AHSN Network: Safe tracheostomy care toolkit (12 June 2020)

Summary

A toolkit for healthcare staff has been published by the National Tracheostomy Safety Project (NTSP) in collaboration with the AHSN Network and the National Patient Safety Improvement Programmes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to support healthcare staff who are looking after patients with tracheostomies.

The number of patients requiring relatively prolonged ventilatory support in intensive care units due to COVID-19 has led to increased numbers of patients requiring tracheostomies, which are used to help wean some patients from respiratory support. The toolkit provides information, practical resources and links to useful online training videos and websites.

Primarily the toolkit is for hospital staff. However, much of the material is also applicable to primary and community care settings.