Improving Side Effect Monitoring & Documentation for Patients on Clozapine at Lake View Clinic

Aim: By 31 July 2025, 100% of patients on Clozapine attending Lake View Clinic will have their side effects systematically assessed and documented using the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale for Clozapine (GASS-C) tool at annual review, with completion rates and common side effects monitored to support ongoing improvement. Clozapine is an essential treatment for individuals living with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and is associated with a range of side effects requiring regular monitoring. National and local audits, including the POMH programme, have indicated a gap in consistent detection and documentation of side effects using a structured tool at Lake View Clinic. This may affect both patient safety and clinical outcomes. At Lake View Clinic, previous practice did not include routine use of a validated, systematic assessment tool such as the Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-effect Scale for Clozapine (GASS-C). Instead, structured monitoring was limited to the Bristol Stool Chart, with broader side-effect surveillance reliant upon clinical interviews that were not standardized. Standardizing side-effect assessment will help to support the early identification and management of both common and serious adverse effects and bring local practice in line with POMH recommendations. Tools Used: Driver Diagram - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-driver-diagrams.pdf; Stakeholders - www.aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-stakeholder-analysis.pdf; Measurement - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-measurement-for-improvement-overview.pdf; PDSA - https://aqua.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/qsir-pdsa-cycles-model-for-improvement.pdf. Project Impact: 100% of Clozapine patients attending annual review had at least one structured, documented GASS-C assessment (Jul 25).

Citation

Makoni, Farai; Somashekar, Bettahalasor. Improving Side Effect Monitoring & Documentation for Patients on Clozapine at Lake View Clinic. Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust. 2025

Type

Internal Poster

Handle

https://westmid.openrepository.com/handle/20.500.14200/8955

Publisher

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust