Celebrating 10 years of Cherry Ward
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On this day ten years ago, we celebrated the official opening of Cherry Ward by Sir Bruce Keogh, former National Medical Director at NHS England. Cherry Ward is a ten-bed facility at LHCH dedicated for the care and treatment of people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). LHCH provides specialist adult CF services for Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and further afield.
CF is a serious, inherited genetic condition that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive system. The re-developed environment in Cherry Ward, unveiled in 2016, ensured the ward was fully in line with national guidance providing individual side rooms, en-suite facilities, a comfortable seating area and modern ‘home from home’ facilities.
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Laura Allen, Ward Manager of Cherry Ward spoke of this milestone:
“For the past ten years, Cherry Ward has provided dedicated compassionate, patient-centered care for people living with Cystic Fibrosis. Every aspect of our care is guided by our patients - their experiences, challenges and goals. We strive to ensure their care is not only clinically excellent but truly individualised. This milestone reflects the strong relationships built between our patients and their families with our team. We understand that being in hospital can be challenging, so we strive to make our ward a place where patients feel comfortable, respected and truly cared for as individuals. It is a privilege to lead such a dedicated and caring team who go above and beyond. Their commitment makes a real difference to every patient who comes through our door.”
Jenni Daniels, Lead Cystic Fibrosis Specialist Nurse discussed some of the standout developments to specialist CF nursing care over the last decade:
“Within the last ten years, we have seen four Cherry Ward nursing staff progress and expand their CF knowledge and expertise by joining the nurse specialist team. The nurse specialists have worked closely with staff at Liverpool Women’s Hospital to improve communication for our CF ladies through pregnancy and birth. This has also included supporting the ward with the adaptations and learning required for those ladies and their newborns, who may need re-admitting for treatment, following delivery.
“LHCH Charity worked with one of our patients to fund an ultrasound machine. This will allow the nurse specialist team to expand on their clinical skills by learning to place IV lines in people with CF under ultrasound. This will improve patient comfort moving forward. There is a strong working relationship between ward staff and the CF multi-disciplinary team and we look forward to the next ten years working together!”
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