Next Steps and Setting Practice Objectives

So perhaps its worth thinking now about what would we advise other people to do to take this work forward. So I think the first thing is to have a nominated lead for the practice.

Think about who is going to go and get the data. Consider doing it live, I think, has real power. So probably what would be nice would be to keep something really simple so that we feel like doing it. And distribute it. All our different questions we can distribute through the whole team because we can all do it. I think one of the problems is, obviously, in general practice everyone is busy– as you are in hospital and as you are on the prescribing team. And if we make things too onerous, I think they just won’t get done.

So if we can keep it really, really simple, and perhaps just look at one antibiotic, and even if we’re just looking for one outcome, one change of practice, if we can keep it that simple, I think is probably something we’d be more likely to do. What do you think? Absolutely. I think than that will knock on with all your prescribing, won’t it, and all your antibiotics. Because by starting just looking at one thing, you then start questioning what you’re doing across a whole broad spectrum of things. And I think that’s very relevant to what we’re doing. Also, I think what’s really nice is that in actual fact it’s enjoyable.

And also as a nurse practitioner, I think actually most of our work is actually prescribing, and it’s quite a responsibility to actually put your name against a prescription. And it’s enjoyable work looking at things like antibiotics. And because it’s kept simple, like you said, it makes it enjoyable. We’ve got something, and you do feel part of the team. And you think that’s really good. And we sort of look at it and it’s good data. And Jack, didn’t you find that actually when we were doing the antibiotic audit prospectively in the same-day team, everybody had a sheet during the session where they had to note down which patient they were prescribing for, that in itself reduced antibiotic prescribing.

Everybody said they thought two or three times before they wanted to put a name down on a sheet. Absolutely. There was a lot of jesting about, hang on a minute. I’ve got less than you. A little bit of healthy competition. Absolutely. We’re a very competitive lot, actually, and I think everyone wants to do slightly better than the next person and slightly better than the next practice. I guess the hope is that by doing this that we see all of these beneficial outcomes in terms of prescribing. So reduced workload being a major one. So there’s a lot of good data now showing that get your antibiotic prescribing down, you will reduce your workload.

And then, obviously, the longer-term effects of reducing antimicrobial resistance will fall out in many years to come. I think one of our greatest challenges is also empowering the patient and getting them more involved in their own self-management and self-care. And that’s why your little leaflet that you’ve devised on our templates are really good. Something you can give direct to the patient to explain to them and engage them. Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. Great, so thanks everyone.