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Since completing the MPH Catherine has become a member of the Graduate Training Scheme at the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council, which has provided her with valuable experience in the applied aspects of public health. Her ambition now is to pursue a public health career within a local government setting.
The title of Catherine's MPH dissertation project was 'An Investigation into the Effects of National Policy Changes on Attendance Numbers and Waiting Times in the Emergency Department of the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, 2000-2013'.
The objectives of the project were to carry out a time-trend analysis of the attendance figures and waiting times at the Sheffield Children's Hospital (SCH) Emergency Department (ED) between 2000-2013, to investigate the demographic factors of patients driving the ED attendance figures and to assess the effect of the SCH’s wider-hospital system on the input, throughput and output of the ED and how this impacts upon ED waiting times. This was done through a retrospective analysis of routinely collected data. Results of the project show that the SCH has consistently met the Four Hour Wait Policy target to see 95% patients within Four Hours of their arrival. Figures have increased from 58.59% in 2000 to 97.98% in 2013, with a peak achievement of 99.49% in 2009. Demographic factors of age, sex, ethnicity, distance and deprivation were statistically related to attendance figures. Overall ED analyses must consider Trust-specific factors including patient demographics and the wider hospital system containing an ED to obtain a true reflection of the performance of an ED.
