THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST Board Paper - Cover Sheet Meeting Title Trust Board Date July 2017 Report Title Patient Experience Agenda Item A4 Lead Director Nursing & Patient Services Director Report Author Classification Helen Lamont, Nursing and Patient Services Director Andy Pike, Head of Patient Experience Frances Blackburn, Deputy Nursing and Patient Services Director, Freeman NHS Unclassified Purpose (Tick one only) Approval Discussion For Information Links to Strategic Objectives Links to CQC Domains/ Fundamental Standard(s) Identified Risk? (If yes, risk reference) Resource Implications Legal implications and equality and diversity assessment Benefit to patients and the public Report History Next steps To put patients and carers at the centre of all we do and to provide care of the highest standard in terms of both safety and quality. To continue to be recognised as a first-class teaching hospital, counted amongst the top 10 in the country, which promotes a culture of excellence, in all that it does. Regulation 9, 10, 16. CQC Domains responsive to people s needs, well led and effective. No. No additional resource implication. This paper does not highlight any specific equality and diversity implications. Work is ongoing to analyse data in relation to protected characteristics where this is available. Provides assurance that the Trust has robust and transparent systems for collecting and acting upon patient feedback from across the Trust. Demonstrates culture of continuous improvement. Monthly report on published complaints data. Also, has recently been developed as a more comprehensive patient experience paper bringing together a range of issues all of which relate to the patient experience. To read, discuss and approve this paper.
Agenda item A4 THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST THE USE OF PATIENT STORIES 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At the Trust Board of Directors meeting in February 2017 it was agreed to include a regular monthly patient story to illustrate the impact of the Trusts care and Treatment on individuals, this paper provides a summary of the approach to be adopted. This paper details the experience of Mrs W, a new mother who experienced service which she viewed as above and beyond the expected standard and was particularly touched by the generosity, kindness and compassion shown by a member of staff. At this year s Nursing and Midwifery Conference the Trust launched the #AddValueToday campaign which promotes the significant impact small acts of kindness can have on patients and those that care for them. This campaign has been well received by staff and will continue to be promoted as this example of Mrs W highlights the impact such acts can have on individuals when they come to the Trust when they are at their most vulnerable. 2. APRIL PATIENT STORY MRS B The purpose of this month s patient story detailed in Appendix 1 is to tell the recent story of Mrs W. The story provides an opportunity to: Recognise the impact small acts of kindness can have on patients and those caring for them. Recognise the care, compassion and empathy shown by staff which is done without request and often without recognition as no praise is sought. The need for staff to recognise the importance of listening to patients to understand their concerns, even if this involves taking significant time away from the day job to speak with them to understand their needs. 3. CONCLUSION There is an opportunity for learning and reflection from Mrs W s experience: The Trust should be rightly proud of staff going above and beyond and genuinely putting the patient at the heart of everything we do. Could more be done to recognise such acts or promote such an approach? Is there a risk that staff have such busy, demanding and growing workloads that there is less and less time to recognise the human side and, as was the case in Mrs W s case, take the necessary time out to sit with patients to understand their needs even if this is not part of the individuals role and reduces their productivity? 1
4. RECOMMENDATION The Trust Board of Directors are asked to read and reflect on the patient story and acknowledge the learning. Helen Lamont Nursing and Patient Services Director Frances Blackburn Deputy Nursing and Patient Service Director Freeman Andy Pike Head of Patient Experience July 2017 2
PATIENT STORY MRS W Appendix 1 Mrs W gave birth to her daughter at the Royal Victoria Infirmary without problem. Following discharge Mrs W felt significant pressure in her personal life due to the pressure of being a new parent coupled with significant building work being completed to her home. During this period it transpired that builders had thrown away the mementos of her daughter s birth, including medical bands, which were very precious to her. Although this may seem a trivial matter it had a significant effect on Mrs W who subsequently attended the department in a highly emotional state and was met by John, the department receptionist. Mrs W subsequently wrote this letter: 3