Friday the tenth of February saw the first Neonatal Virtual Clinical Grand Round of the year between the West Yorkshire & Harrogate LMNS and with clinicians from both the Kampala Metropolitan LMNS and six Regional Centres of Excellence in Uganda.  

 

The Event 

The Strengthening Health workforce Capacity through Global Learning (SCALE) program focuses on building health workforce capacity in critical care, emergency medicine, maternal foetal medicine and neonatology through virtual clinical grand rounds, clinical fellowships and enabling global placements.  

While Grand Rounds in person are an established method oScreenshot of participants on the call f discussing case studies in clinical healthcare education, the Virtual Grand Rounds are an innovative approach to sharing this learning over greater distances. Following a needs analysis in both countries in 2022, a series of priority topics were identified for future Grand Round, which will be co-hosted by one site in West Yorkshire and the Uganda UK Health Alliance. This collaborative approach not only shares valuable knowledge and practices in both directions, but also fosters closer relationships between specialists in the two countries for mutual benefit.   

The last Friday’s topic “Infection Control Strategies in NICUs (neonatal intensive care units)” was kindly hosted by Dr Pamela Ohadike and Sister Joanne Richardson of Calderdale & Huddersfield Foundation Trust, and Dr Akullu Vicky and Sister Jane Ngamito Opio of Arua Regional Referral Hospital in the West Nile Region of Uganda. 

These virtual learning sessions enable clinicians to share best practice, and exchange knowledge by discussing various cases of mutual interest. As one presenter noted, “this was a great opportunity for us as presenters to share our practice and challenges, and secure opportunities for support.”  

With at least 90 attendees from 30 different organisations, the topic of the day was shared across two presenting organisations, and benefited from lively discussions and engagement in the Q&A session.  

The post-session feedback from participants was positive, with: 

  • 97% stating that their knowledge had increased  

  • 95% of responses thinking their practice will change as a result of the session 

  • 100% agreeing that teaching from the session would positively impact on the care provided to patients 

  • Described as “informative” and as “a very enriching discussion” 

 

The Partnership Photo of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Uganda 

The concept of the Grand Rounds grew out of the successful partnership between WY&H LMNS and colleagues in Uganda under the SCALE program. Uganda established a partnership with the LMNS to gain insight into the transformations they were undertaking at the time. This has now developed into Uganda creating not only an LMNS in the Kampala Metropolitan area, but also with the support of the Ugandan Ministry of Health expanding this successful first programme with 14 more LMNSs across the country. 

“The learning Uganda has acquired through its Ministry of Health from the West Yorkshire and Harrogate LMNS has enabled the country to establish 15 LMNSs with the core objective of strengthening regional accountability and catalysing the delivery of Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health Services in the various regions across the country.  

All the LMNSs established in Uganda now use local data to devise local solutions. The next step Uganda is look at is establishing Regional – Regional Partnerships such as the West Yorkshire and Harrogate LMNS with the Kampala Metropolitan LMNS. By this approach we enable the establishment of more sustainable mutual global relationships and partnerships.” 

Dr. John Paul Bagala, SCALE Lead, Regional Coordinating Hub- East Africa.  

WY&H LMNS and the ICB Global team will continue to support the implementation of the Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems across Uganda. The ICB Global team and UUKHA are progressing the second phase of the programme by facilitating exchange placements of maternity and neonatal staff between the two countries to further system and institutional collaboration. 

"This partnership came about through an early conversation about how we can share our practice across systems (WY&H and Uganda) in a way that brings about sustainable change, improvement whilst working with limited resources. I am delighted with the work to date and look forward to seeing improved outcomes for women and families both here and in Uganda”  

Karen Poole, Associate Director of Maternity Transformation, WY ICB 

 

Contact 

For more information about the project, please visit the WY-HCP website, or contact us at wyicb-wak.wyglobal@nhs.net. 

Logos of SCALE Programme partners