Susan Siegel spent a day with various teams and institutions across NHS Lanarkshire to see the difference finding out what matters to people can make.
The sun was shining and I met up with my NHS Lanarkshire hosts for the day:
- Rick Edwards, Programme Manager for Person-Centred Care Quality Directorate
- Irene Barkby MBE, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions
The blog is our compilation of the wonderful events of the day.
Visit to Larkhall Health Centre
- Lizzie Farrell: Physiotherapist
- Leonor Wilmot: Team Leader
- Rae Yuille: Clinical Support Worker
We had an insightful conversation about the Real-time care experience model they use for address feedback from patients in their own homes – their philosophy is that it is important to coordinate the patient’s care around the patient’s needs.
Their goal is to enable their staff to make it easier to track and monitor patient progress which proves and an interesting challenge as remote areas may have IT connectivity issues.
The team truly focuses on the patients’ perspective and feel the feedback model has given them a chance to work together more effectively as a team, learn how to share and learn from negative feedback, provide an inspired place for staff to work and identify how newer technologies can be used to enhance the patient experience.
Visit to Lady Home Community Hospital
- Thelma Tamakloe: Occupational Therapist
This is a rehabilitation facility with an average stay of 28 days and the focus is to get patients returned to their homes. There are active care plans in place for each patient and patients are involved in identifying goals for their own progression.
The highlight of this visit was the visit from the local children of Douglas Primary School who paired up with the patients to plant and water flowers in the garden area. Each child ‘adopted’ a patient and they worked together to secure the plants in pots of various decoration. They finished their visit with a rendition of the song, ‘You are my sunshine’. There were smiles all around and many of the patients joined in the singing.
We were back on the road again to Wishaw General Hospital.
Visit to Forensic Mental Health Services management team
- Caroline Watson and Alan Simpson: Senior Charge Nurses
- Maureen Black: Occupational Therapist
The team is composed of staff from psychology, psychiatry, medicine, social work, and occupational therapy. They have inpatient and outpatient services with the focus being on meeting the specific needs of the patients, ensuring government requirements are followed.
The team have worked on providing opportunities to create gardens, volunteer on woodworking projects and learning activities of daily living. The patients have forged relationships with the local community and maintain the Hamilton West train station environment and plants.
Each patient has an individual care plan which includes elements of mental health, legal requirements, physical health and welfare and goals for recovery.
One of the challenges is to see how these patients can be welcomed as volunteers within the community and use the vocational skills they have developed.
The staff are well trained in reflective practice and are proud of what they have accomplished as a team and how the patients have thrived. Each patient has identified their preferred activity and the staff endeavors to provide opportunities that suit the patients’ needs.
Visit to: Opening of the Sanctuary Garden at Wishaw General Hospital
- Harry McKenna: Chaplain
- Paul Graham: Head of Spiritual Care
We were privileged to attend the opening of the Sanctuary Garden located within the hospital. The Sanctuary has been enhanced over the past year by hospital staff and volunteers as a place for calmness and peace where everyone can enjoy the outside and inside well-appointed space. This development was sparked through activities undertaken on ‘What matters to you?’ day 2017.
There are a variety of plants and flowers in lovely surroundings, with much of it being donated by local businesses and residents. The highlight of the space is a memory tree created by inmates of Shotts Prison. We all had the opportunity to hang an ornament in honour of a loved one.
Visit to Maternity Care Services
- Maureen McSherry: Consultant Midwife
We heard a story from Margaret who had two babies in the hospital; the youngest being 5 months old. Her first childbirth experience a few years ago was terrifying, upsetting, painful and numbing. She was severely distressed during the five day labouring process and felt there was a severe lack of communication and caring from the staff. She was referred to the Birth Choice Clinic for before her second birth and felt that she was listened to, empowered to make choices, cared for and consistently treated with respect and dignity.
In NHS Lanarkshire maternity care services, women are able to develop an individual care plan with the latest in technology and procedures in place. Everyone on the staff works as a team and takes time to answer questions. Margaret noted that feels truly happy that she had the chance to provide feedback and that changes have been made as a result of her experience.
Visit to Spiritual Care
- Paul Graham: Head of Spiritual Care
- Harry McKenna: Chaplain
We heard about the efforts the Spiritual Care team has made to ‘normalise’ some of the family experiences of critically ill family members. Recently a woman in palliative care was supported to dress and apply make-up and brought into the Sanctuary. Her children were able to visit her and feel they had a wonderful opportunity to enjoy being with her as a family in a ‘normal’ environment rather than on a hospital ward.
The enthusiasm of the staff and patients is important, and the hospital management understands that satisfied staff will treat patients in a more caring manner. They are doing everything they can to provide a calm and comfortable environment in which staff can care about themselves more effectively. The focus is not on religion, but spirituality and embracing peoples’ inner strength.
The team has introduced yoga classes that have been oversubscribed, and trained staff to facilitate wellness sessions. They have also implemented a listening service using organisational values of fairness, respect, working together and quality. The team also delivers Values Based Reflective Practice to help staff build resilience and psychological safety to keep staff well.
Many thanks to the staff and patients who welcomed us and shared their stories. We look forward to visiting them again next year to see their progress.
~ Susan Siegel, Public Partner with Healthcare Improvement Scotland