HEIW provides new equipment to help patients with hard-to-find veins at Ysbyty Gwynedd

Published 21 May 2024

Health Education and improvement Wales have supplied a vital piece of equipment known as a vein finder and it’s being used for inpatients at Ysbyty Gwynedd to improve the experience for patients with hard-to-find veins.

Anyone who has difficult veins will know the discomfort when there are failed attempts to locate a vein, when having bloods taken.

Health Education and Improvement Wales have an initiative named ‘Trainees Transforming Training’ and Junior Doctor Lois Williams secured a £3,000 grant having noticed the need to improve the experience for patients with difficult veins.

Dr Williams said: “We’ve been very lucky to obtain a grant to purchase a vein finder and we hope this will empower nurses, phlebotomists, medical students and junior doctors to take blood and cannulate from patients who are difficult to obtain access.

“It works by infrared, which can bounce back and show us visibility of the vein which you cannot do with the naked eye.

“Our hope is that this will improve the quality of patient care in the future.”

Dr Williams has been acknowledged for this project at the recent Junior Doctors Educational Development Time Conference and received first prize for the best oral presentation.

Anton Saayman, HEIW Medical Dean, said: “Through the Trainees Transforming Training initiative HEIW committed to developing and improving education and training across Wales, recognising the fundamental importance of involving doctors in training in identifying areas for improvement in their own training.

“We are delighted to have been able to support this project and look forward to seeing it make a real difference to postgraduate medical education and training, and ultimately patient care.”

Alex Howells, Chief Executive, HEIW said “Our Trainees Transforming Training initiative has been very well received this year, I look forward to learning about the implementation and outcomes of the projects and eagerly anticipate witnessing the tangible impact that they have had on education and training. We will also continue to seek opportunities for the work to be shared with colleagues across NHS Wales”.