organisation has always been at the forefront of health professional education and it is most apt that we are first to offer this type of course. I am delighted that the OU report has commended the organisation for its “institutional commitment to lifelong learning, which is supportive and understanding of adult learners who are practitioners.”

For more information on these or other NRTC courses please contact:

Annie Wing on +44 (0)1926 836991
email: a.wing@educationforhealth.org.uk

For further press information, please contact:
Vaughan Pearson, Associate Director on +44 (0)1926 838966.

For further MSc programme information, please contact:
Rosie Stone, Programme Administrator on +44 (0)1926 838968, email: r.stone@educationforhealth.org.uk
Annie Wing, Programme Lead on +44 (0)1926 836991, email: a.wing@educationforhealth.org.uk

NRTC wholeheartedly welcomes DoH support to improve allergy services in the UK

Allergic diseases are common and increasing, affecting around 30% of the adult population and 40% of children.  Symptoms are commonly under-diagnosed, denying sufferers the opportunity for effective treatment.  As the number of people with allergies increase, so does the gulf between the need for effective advice and treatment and the availability of professional services.

The Government has recently revealed a commitment to take key steps to improve allergy services. Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive of the National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC), made the following statement: “The proposed review of available evidence on the epidemiology of allergic conditions is well overdue.  Whilst it is disappointing that the government are not allocating any immediate funds towards the development of allergy services, it does indicate that improving primary care management of allergic disease is high on the list of government priorities. In the meantime may I encourage all workforce planners who are interested in developing a skilled allergy workforce at a local level to make contact with the Allergy Team at the NRTC“.

In fact it is timely that the NRTC recently announced its new allergy programme – a combination of nationally accredited training at degree, diploma and short course levels, internationally recognised research and consultancy, - which can demonstrate models of evidence-based best practice and support PCT’s and SHA’s who need to commission models of allergy care.

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research of the NRTC said:  “In the next few months, the NRTC will be announcing the results of a groundbreaking study which clearly show the beneficial effects of allergy training on patient outcomes.  This could mark an exciting step forward for the millions of allergy sufferers who could have their symptoms managed or relieved.”

References:

1)  Allergy the unmet need.  A blueprint for better patient care.  A report of the Royal College of Physicians Working Party on the provision of allergy services in the UK.  (Royal College of Physicians June 2003)

2)  Select Committee on Health – Sixth Report (House of Commons 21 October 2004)

3)  The Government Response to the House of Commons Select Committee on Health Report on the provision of allergy services.

(A Command paper from the Department of Health January 2005).

Biography – Dr Samantha Walker:

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research at the NRTC is responsible for investigating the effects of improving delivery of care on patient outcomes.  Previous responsibilities have included developing and evolving the NRTC Allergy course and managing a team of external trainers who continue to teach the course nationally.  She is keen to raise awareness of allergy in primary and secondary care and is involved in developing a national strategy for the provision of allergy services.  Samantha lectures widely on all aspects of allergy and has a developing interest in evidence-based practice and translating research into practice.  She is a member of BSACI, EAACI and ATS.  She runs a nurse-led allergy clinic in primary care in North West London (part-time).

Contact Details:

For more information on the above press release email: s.walker@educationforhealth.org.uk

For information on our NRTC Allergy Courses email: c.warner@educationforhealth.org.uk or tel: +44 (0) 1926 836998

National Respiratory Training Centre wins National Training Award

National Training Awards 2004 logo

The National Training Awards are the UK’s number one accolade for businesses, organisations and individuals who have achieved lasting excellence and success through training and learning. Their aim is to recognise and celebrate the people and the organisations who create success through training and personal development.

Of the many thousands of nominees and applicants, only a few are selected as finalists. Of these, some are highly commended, some receive a regional award and some a prestigious National Training Award. The National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) in Warwick has achieved this highest category of award.


"Winning a National Training Award is a tremendous achievement for everyone involved in the provision of our education programmes at the National Respiratory Training Centre. The Award recognises the quality of our programmes and demonstrates not only good team development, but also the outstanding results gained by putting what has been learned into practice," said Sue Rivers, NRTC Director of Education.

NRTC Case Study (pdf)

National Respiratory Training Centre supports DoH drive to eradicate TB

The National Respiratory Training Centre (NRTC) has developed two training courses on the management of tuberculosis (TB) in response to the announcement by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, of new measures to tackle and ultimately eliminate TB in Britain.

The Department of Health Plan, Stopping Tuberculosis in England , (1) commits to tackling the disease by increasing the awareness of the disease amongst health professional and the public, establishing high quality surveillance to monitor the disease concentrating on high risk groups, identifying the infection early, and ensuring excellence in clinical care for patients with TB. The measures to be implemented include various measures supported by the NRTC's training courses including the establishment of new TB clinical networks, quicker and more effective screening of 'high risk' groups , named case managers assigned to every TB patient and higher vaccination coverage of babies in high risk groups. (1)

Sir Liam Donaldson said "Our long-term goal is to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, TB in this country."

Monica Fletcher , Chief Executive of the NRTC, echoes this sentiment: "Recent research has shown that the UK is the only country in Europe to see an increase in cases of TB over the past 10 years. If we are going to tackle this problem we need to start with the basics first - education. Our one day short course and Open University validated module offer healthcare professionals essential training in the management of TB and will go a long way to help PCTs meet the demands of the new Government action plan."

The diploma level module is a four month distance learning module worth 15 credits. The one day short course will be available on a regional basis for multi-professional groups. For more information on these or other NRTC courses call the Module Administrator, Glynis Nicol on 01926 838969.

References:

1. Stopping Tuberculosis in England : An action plan from the Chief Medical Officer. http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAnd
Guidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4090417&chk=DsgbSP . October 2004, Department of Health.