26 January 2012
Hospital making Time to Care
A drive to free up nurses to provide the care patients and relatives expect was announced nationally by Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Philip Hammond earlier this month.
Surrey and Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust welcomed David Cameron's focus on quality nursing care and is pleased its nurses were already carrying out many of the actions he is recommending. SASH recently launched The Productive Ward - Releasing Time to Care Initiative - to improve standards of care.
Nurses are spending more time on front line care in wards and other services and there are senior ward nurse with whom the buck actually stops. Patients are leading on inspections and there is a new 'friends and family test' to show whether nurses and patients had a good overall experience, or would want loved ones needing care to be treated at each
This national initiative, designed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, uses a modular framework. Each module is completed using a structured approach which enables sustainable and continuous quality improvements. The main objectives are to measure and improve patient safety, the patient experience, to improve the efficiency of care and to develop staff. So far, 25 wards are involved in the initiative. Staff are supported by a Productive Lead Nurse.
Michael Wilson, Chief executive of the Trust said, "The Trust is always keen to deliver high standards of patient care, dignity and respect. We expect all our staff to provide the level of high quality care they would wish for themselves or their family. We are never complacent and we are continually looking for improvement."
Time to Care does not work in isolation but links into other National and Trust initiatives. In 2012 the Trust was nominated to participate in a new national initiative focusing on delivering Safe and Productive Care for Older People. The Trust is also leading the way with new ways of working by launching a "Safety and Quality Champions” scheme, the first of its kind.
The 2012 rollout started with the Meals module, which aims to ensure that meals are delivered in a calm, unhurried way, and without interruptions. Nurses deliver the "Right meal at the Right time, with the Right help”. Ward staff are working with both catering and housekeeping staff to improve the standards of care at patient meal times. The Trust is holding a number of events around the Time to Care Initiative during the current Nutrition and Hydration week 23 – 27 January.