Annual Report and Accounts - The Great Western Hospital

Checklist, a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative across our 15 theatres to ensure
greater consistency for how these checks are carried out. A Consultant Orthopaedic
Surgeon, Mr Adam Brooks, is championing this initiative across the Theatres Team. He
has direct accountability for ensuring the checks are carried out properly. Ensuring that
staff are engaged in the pre-operative safety briefings, now rests with each surgeon.
• Over the past year the Trust has performed well in relation to Hospital Standardised
Mortality Rate (HSMR) with the end of year position being below the level of mortality
expected against the standardised figure. A more detailed report on our performance
against a range of quality and safety indicators can be found elsewhere in this report
(section 6.2.1 refers).
2. To improve the patient and carer experience of every aspect of the service and care that
we deliver.
Notable achievements during the year in improving patients and carer experience include:
• Taking part in a Dementia Peer Review to assess how well the Trust cares for dementia
patients in an acute setting. This has led to the early stages of development of a
Dementia Plan to assist the Trust in managing how we will provide care for people with
dementia in the years ahead, given the expected rise in the numbers of older people
nationally. This work includes the rolling out of the use of the ‘This is me’ booklet which
people with dementia fill out with their families prior to admission. The booklet is a
useful tool to tell staff what the patient does and does not like so that care can be
tailored to their individual needs.
• Following concerns about how patient fluid intake is monitored on some wards, the
Trust piloted the use of a new device called the Hydrant on Jupiter Ward. The Hydrant
helps monitor fluid intake and gives assurance that patients are getting the right level of
fluids they need to support their recovery. Following this successful trial the Trust will
become the first in the country to roll out this device in a large scale way.
• The GWH has again achieved an excellent rating across all three indicators measured
by the Patient Environment Action Team who independently assess the standard of the
hospital estate, quality of food for patients and the level of privacy and dignity afforded
to them. This is the third year running this rating has been given. The results also show
generally positive results across the community, with the exception of the Princess
Anne Wing at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, which the Trust took on responsibility
for in June. As part of a wider maternity review, the Trust is looking at how the patient
environment can be improved for patients given the lack of investment in that area over
previous years.
• Towards the end of 2011 the Trust eliminated mixed sex accommodation for the first
time following changes to the way we care for ambulatory (walk in) patients. Due to
restrictions on space there had been a small but significant number of patients who
would occasionally be cared for in mixed sex areas. This work has now led to the
elimination of mixed sex accommodation across the Trust.
More detail of patient experience can be found elsewhere in this report (section 3.22 refers).
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