What
makes a good care experience? A well run ward. What makes a well run ward? A
good leader. What does a leader need? Teams with clearly defined roles.
A
family member recently experienced NHS care and felt that there were plenty of
nurses on duty, but care was not great. He was left bleeding profusely and
choking on the blood while the A & E nurse handed him some paper towels and
then went back to reception to chat. It's easy to blame staff numbers for poor care but nursing shortages are not always the cause when standards slip.
As
I have blogged often, for every bad care experience there are multiple stories
of all 6C’s way above and beyond the call of duty. But how can we bring this
back to be the norm and not judge basic care as a luxury?
One
suggestion is that 1000 ‘caremakers’ posts are created. ‘Great’ - I thought
until I read that this role would be extended to experienced nurses. Ahem –
isn’t this a bit like saying from now on we are going to make sure that all our
bus drivers can drive a bus?
Just
because nurses are now highly qualified and hold expert medical knowledge
doesn’t mean they no longer give care. The same should apply to doctors and
therapists – we are all in the business of care.
I
thought that the fantastic games makers from the 2012 Olympics were going to be
the inspiration for a new breed of volunteer within the NHS. People who could
take care of the little things that mean so much while the clinically qualified
spend more time on medical care and treatment. An example of this would be a
cheery person at the ward reception who could answer relative’s questions such
as ‘when will the doctor do his round or where is the hospital shop?’ Someone
who can quickly find a nurse if one was needed. How often have you visited
someone in hospital and no single qualified person can be found? At least a
well-trained volunteer could go behind the scenes and ferret out anyone who was
needed. We have heard of stories where the elderly are left with their meals
out of reach or unaided even though they can’t pick up a fork. How lovely to
have the equivalent of a meals on wheels type kindly soul to make sure patients
eat and drink sufficiently and their personal needs are catered for.
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