Staff training is a really important aspect of delivering patient care. The Friends were pleased to award £2,330 to fund the Phacon Throat Assist.
This is a ‘model head’ which is used in conjunction with a scope (camera) … and enables staff to be trained with intricate precision.
Where patients have difficulty swallowing …. using this technique therapists can determine many things … a patients’ saliva level, how food and liquid travels down the throat, if there are pockets in the throat where food is collecting and when things ‘go down the wrong way’.
When the scope is inserted into the nose and down the throat, the inside of the ‘model head’ replicates a human form. The level of detail is incredible … as a practical step of the therapists’ training, this ‘model head’ enables staff to perfect their skills before performing patient procedures.
“The Friends – Supporting your hospital, supporting you”
