Patient experience projects shortlisted for national awards

Above: Keep Connected Team Below: Paula Briody and Anne Richley- Meet the Matrons

Patient feedback schemes that have resulted in new reading lamps on an oncology ward, an increase in patients using sleep packs to help get a good night’s sleep, and overnight stays for partners of women in labour have been shortlisted for three prestigious national awards.

Northampton General Hospital has been shortlisted in three categories of the Patient Experience Network’s National Awards (PENNA) which aim to highlight outstanding patient experience across the health and social care sector in the UK.

The teams behind the nominations, midwifery and the patient experience team, have been working hard to improve the experience of patients and their families and find ways to help services progress using honest advice and feedback from patients.

The Keep Connected initiative is a real-time survey of patients while they are in hospital and equip the wards with the results to make immediate improvements wherever possible. It has been shortlisted in two categories: ‘Measuring, Reporting, Acting’ and ‘FFT and Patient Insight for Improvement’.

Head of patient experience and engagement, Rachel Lovesy, said: “Senior members of the patient and nursing team buddy up with a ward to undertake the monthly surveys, meaning that feedback is relayed straight to ward staff. This personal approach helps people to feel listened to and to gain feedback from patients who may not be able to respond to other feedback collection methods. Reports are created within 24 hours which mean changes can be implemented as soon as possible.

“Already the project has benefitted patients with those on Talbot Butler ward receiving new reading lamps, as the room lights were identified as being too bright. Elsewhere in Creaton ward patients were finding it difficult to get to sleep so the ward included sleep well packs into their ward welcome packs.

Rachel added: “We have been able to get feedback from our elderly patients in ways that we would never have achieved otherwise. Ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to give their feedback is extremely important to us at NGH.”

Meanwhile, the midwifery service’s Meet the Matrons project has received recognition for their work with expectant mothers and fathers when preparing for the arrival of their baby, having been shortlisted in the ‘Turning it Around’ category.

Community midwifery matron Anne Richley and labour matron Paula Briody set up regular clinics to provide a more personal approach for expectant mothers. The duo are passionate believers in empowering women’s choices and creating a positive birth experience which is what this new clinic is all about.

The project, which has already benefitted new mums, with 100% of those surveyed recommending the service to others, aims to promote conversations between health professionals and their patients. However the benefits do not only apply to mums, as from talking to parents to be; it was recognised that women wanted partners to be able to stay with them overnight while they are in labour, a change which has now been implemented by the team as a result of the project.

Feedback from patients has praised how the project has opened up discussions about birth options, alleviated worries or fears, providing support and boosting confidence and helping expectant mothers and their partners to feel at ease when preparing for their new arrival. What makes this project special is the fact that even years after birth the senior midwives and matrons are still on hand for advice and support, there is no time limit on when women can make contact with them.

Describing the motivations of the project, Anne said “We both feel passionately that women’s experience of birth should be positive; it’s not about whether a woman has a home birth or elective caesarean, it’s about making the experience positive for her however we can. We’ve learnt from women’s experiences and made changes. The most important changes that we can make come from the women we care for; if it can improve their experience of birth then that has to be positive.”

The awards take place on Thursday 1^st March 2018.