For parents to be told that their child has been diagnosed as having retinoblastoma is totally devastating. Retinoblastoma is a cancerous condition of the eye which occurs mostly in children, usually before the age of 3 years. To be confronted with the problem of sight loss and cancer is a tremendous shock. In appreciation of this, the staff of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London were well aware of the need and desire of parents to form a self-help group for mutual support during this traumatic period in parents' lives. The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of forming a self-help group for families with children affected by retinoblastoma and to describe how the Retinoblastoma Society was established.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A study of complaints by patients of different age groups in an NHS trust.

A study was undertaken in an NHS trust general hospital to determine if older or younger patients submitted more complaints, and if differences existed in the topics of complaint, and the subsequent handling of the complaints. The patient administration system, the complaints register and a questionnaire were used to collect the data from the complaint files. The study found that older patients were twice as likely to complain to the unit as younger patients. The majority of complaints from both age groups specified poor attitudes and communication of staff, and inadequate care. The recommendations include the need to improve the documentation and filing of the complaints, to use the Patient's Charter (1) as a resource for planning the service and to examine why complaints specified doctors more than other staff.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Harnessing IT systems to support patient care: good practice.

The incorporation of information management and technology into healthcare environments has long been advocated, but resistance from clinicians and perceived financial constraints have laboured its successful implementation in many trusts. This article looks at the reasons behind these problems and highlights the benefits to patients of effective use of information technology in the delivery and documentation of patient care.

Benchmarking↗

PubMedDate not supplied