Annual Report and Accounts - The Great Western Hospital

The Trust actively responds to feedback from our patients and their carers, and the top three
complaint themes during 2011/12 and actions taken to address these are as follows: -:
1. Safe, High Quality Co-ordinated Care
- All wards are rolling out posters which detail who the Matron and Ward Manager are for
that area and how they can be contacted if anyone has a concern about their care.
- A review of the Enhanced Recovery Pathway (an initiative to support patients in making
a swift recovery following a procedure) is being re-launched in 2012/13.
2. Access and Waiting
- The process of weighing patients prior to arranging an angioplasty appointment has
reduced the number of cancellations in this area.
- We have reviewed the way that we manage duplicate referrals to the triage referrals in
the Ophthalmology Department to reduce the number of appointment letters that are
sent to patients.
- We have reviewed the pathway for referrals to the Sleep Clinic to try to ensure patients
who wish to come to GWH are able to.
3. Better information, communication and choice
- We have made changes in the information that is given by our Booking Service and are
introducing a customer service desk for patient queries.
- We have introduced telephone calls where appointments are made within seven days of
the appointment date.
- A review of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Cancer Services has taken place to ensure
that patients know who to contact and how to access this support.
- A review of the appointment system within Community Podiatry Service has taken place.
3.24.2 Learning from patient experience
What patients and service users have
told us
Some service users have expressed
concerns about the way their discharge
was handled in ‘joining up’ their
discharge with services in the
community.
What change have been made as a result of this
feedback
In response to this feedback, the Trust has introduced
a Discharge Pathway Facilitator who is reviewing
patient pathways and the discharge planning process.
This is raising the profile of, and strengthening, the
links between hospital departments and services in the
community to ensure a joined up, patient centred
approach.
The Trust is rolling out handovers at the bedside to
involve patients in discussions about their care and to
keep them informed.
Patients have also told us they want to
be more involved with decisions about
their care and they would like more of an
opportunity to ask questions during
Outpatient Appointments.
A campaign will be launched by the Diagnostics and
Outpatient Directorate called ‘able to ask’ to empower
patients to feel able to ask questions during their
outpatient appointment and to encourage staff if there
is anything else that the patient would like to know.
Page 31 of 211