An ARC NWC Innovation Internship project led by an Adult Critical Care (ACC) pharmacist, Shaun Morgan, has highlighted major opportunities to improve patient safety across England, sparking momentum for national standardisation of Smart Pump use in ACC.

Shaun, based at ARC NWC member East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and Lead Pharmacist for the Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Critical Care Network, undertook an innovation internship with the ARC NWC. Shaun has been part of the Medusa Smart Pump Working Group, which have been tasked with looking into standardisation, since its formation. His work revealed wide variations in how Smart Pumps, commonly used medical devices for administering intravenous medicines, are programmed and implemented across the country.

“Different ACC units are using the same equipment in completely different ways, with no best practice for developing specific standardised drug profiles,” Shaun explained. “That variation creates potential risks but also a huge opportunity to introduce consistency and standardisation which could improve care for patients on ACC.”

Through ARC NWC, Shaun developed a national benchmarking survey. The survey focussed on Propofol, a commonly used anaesthetic in ACC as the focus and compared practice across ACC in England. The results highlighted, “There’s no standardised approach across the country. ACC units are doing something slightly different. This could be a potential safety concern, but it’s also a platform to build something collaboratively across England.”

Shaun says the internship gave him far more than research findings. “I learnt how to write an effective protocol, how to put together an ethics application, and most importantly, the value of patient and public involvement,” he said. “I hadn’t considered that relatives at a patient’s bedside, hearing Smart Pump alarms going off, might have a perspective that could influence how we conduct research and improve practice. That was a real light bulb moment for me.”

The support he received was crucial. “My ARC mentors, my peers on the course, Samantha Eccles and Dr Scott Lamont, were brilliant. Samantha really helped me shape my protocol and think through things I hadn’t considered. Scott gave detailed feedback on my analysis and my draft paper, his support has been instrumental in taking my work forward. I also have to thank my line manager, Emma, and the LSC Critical Care Network who gave me the opportunity to undertake the internship”.

The project has also created what Shaun calls a “culture change” in his local Pharmacy department. “I’ve set up a ’Pharmacy Research Group with my colleague Debbie Sutton so peers and junior colleagues can see what’s possible. I also gained skills to mentor my colleague, Emma Townsend (our Complex Nutrition Pharmacist), through a successful Pharmacy Research UK (PRUK) application, and she is developing exciting research into pancreatin administration for patients living with pancreatic cancer. Our pharmacists are realising that research isn’t just something for undergraduate studies at universities – it’s part of what we can do to improve care.”

The findings have already led to the next stage of Shaun’s research. He is now working with the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaborative on a systematic review into the impact of Smart Pumps in ACC with mentorship from Professor Darren Ashcroft and Professor Richard Bourne, with the ambition of applying for NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical and Practitioner Academic Fellowship (PCAF) funding to scale up his work.

The ARC internship has opened doors I never imagined,” Shaun reflected. “It’s given me the confidence to identify and generate the evidence required for positive change and to standardise practice nationally. I feel like we have started something that could make a real difference for patients and ACC clinicians. I have had the opportunity to share this work at the National Association of Medical Device Educators and Trainers conference, and I am aiming to have this work published in a peer reviewed journal soon.

Emma Watson is Shaun’s line manager at ELHT. “Shaun’s ability to think outside the box and bring innovative ideas to life, whilst creating a movement amongst his peers, has enabled research to be prioritised by the wider team. An excellent example of improving safety whilst working collaboratively.”

For ARC NWC, Shaun’s success illustrates the power of its internship programme. Scott Lamont, who leads the internship scheme, said:

“Shaun’s project is a fantastic example of what happens when frontline clinicians are given the support, mentorship, and time to explore their ideas. His findings don’t just highlight an important patient safety issue, they’re already influencing practice and inspiring colleagues. This is exactly the kind of culture change ARC NWC aims to foster.”

Shaun hopes others in pharmacy and beyond will seize the same opportunities. “I’d say to anyone thinking about an internship: go for it. Immerse yourself in it. I went in with a very specific plan, but the journey took me somewhere completely different – and that’s opened so many new avenues for me and my colleagues.”

Learn more about the ARC NWC Internship programmes here.